Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite review | The Best Budget Drawing Tablet

As someone interested in design (I assume that is why you are reading) and access to the infinite stream of social meida I'm sure you must have seen peopel on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok doing amazing digital drawings and animations with their brand new iPads or graphics tablets that cost more than most people make in a month. If you have, I'm sure you have wished you could give it a go.

Enter the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite! It is a remarkable device that stands out as the best budget drawing tablet in the market today.

Packed with impressive features and a competitive price point, this tablet is an excellent choice for both aspiring artists and seasoned professionals who are looking for an affordable yet powerful drawing tool. Below I will go into some of the reasons I think it can work for you too.

Design and Build Quality

The Galaxy Tab S6 Lite boasts a sleek and modern design that is both lightweight and compact, making it highly portable and easy to carry around. Its build quality is solid, with a sturdy metal frame that gives it a premium feel without compromising on durability.

Display and Stylus

The tablet's display is an LCD with a resolution of 2000 x 1200 pixels, which delivers crisp and vibrant visuals. Though not as advanced as OLED displays found in higher-end tablets, it still offers an impressive color accuracy and sufficient brightness for most artistic needs. Additionally, the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite comes with an included S Pen stylus, which is a fantastic bonus. The S Pen is sensitive, accurate, and supports tilt functionality, making drawing on this tablet a delightful experience. The device's 10.4-inch display is the perfect size for drawing, providing ample screen real estate for creativity to flourish.

Performance

Powered by Samsung's Exynos 9611 octa-core processor and 4GB of RAM, the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite delivers commendable performance for its price point. It handles drawing apps and multitasking with ease, ensuring smooth strokes and quick response times while working on intricate art projects. While it may not match the sheer power of high-end tablets, for a budget drawing tablet, its performance is more than satisfactory.

Drawing Experience

As a drawing tablet, the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite excels. Whether you're sketching, painting, or doing digital illustrations, the combination of the S Pen and the tablet's display offers an intuitive and fluid drawing experience. The pressure sensitivity of the S Pen is particularly impressive, allowing artists to create varying line thicknesses and achieve subtle shading effects effortlessly.

samsung galaxy s-pen — Samsung Galaxy S-Pen

There are also a range of fantastic apps on the Google Play Store for drawing (Krita, Sketchbook) and apps for animation (FlipaClip).

Software and Features

The tablet runs on Samsung's One UI 2.0 based on Android, which provides a user-friendly interface with access to a wide range of drawing and creative apps from the Google Play Store. Samsung also offers its suite of creative tools that enhance the drawing experience further. Furthermore, the tablet supports Samsung DeX, enabling a desktop-like experience when connected to an external display.

Battery Life

The Galaxy Tab S6 Lite boasts a sizable 7040mAh battery that can easily last through a day of moderate to heavy use. For artists who enjoy long drawing sessions, the tablet's impressive battery life is a significant advantage.

Price

Price is a big one for everyone, especially as bread is now twice the price it was last year and the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite comes at a really resonable cost. I myself managed to pick one up from CEX for just £170 quid and if you are willing to wait around on something like Facebook marketplace that price will drop even further!

Negatives

Nothing is perfect and I do think with a cheaper tablet there are a couple of trade offs that you have to make:

Limited Processing Power: While the tablet is sufficient for most drawing applications and tasks, it may struggle with more demanding software or large, complex art projects. Users who plan to use resource-intensive applications or multitask extensively might experience occasional lag or slower performance.
Non-Laminated Display: Unlike some higher-end tablets, the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite does not feature a laminated display. This means that there can be a slight gap between the glass and the actual screen, leading to a perception of parallax when drawing. While this might not be a significant issue for casual artists, it can be a minor annoyance for those seeking a more precise and seamless drawing experience.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite unquestionably stands as the best budget drawing tablet on the market. Its combination of a vibrant display, excellent stylus performance, solid build quality, and strong battery life makes it a compelling choice for artists on a budget. While it may not have the top-tier specs of high-end tablets, its overall performance and features make it a true value-for-money drawing companion. Whether you're a budding artist or a professional looking for a secondary drawing device, the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite will not disappoint, especially with its competitive price point that opens up opportunities for artists of all skill levels to embrace digital artistry without sacrificing quality.