Xppen Magic Note Pad Review The Note Taking Android Tablet Techradar

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Jan 2, 2026, 4:22 PM

xppen magic note pad review the note taking android tablet techradar

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. 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. 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. 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. 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. The XPPen Magic Note Pad is a fascinating jack-of-all-trades. It’s an Android tablet with the anti-glare, versatile, ink-inspired display of an e-reader. It’s also a digital drawing pad, with a satisfying pen experience via the X3 Pro Pencil 2, and an included magnetic folio case/stand.

It’s got a surprisingly robust proprietary app, with features such as an inbuilt PDF annotator, and some unique features you won’t see anywhere else. The Magic Note Pad seems to take many of the learnings that XPPen has made over the years, and combines them into an incredibly casual-friendly package. I got my hands on one recently, and got to take a good look at what the Magic Note Pad has to offer, to get an idea of the build quality, and to play... Admittedly, I’m not a graphical artist. I won’t embarrass myself by sharing the sketches that I made using the XPPen, but I can share my broader experiences. But first off, the big question:

The XPPen Magic Note Pad is a versatile, paper-like LCD writing and drawing tablet that’s designed for note-taking, digital drawing, and basic android tablet functionality. The matte finish makes it both excellent for use outdoors, and in environments with a lot of natural light. However, it does also mean that the display is more dim than other drawing pads in the XPPen line up. With a focus more on note taking, drawing is very much supported but takes a back seat. Especially compared to a top of the line model such as the upcoming Artist Ultra 16, for instance. Probably the most unique feature of the Magic Note Pad is its 3-in-1 Colour Note Pad functionality.

Rather than adhering to a single display profile, the device allows you to toggle between three distinct modes via the dedicated "X-Paper Key" (located next to the power button) to match the current task. Here are some homepage screenshots I took as an example: The author has always had a preference for physical-paper books, and handwritten notes. I rarely use any digital devices like smartphones or tablets in the studio for daily note-taking, even though there’re quite a lot of tablets with paper-like screens in the office. I know my experience doesn’t apply to most people, as I just simply couldn’t read e-books on screens for a long-lasting time. However, in such a digital era, it’s inevitable that from time to time I’ll need to do my work through a screen.

Fighting it somehow, I’m still sticking with handwriting to meet my miss of physical page flipping. But the team recently noticed my notebooks had been replaced by something new—the XPPen Magic Note Pad. Well, this is the best paper-like tablet I could find for fitting my reading and writing. As the other reviewers got to try this particular tablet, at the beginning, the XPPen Magic Note Pad looks much like a regular smart tablet. But I really see it differently. The review story is also about how I convinced them.

At first glance, it is like a drawing tablet widely used in the design industry, rather than a common tablet. It features a silver bezel and about an 11-inch display, which is how it could be so special as a note-taking device. I will talk more about the magic display later. The backcover is in pure white with a light elegant logo printed, with a slightly matt finish. Similar to a smart tablet, the front face features a front camera on the top for facial recognition and video-meeting uses. On the left side, there’s a dedicated slot as a magnetic pen holder.

The accompanied pencil can be firmly attached on the slot position. As mentioned, one of the primary reasons I chose this Pad is the screen with a fine matt finish. It claims to be the world’s first 3-in-1 Color Note Pad. Unlike other e-ink screens, the Magic Note Pad offers up to three intelligent color modes, including Nature Colour Mode, Light Colour Mode and an special Ink Paper Mode. 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...

Xppen Magic Note Pad Review The Note Taking Android Tablet Techradar

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