The Lenovo Idea Tab 11-inch is the best-value tablet with a stylus for most buyers. Currys lists it at £189, including the Lenovo Tab Pen. It combines Android 15, 8GB RAM, 128GB storage, a 2.5K display and a 90Hz refresh rate, making it suitable for notes, study, everyday work and lighter creative use.
For the largest display and the strongest editorial recommendation for creative work, choose the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra. Creative Bloq ranks it as its overall best tablet with a stylus. John Lewis lists the model with a Bluetooth S Pen, 16GB RAM and a 14.6-inch display.
The table focuses on products where the included pen is specifically identified by the retailer or manufacturer. Prices were checked on 9 September 2026 and can change, particularly where a retailer gives a configuration range.
| Tablet | Price | Pen and key specification | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lenovo Idea Tab 11-inch, 128GB | £189 | Lenovo Tab Pen included; 8GB RAM, Android 15, 2.5K 90Hz display | Best budget value |
| Lenovo Idea Tab Matte Edition, 128GB | £239.99 | Tab Pen and folio keyboard included | Typing, notes and study |
| Lenovo Idea Tab Plus, 256GB | £279 | Tab Pen included; 12.1-inch display, 8GB RAM, Android 15 | Large-screen value |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Lite | £329–£459 | Bluetooth S Pen included; 10.9-inch display, 8GB RAM | Affordable Samsung option |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE, 128GB | £459 | Bluetooth S Pen included; 10.9-inch display, 8GB RAM | Samsung study and work use |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ | £589–£669 | Bluetooth S Pen included; 13.1-inch display, 128GB or 256GB storage | Large Samsung screen |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra | £1,199–£1,549 | Bluetooth S Pen included; 14.6-inch display, 16GB RAM | Drawing and demanding creative work |
The Lenovo prices and box contents come from Currys and John Lewis listings. The Samsung configurations and prices are listed by John Lewis.
The Lenovo Idea Tab 11-inch is the best cheap tablet with a stylus in this selection. At £189 from Currys, it includes a Lenovo Tab Pen rather than requiring a separate pen purchase. Its 8GB RAM, 128GB storage, microSD expansion up to 1TB and 2.5K 90Hz screen give it useful capacity for study, streaming, handwritten notes and general tablet work.
The 90Hz refresh rate means the display updates frequently, which can make scrolling and pen movement look smoother. Dolby Atmos speakers also make the Idea Tab suitable for video and music. Currys says it is compatible with the Lenovo Folio Keyboard, but the keyboard is not part of the £189 bundle.
The Lenovo Idea Tab 11-inch is the strongest budget-value choice here because it combines the lowest listed price with an included Lenovo Tab Pen, Android 15, 8GB RAM, 128GB storage and a 2.5K 90Hz display.
The Lenovo Idea Tab Matte Edition is the clearest choice if you want a tablet with pen and keyboard sold as one confirmed bundle. John Lewis lists the 11-inch, 128GB model at £239.99 with both a folio keyboard and Tab Pen included.
This is a practical study or work setup: the keyboard is suited to longer typing, while the pen covers annotations, handwritten notes and quick sketches. The Lenovo Idea Tab Plus is the alternative for people who want more screen and storage. It costs £279 at John Lewis, includes the Tab Pen, and has a 12.1-inch display, 256GB storage and 8GB RAM. John Lewis lists Android 15 and claims up to 13 hours of video streaming and 13.5 hours of web browsing for this model.
The Lenovo Idea Tab Matte Edition is the best tablet with pen for students when the budget includes a keyboard. Its bundled Tab Pen is useful for annotating lecture notes, and the folio keyboard supports longer written work. The £189 Lenovo Idea Tab is the better student buy when typing is occasional and keeping the cost down matters most.
Choose the Idea Tab Plus when a 12.1-inch screen and 256GB storage are more valuable than the lowest purchase price. A larger display gives split-screen reading and note-taking more room, while the extra storage is useful for documents and downloaded media.
Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S10 Lite is the step-up option for shoppers who specifically want a Samsung tablet with stylus. John Lewis lists it with a Bluetooth S Pen, 10.9-inch display and 8GB RAM at £329–£459.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra is the best tablet for drawing with a pen in this list. Creative Bloq ranks it as its overall best tablet with a stylus. John Lewis lists it with a Bluetooth S Pen, 16GB RAM and a 14.6-inch display, providing more working space than the 10.9-inch and 11-inch alternatives.
Its price range of £1,199–£1,549 places it in a different category from the Lenovo Idea Tab. It is best suited to buyers who prioritise a large canvas and a premium creative-work setup. The Lenovo remains the lower-cost route for lighter drawing and note-taking.
For drawing and creative work, Creative Bloq ranks the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra as its overall best tablet with a stylus. For value, the Lenovo Idea Tab is the strongest low-cost option with a manufacturer pen included.
Check these four points before buying:
No. A passive stylus can work on most touchscreens, but an active stylus requires the tablet to have the correct digitiser and compatibility. HP explains the difference between passive and active styluses, while Dell notes that an active pen designed for one device family may not work with another, even when the screen sizes are similar.
Match the exact pen model to the exact tablet model. A generic passive stylus may provide touch control, but it does not establish that the tablet supports active-pen features.
The Lenovo Idea Tab 11-inch comes with a Lenovo Tab Pen and is listed by Currys at £189. John Lewis also lists the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Lite, Galaxy Tab S10 FE and higher-end Samsung Galaxy Tab models with a Bluetooth S Pen.
Yes. The Lenovo Idea Tab suits students who want handwritten notes, annotations and everyday study at a lower price. The Matte Edition is more practical for students who also need a keyboard because John Lewis lists both the Tab Pen and folio keyboard in the bundle.
