Huion's Digital Notebook in Review: sluggish, but versatile
It looks like a notebook, but it's a tablet: The Huion Note E impresses with a matte display, Android software, and a top stylus. However, the digital notebook is sluggish.
The Huion Note E is an Android tablet with a matte display. Its advantages for note-taking lie in its handy format, the included stylus, and the pre-installed software. Huion even installs a program for digital art. The device falters in some areas, but in most cases, it is superior to an E-Ink tablet.
Display and Design: Really Chic!
The Huion Note E aims to be a notebook and indeed looks like one. It is 8.4 inches large, roughly DIN A5, and the grooves on the frame mimic the pages of a notebook. For its compact size, the Note E feels noticeably heavy at 350 grams. Overall, however, I like the feel and design, and the device appears robust.
The resolution of the IPS panel is 1920 × 1200 pixels, which is not outstanding but acceptable for the small area. The refresh rate, meanwhile, is at the minimum of 60 Hertz. The 300 nits of screen brightness are not sufficient in bright sunshine. The anti-reflective glass at least somewhat counteracts this. However, such displays tend to appear generally less sharp – the moderate resolution therefore slightly detracts from the overall impression.
This means the device is more intended for indoor use or away from direct sunlight. The display is not suitable for high-resolution videos and detailed artworks.
Hardware in the Weaker Range
Huion uses a Mediatek Helio G99 in the digital notebook. This chip does not have outstanding performance and is not particularly energy-efficient. Together with the six gigabytes (GB) of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage, it is rather at the minimum of current equipment. This is sufficient for notes, sketches, and minor office work.
There are a handful of comparable competing products, such as the Onyx Boox Note Air 4C. This is designed for the same purposes as the Huion Note E, but as an E-Ink tablet. It has similar performance with the Snapdragon 750 G and a much longer battery life, but it reacts much slower. The XPPen Magic Notepad is even more comparable. This Android tablet has similar performance with the same chip, the Mediatek Helio G99. The response and battery life are also almost identical.
The built-in 8 MP camera is primarily for capturing documents and reference motifs; the quality is not sufficient for fancy photos. I am truly disappointed with the battery. The 4500 mAh only lasted seven hours and 15 minutes in my PCMark test and takes two hours to fully recharge. For a notebook alternative, I would have expected much more here.
A real highlight is the included stylus. It runs without a battery and recognizes over 8000 pressure levels. It feels very good in the hand, and I enjoy writing with it on the Note E from the start. Huion has built an extremely strong magnet into the pen, so it holds firmly to the side of the tablet. Additionally, Huion includes 10 replacement nibs and a case with a loop band for the stylus.
Software with a Pleasant User Interface
Huion puts Android 15 on the Note E, which means it's two versions behind. However, this is sufficient for the demands of a digital notebook and accommodates the rather weak hardware. The display is kept clear and focuses on writing and drawing. For this, Huion has pre-installed suitable software.
I have a good program available for notes. It offers all the tools to, for example, capture my thoughts or take notes during a lecture. The handwriting-to-text function is unreliable with my scribbles. Otherwise, I am well equipped. Overall, the tablet does not react particularly quickly, but much faster than an E-Ink tablet.
The drawing software "Hipaint" offers many functions and runs reliably even with the rather weak hardware – although it lags slightly with fast strokes. It also has poor palm rejection. I cannot deactivate drawing with my finger either. This means unwanted strokes often occur with my hand. Overall, I enjoy using it for quick sketches and capturing ideas on the go. For more complex artworks, I do not recommend either the software or the hardware of the tablet. Extensive drawing software like "Clip Studio Paint" would overwhelm the Note E.
Otherwise, thanks to Android, I can install any software via the Google Play Store. So, I also use the Note E as an e-reader for my mangas or play Solitaire on it, as desired.
In a nutshell
Mainly better than E-Ink
The Huion Note E delivers on its promises: it’s a superb companion for note-taking and drawing, and thanks to its simplified user interface, it doesn’t distract you from what matters most. Thanks to Android, I still have plenty of options. And with the matt display and the included stylus, writing is a real pleasure. I also find the design appealing.
That said, there are a few downsides: the processor is rather underpowered and the tablet is correspondingly sluggish. The display also doesn’t have a particularly high resolution. As a faster E-Ink alternative, I find the poor battery life a real shame. Overall, the Huion Note E is the better choice for digital notes than an E-Ink tablet, though its battery life is significantly worse. That said, at 370 euros (RRP), it’s still quite a price to pay in the shop from Huion – we don’t currently have it in our range.
At this price, however, there are currently few alternatives: the XPPen Magic Notepad offers similar performance and battery life; you can switch between E-Ink and colour displays, and at 315 francs it’s currently a bit cheaper. However, it only runs on Android 14.
For longer battery life, you’ll need to look at E-Ink devices, such as the Onyx Boox Note Air 4C. But: here too, there’s no current Android 17, and the response time is so slow it takes some getting used to – and it’s the most expensive of the three tablets.
I also find the alternatives only moderately satisfactory. If you want a tablet that’s impressive in every respect, you’re best off spending a bit more money straight away.
Pro
- Top-rated note-taking and drawing software pre-installed
- Great stylus included
- matt screen
Contra
- poor battery life
- slow hardware
Ever since I learned how to hold a pen, I've been doodling away in bright colours. Thanks to my iPad, digital art has also become part of my life. That's why I love testing tablets – from the graphic design range to the regular kind. When I feel the urge to express my creativity without lugging lots of equipment, I go for the latest smartphones and start snapping away.
