The “Huion Note” Traditional Paper and Digital Pen Display – Review

From a company with numerous digital tablets for people to choose from, the Huion Note offers something for those who want to experience the digital aspect of such tablets while still retaining the traditional pen-on-paper feel.

I was provided with a free Huion Note for review purposes. The opinions I have shared in this review post are my own.

As someone who has tried out a bunch of Huion digital pen tablets and has enjoyed doing so over the years, I was excited about testing out the Huion Note. The idea of being able to digitize my written notes or sketches while using a ballpoint pen on physical paper intrigued me, and that too, at an affordable price for such a device.

The Packaging

Before I get into the nitty-gritty of the Huion Note, let’s begin by talking about the packaging, as that’s the first thing you will get to experience.

The Huion Note came to me packaged in an approximate 8×10.5-inch white box. You can see the Huion logo on the front of the box, with a brown band across (somewhat) the middle of the box. On the band, you will see the text, “Huion Note: To Record Everyday Life With Smart Digital Ink Technology.”

The back of the box shows that this Huion Note was the Model X10. You will also see images of the contents inside the package, which include the device itself, pen/stylus, connector cable, and more. Of course, the back also has the barcode, contact information, and a whole lot more information for those who are into such things.

You can open the box by simply lifting the front lid and be greeted by the Huion Note, covered in thin plastic. Peeling off the thin plastic to reveal the actual color of the Huion Note was very satisfying. The device itself measured around 7 x 9.5 inches. The device is fashioned to resemble a notebook covered in spunlace leather. The front has ‘Huion Note’ debossed near the top, with the bottom featuring the company’s logo. There’s nothing on the back of the notebook.

Opening the notebook, you will get to see model information and a QR code on the left. On the right, you will see a brown piece of plastic to help turn the Huion Note into a digital tablet (more on that later). Once you take away said piece of brown plastic, you will see the 50-page notebook, measuring around 6×8 inches.

The right flap of the paper notebook is slid into the spunlace leather cover of the Huion Note to keep it in place. But of course, you can easily pull out the paper notebook to use the Huion Note as a digital tablet or to insert any similarly sized paper notebook, as needed.

You will see the Function Button and the Indicator on the top right of the device. The Indicator glowing green means that the device is charged and ready to be used. Charging the device will show you a steady red light. A flashing red light will indicate that the battery power has dropped below 20%.

The USB-C port is present on top of the device. You will notice it quickly. Also, it’s easy to learn about the status of the device via the instruction manual and by reading the information page inside the paper notebook.

Accompanying the device itself, the box also contains the USB-C to USB-A Cable, the instruction manual, the pen/stylus, a stylus sleeve, and the refills. The pen, which is called the 2nd gen Huion Scribo pen, is about 7 inches and resembles an actual ink pen, complete with a traditional pen cap. It easily slides into the pen sleeve. And the most fun part? The sleeve is magnetized, allowing you to attach it to the front of the Huion Note! Points for portability! And yeah, I tested the magnetic strength. The sleeve, while holding the pen, didn’t drop even after I shook the device.

Housed in foam, you get four ballpoint ink tip refills and two digital/plastic nib refills. You also get a small tweezer-like device to help with swapping the nibs depending on what you’re in the mood for.

The Note Taking and Drawing Tablet

As for using the Huion Note for notes or sketching, honestly, I experienced a slight learning curve when it came to properly connecting it to my phone. You see, one of the recommended ways for you to use the Huion Note is to connect it (via Bluetooth) to your phone. However, you also require the free-to-download Huion Note App for it to function properly.

After installing the Huion App and signing in, I registered my Huion Note (using the QR code inside the device), and I was ready to take it for a spin. But before that, I highly recommend that you read through the instruction manuals inside the Huion App. Not because it’s difficult to start using the Huion Note. But because you won’t get to learn everything you are capable of doing with the device via the app.

