Xp Pen Magic Note Pad Review A Fun Budget Friendly Tablet For Artists

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Jan 2, 2026, 6:29 PM

xp pen magic note pad review a fun budget friendly tablet for artists

Ruby has been a freelance writer since 2020, having written for MakeUseOf, Sustainable Harmony, and Nature in the Box, before adding XDA to her roster. Ruby has a BA in Graphic Communication and an MA in English with Creative Writing; she's worked as a graphic designer and hobby artist alongside other jobs in writing, pet-sitting, and photography. XPPen’s Magic Note Pad (MNP1095) is a lightweight delight, complete with a responsive and accurate stylus that's lighter than air to write with. With over 16K of pressure levels, and paired with the integrated XPPen Notes app, you’ll benefit from a myriad of digital mediums to draw with or on. XPPen’s innovative 3-in-1 color modes intrigue me but don’t benefit me. With color switch technology developed in collaboration with TCL, Magic Note Pad's world-first 3-in-1 color options sound exciting.

But after exploring, I found no desire to change color mode other than curiosity itself. It’s nice having options other than solely an E Ink tablet, but after using the full-color Nature Color Mode, it’s hard to revert to the other profiles with less vibrant colors. The built-in XPPen Notes app is optimized for writing notes, doodling, and creating basic digital scrapbooks. It has lots of functionality and customization for a digital note-taking app, and it’s included exclusively with the Magic Note Pad. The paper-like screen is nice to draw on and replicates the traditional pen-on-paper surface I love. XPPen sent us the Magic Note Pad (MNP1095) for review in February 2025.

It had no input on the contents of this article. The XPPen Magic Note Pad is the new standalone Android tablet with pen support released in March 2025. This tablet has 10.95-inch LCD with matte glass surface and 90Hz refresh rate. Price at the time of review is USD 439.99. During the launch promotion until 4 April 2025, there will be a 10% discount to bring the price down to USD 395.99. I found the tablet selling on AliExpress from this seller and this seller at just USD 300 in early July.

You can think of this as a variation to the XPPen Magic Drawing Pad (USD 499) released in Jan 2024. The name of the product suggests that this tablet is made for note taking, but it can also be used for drawing, as the new X3 Pro Pencil 2 supports 16K levels of pressure... XPPen has also teamed up with JNotes to provide a lifetime license for their note taking app. The XPPen Magic Note Pad offers a little bit of everything;.it delivers a clean, well-rounded experience for digital note-takers, sketchers and readers alike. It trades power for pen pressure and size for adaptability – a good buy. Why you can trust Creative Bloq Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.

Find out more about how we test. The XPPen Magic Note Pad is a tablet I never really thought I'd use or want, but after over four weeks of using this tablet with a stylus for notes and sketching, I've been... I usually use an iPad Pro for my digital art (I've been re-learning how to paint and draw after 10 years) but the XPPen Magic Drawing Pad, an Android iPad alt, revealed there's life... Similarly, XPPEn's new Magic Note Pad is doing the same for anyone who loves e-ink readers and digital note pads, but can also handle sketching and casual digital art. Magic Note Pad is a creative-focused Android tablet that wants to be a friend to everyone – it's primarily used for notes and productivity, but can be used for simple sketching, causal gaming and... As a mid-priced digital note pad, it's capable of so much more.

The XPPen Magic Note Pad is the first writing slate from a brand that has, so far, only ever made drawing tablets and has practically nailed usability. It's the seamless blend of a notepad, ereader and regular tablet that makes it a special device. Offering a smooth handwriting experience with the X3 Pro Pencil 2 and a paper-like display, it's easily recommendable for sketching and write notes, plus everything else you'd want from a tablet. It doesn't hurt that it's easy on the eyes too, both in terms of design and the filters that reduce blue light. Doubles as a regular multimedia tablet and ereader Reading experience doesn't match true e-ink devices

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you're buying the best. Find out more about how we test. The XPPen Magic Note Pad aims to deliver the best of both worlds – a digital writing pad that’s easy on the eyes while also functioning as a true productivity tablet running Android 14. It claims to be the first of its kind, being a digital note pad with an X-Paper display featuring three modes: Ink Paper, Color Paper and Regular. REVIEW – As the number and types of smart tablets proliferate, the choices just get better. Apple’s iPad may not have been the first tablet, but it proved how useful and popular tablets could become.

