Which iPad is best for Drawing in 2022

iPad is a great tool for a lot of things but one thing that is very unique and done well in an iPad is the ability to draw using a stylus. It’s so far the best tablet or any device period to do it right. Apple introduced in 2015 the Apple pencil which was a move towards selling iPads for creatives all across the world.

The drawing software and even the Apple pencil have improved a lot in the past 6 years and apps like Procreate, Notes, Notability have reached levels where professional artists are moving towards digital art these days.

Best iPad for drawing in 2022?

Now, obviously, every iPad now has the ability to draw now that the old ones are outdated. Just because iPads can be used to draw doesn’t mean all the iPads do it best. I’m going to list all the best ones here starting from the best.

1. iPad Pro 12.9-inch (M1, 2021)

Before we jump into some personal opinions let’s talk about the specifications of this iPad. Please be aware this is the latest iPad as I’m writing this article. M1 chip is as late as October 2021.

Specifications:

Screen size: 12.9-inch

Resolution: 2048 x 2732 pixels

Stylus: Apple Pencil 2

Total Weight: 682 grams

Dimensions: 280.6 x 214.9 x 6.4 mm

OS: iPadOS 14

Processing Chip: Apple M1 chip

Storage: 128/256/512GB, 1TB/2TB

Cameras: 12MP, 10 MP, TOF 3D LiDAR

Front camera: 12 Mega Pixel

You definitely need an Apple Pencil 2 to draw in this iPad. The sizes are obviously great for drawing. The Liquid Retina XDR display alongside features like True Tone, ProMotion gives you extraordinary color, contrast, light, and smoothness.

The storage goes up to 2TB so you don’t have to worry about space running at all. It’s definitely the most expensive option in the market at the moment so if you are okay with that, go with this one, or else, it’s better to go down this list and find one that fits your budget.

2. iPad Pro 11-inch (M1, 2021)

This is my favorite because this is the iPad that I use. It’s a properly sized iPad because personally, I think 12.9 inches is a little too big to be used as an iPad. But if you use the iPad only for drawing you should definitely go for a site where you can have the biggest canvas.

Specifications:

Screen size: 11-inch

Resolution: 1668 x 2388 pixels

Stylus: Apple Pencil 2

Total Weight: 466 grams

Dimensions: 247.6 x 178.5 x 5.9 mm

Operating System: iPadOS 14

Processing Chip: Apple M1 chip

Storage: 128/256/512GB, 1TB/2TB

Cameras: 12MP, 10 MP, TOF 3D LiDAR

Front camera: 12 Mega Pixel

In my personal opinion, 11 inches is a great option for drawing on an iPad. The best thing is you can use the iPad as a regular-sized tablet as well because 12.9 is the size of a laptop. A tablet shouldn’t be as big as a laptop. That’s my opinion. The size variant doesn’t have the mini LED technology but I don’t think that makes a lot of difference in terms of drawing.

The M1 chip is extremely fast and does your process so well that it will feel as natural as drawing on paper. One more thing I want to add is that, if you travel a lot 11 inch iPad is the best size. The Apple Pencil 2 sticks to the side of the iPad unlike the 1st Gen so that you don’t have to worry about charging it separately.

3. iPad Mini (2021)

This is the smaller version of the iPad that was introduced alongside the two iPad Pro versions I mentioned above. It’s a new iteration of the old iPad Mini. The size is very small. I wouldn’t know if it’s great for drawing because of the smaller canvas size but it definitely and if you are on a budget crunch, this is probably the best one for you.

Specifications:

Screen size: 8.3-inch

Resolution: 1488 x 2266 pixels

Stylus: Apple Pencil 2

Total Weight: 297 grams

Dimensions: 195.4 x 134.8 x 6.3 mm

Operating System: iPadOS 15

Processing Chip: Apple A15 chip

Storage: 64/256GB

Cameras: 12 Mega Pixel

Front camera: 12 Mega Pixel

It’s a compact-sized iPad that is not expensive and can clearly fit inside your jean pocket and definitely carry friendly if you travel a lot. The Liquid Retina screen works great for the decent resolution of 1488 x 2266. This newer iPad mini supports the 2nd gen of the Apple Pencil. The device gives about 10 hours of battery life so drawing when you travel is definitely hassle-free.

It doesn’t have the M1 chip but the A15 Bionic chip from Intel is no joke either. It still holds up its end of the bargain for the money you pay. The storage is not great because it’s only up to 256GB but with some effort into storage management, you can make space for all your drawings.

4. iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2020)

This is the older version before the M1 chip took over. It might not be as fast as the M1 version of the tablet but it still holds up. These were very introduced in 2020 but the old iPad Pro with the 2732 x 2048 resolution finds it as a great choice for drawing providing a high degree of color accuracy.

This iPad supports Apple Pencil 2 and still holds up for the price you pay. But one concern is that you would actually pay the same amount as the M1 chip-based iPad tablets.

Specifications:

Screen size: 12.9-inch

Resolution: 2732 x 2048 pixels

Stylus: Apple Pencil 2

Weight: 639 grams

Dimensions: 280.4 x 214.8 x 5.8 mm

Operating System: iPadOS 13.4

Processing Chip: Apple A12Z Bionic

Storage: 128/256/512GB

Cameras: 12MP, 10 MP, TOF 3D LiDAR

Front camera: 8 Mega Pixel

Like I said earlier, it’s definitely bigger because it’s almost 13 inches so definitely keep that in mind when you make the purchase.

5. iPad Air 4 (2020)

If you are aware of the Air versions of Apple products, it means that its the mid-range products which come between pro and the basic models. So, the performance would be like that as well and the price range too.

Specifications:

Screen size: 10.9-inch

Resolution: 1640 x 2360 pixels

Stylus: Apple Pencil 2

Weight: 458 grams

Dimensions: 247.6 x 178.5 x 6.1 mm

Operating System: iPadOS 14

Processing Chip: Apple A14 Bionic chip

Storage: 64/256 GB

Cameras: 12 Mega Pixel

Front camera: 12 Mega Pixel

This is another regular-sized iPad that might be good for you to practice drawing. It supports second Generation Apple Pencil so that’s a plus. The performance might not be up to the iPad Pro Standards but it’s definitely not bad in its way.

6. iPad Mini (2019)

This would be the last option for me to buy an iPad for drawing. So, when it comes to drawing the biggest drawback is that there is no support for Apple Pencil 2. The 1st Gen is so annoying when it comes to charging because you need to charge it by plugging it into the charging port of the iPad. which is not convenient.

This iPad is decent in performance and the other big drawback is the size of the whole screen which could be seen as small when it comes to drawing.

Specifications:

Screen size: 7.9-inch

Resolution: 1536 x 2048 pixels

Stylus: Apple Pencil 1 (2nd Gen Not Supported)

Total Weight: 304 grams

Dimensions: 203.2 x 134.8 x 6.1 mm

OS: iPadOS 14

CPU: Apple A12 Bionic chip

Storage: 64/256GB

Cameras: 8Mega Pixel

Front camera: 7 Mega Pixel

My personal favorite would be the 12 inch iPad Pro (M1) from these five iPads that are good for drawing. Now, obviously, you will have new iPads coming every year so this list will be updated in the future.

One final suggestion I have for you is to go with the budget. The experience varies definitely for the price you pay.