Writing in the actual paper notebook will show your scribbles in real time on the phone screen. However, the app allows you to decide what kind of notes you want to take. You can select a Dot Matrix page, Ruled, a Daily Plan, To Do lists, Vocabulary page, and more. You can even select the color of the page. So, even if you are writing or sketching on regular paper, your musings will appear on the type of paper you have pre-selected in the digital world.

The app also lets you select a cover for your new notebook (you can create as many as you like). Everything can be categorized and stored inside the app. Your notes can also be imported as a PDF or downloaded/uploaded to the Cloud.

It’s up to you if you want your digital text to show you crossing out words. Or you can select the Eraser tool to delete what you desire. The thickness and the color of the digital ink can be changed. You can also highlight your digital text. So, basically, even though on the actual paper it will look like you are crossing out words and such with a traditional ballpoint pen, you can customize your notes as you like in the digital space while still using the ballpoint pen on paper. Heck! You can even make your writing or sketches appear in Fountain Pen digitally if you want.

Not only that, but the app also allows you to record and replay your note-taking along with audio. I wasn’t expecting that at all!

The Huion Note also supports an Offline Mode. This means that you can take notes on paper, and when ready, you can ‘Synchronize’ your text to one of the digital notebooks inside the app. This is a great way of jotting down ideas or writing whatever without having to worry about keeping the Huion Note connected to a phone. That’s also a good feature to have when attending classes or presentations without wanting to be distracted by a phone.

As for the Active Work Area of the Huion Note, basically, if you are writing inside the paper notebook, you are good.

Talking about using the Huion Note as a digital tablet, the working area is supposed to be around 7.35×5.5inches. I didn’t experience any issues with lag between the pen strokes and what was showing up on my laptop. The device features 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity and a ±60° tilt function. It’s the type of experience I expected from Huion, having tried out a bunch of the company’s digital pen tablets.

The 2^nd Gen Huion Scribo Pen

I found the pen comfortable to hold. Again, it’s fashioned to resemble a traditional ballpoint pen. Unlike the usual digital pens, you won’t find any function/shortcut buttons on this pen. Of course, while holding the ballpoint pen nib, this pen works as any other black ink pen on paper. The tip is fine enough to allow for some detailed sketching and tiny-text notes (if that’s your style).

The 2nd Gen Huion Scribo Pen is battery-free. It features a Pen Resolution of 5080 LPI.

Sharing some of my issues with the Huion Note, I think some people might find it a bit tedious to order the ballpoint pen refills from the company once they run out. Using a regular ballpoint pen on the Huion Note won’t work.

Another issue deals with the placement of the paper notebook. Due to the Huion Note utilizing the sensor device, you have to ensure the paper notebook is in place if you don’t want your notes to lose their alignment while writing. While I didn’t experience this particular issue while writing, I did deal with it while sketching. The notebook moving out of place and even holding the pen differently than before led to there being a noticeable difference in alignment between what showed up on my phone and what I was seeing on paper. More practice with the Huion Note should help address said issue.

Now, coming to the question most of you might have: who is the Huion Note for?

Don’t get me wrong. I enjoyed being able to write on paper and have the device make a digital copy in real time. I liked the amount of control I had over customizing my notes via the Huion App. However, as someone who uses digital pen tablets to create artwork (do visit The Geekiary’s Redbubble Store), I found myself using the Huion Note as a digital tablet more so than a pen-on-paper device.

I would say that the Huion Note is an effective transitional device for those wanting to make the jump from paper to digital without worrying about the learning curve of going straight digital. I took the Huion Note to my place of work (in Healthcare), and my peers, as well as the older generation of people I work with, were in awe of watching their inked notes show up digitally as they wrote.

Having said that, if you have been using digital tablets and similar devices for a long time and would like a way to return to the feeling of pen on actual paper without fully disengaging from the digital world, I would recommend you try out the Huion Note, too. As an artist, I understand the difference between impromptu sketching using pen-on-paper and pen-on-digital tablet. And the Huion Note might just be the note-taking device you were looking for.

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You can learn more about the Huion Note by visiting the company’s official website.

Have you used Huion products? What did you think of the Huion Note?

Let us know.

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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