And boy, did they become popular with many to choose from in all price and feature categories. There are now many e-ink tablets available in both black/white (grayscale) and muted colors. While grayscale e-ink tech may seem like we’ve taken a step backwards from the bright and colorful Android and iOS tablets, e-ink’s gray-scale and (limited) color screen options have a huge advantage—super long battery... But what if you could have it all? What if you could have an e-ink and a full-color tablet in one? XPPen tries to answer that question with their new Magic Note Pad.

⬇︎ Jump to summary (pros/cons) Price: $359.99 Where to buy: XPPen and Amazon The XPPen Magic Note Pad is an Android-based smart tablet that can be switched between full-color (think Galaxy or iPad), color e-ink look, or monochrome e-ink look with the push of a button. The Magic Note Pad measures 11″ (diagonal) at 10″ x 7″. It can be used in either landscape or portrait mode. It weighs just over 1lb. Silver white is the only offered color.

The Magic Note Pad LED screen is laminated (no parallax—that gap between the pen tip and on-screen cursor) and has a nano-etched display which mimics the drawing and writing feel of pencil on paper. Screen resolution is 1920 x 1200 ppi. With a 90Hz refresh rate, it’s good for everyday tasks. Screen brightness is rated at 400 nits with a 95% sRGB color accuracy and 16 million colors. This simply means digital artists will be happy with the Magic Note Pad. In a world where digital note-taking is becoming increasingly popular, having the right tablet can make all the difference.

Enter the XPPen Magic Notepad, a device designed to bridge the gap between traditional handwriting and modern digital tools. Whether you’re a student, professional, or creative thinker, this Android-based tablet offers an exceptional note-taking experience with its three unique ink modes, stylus precision, and seamless app compatibility. In this review, we’ll dive into the key features, note-taking experience, and how it compares to other popular digital planners. 1. Stunning Display with Three Ink Modes The XPPen Magic Notepad comes equipped with a 10.5-inch matte-finish display that enhances writing precision while reducing glare.

However, what truly sets it apart is its three unique ink modes: These display settings allow users to toggle between vibrant, soft, and paper-like experiences depending on their preference and environment. For a time, it seemed there were full-featured tablets with color LED screens, like the iPad or Samsung Galaxy Tab; and there were e-readers with black and white e-ink screens, like the Kindle or... More recently, however, we've seen the launch of e-ink notebooks like the Boox Note Air 4C, which seek to marry the functionality of an Android tablet and full Google Play store access with easy-on-the-eyes... What if, instead of building an e-ink notebook that apes an LED tablet, you went the other way, and designed an LED tablet that offers the reduced eye strain of e-ink without sacrificing the... That's the idea behind the XP-Pen Magic Note Pad, a tablet that, as the name implies, has a pretty neat trick to show you.

The Magic Note Pad's biggest selling point is its "X-Paper" screen (which appears to be a rebranded version of TCL's NXTPAPER display), which has 1920 x 1200 resolution, a speedy 90 Hz refresh rate,... It has an etched surface to reduce glare as well as three different color modes, controlled at the operating system level, that ostensibly take it from full color LED tablet to a black and... There's a dedicated button on the top of the device that allows you to choose between Nature Color Mode, or the standard you'd expect from any LED screen The XPPen Magic Note Pad represents a significant step forward in digital note-taking technology, combining the comfort of paper, the convenience of digital storage, and a versatile app ecosystem thanks for it being an... It’s definitely one of the most impressive e-ink devices I’ve tested and one that is swamped with so many features as the cherry on top.

The Magic Note Pad arrives with the tablet itself, the X3 Pro Pencil 2, a magnetic folio case that I really like, USB-C charging cable, and documentation. The build quality feels solid from the moment you pick it up, with the 495g weight feeling substantial without being cumbersome. The 7mm thickness feels negligible for a device packing an 8000mAh battery and full Android system. The magnetic folio case provides excellent protection and transforms the tablet into a comfortable writing surface with just the right amount of angle. I really like the quality of the folio case and that they include a space for the pencil to live within. The case protects the pencil at the same time as well without making the case bulkier than it should be.

The magnetic storage slot perfectly positioned and holds the pencil securely without interfering with normal use.Love it. The standout feature of the Magic Note Pad is definitely its X-Paper display technology. Unlike traditional e-ink displays that are limited to black and white, this display supports 16.7 million colours with 400nit brightness. Sure, our high-end smartphones have 3-5 times more brightness than this tablet but so far it’s been fine to use the tablet in daylight.

Xp Pen Magic Note Pad Review A Fun Budget Friendly Tablet For Artists

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