Digital art: tablets at MWC 2023

Besides finding out about the latest developments in the world of smartphones, I was particularly excited to see the tablets at this year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona. I usually create digital art on an iPad Pro – the best device I’ve come across so far. To verify this, I worked my way through various manufacturers’ exhibition stands and got insight into the current range of tablets.

Smart Paper: Lenovo’s E-Ink tablet

I was particularly curious about this tablet, as I’d already reported on it when it was launched at CES. The pen is unusually light and doesn’t need its own power supply – or to be charged. The flip case of the tablet features a compartment for the pen. The Smart Paper is easy to hold in your hand and boasts good screen contrast, even when I turn down the brightness.

The pen allows me to choose a preferred paper type: lines, grids, dots or even theme-specific ones, such as a sheet of music or a strategy field for football. When browsing the menu, I find the latency irritating. I’m used to faster reaction times, resulting in me unnecessarily tapping twice on the same spot. However, a latency of about 20 milliseconds is standard for E-Ink tablets.

I enjoy writing on Lenovo’s Smart Paper. The pen is unusually light and the matt surface of the display offers good grip. My writing is clearly legible on the E-Ink display. This tablet allows me to read eBooks via the integrated app, and to write on and mark up pages.

The device is Android-compatible and automatically saves the documents to my Google Drive account. I can also synchronise my calendar.

When I put the pen back, I notice its tip is quite worn. It seems the matt surface acts like sandpaper, which quickly blunts the tip when the pen is used a lot – as was the case at MWC. I asked, but didn’t find out if the tip can be replaced. If so, I’m looking forward to the Smart Paper hitting our shelves. When’s this going to be? We don’t know exactly, but it’s supposed to be released this year.

Huawei’s E-Ink tablet

I also gave Huawei’s E-Ink tablet a go, but put it down again pretty quickly. It’s similar in design to the Lenovo device, but has even more latency. The lines look more jittery and pixelated. The pen doesn’t sit in my hand comfortably and it feels cheap. At least the tablet is now Android-compatible and even available in our shop. But my first impression is that it’s definitely not worth its price tag of 560 francs.

OnePlus Pad

I was looking forward to the first tablet produced by OnePlus. I like the unusual 5:7 format. Fellow editor Jan has already written an article about it. The tablet feels of high quality and the rounded edges make it sit in your hands comfortably. It comes with a pen that’s magnetically attached to the upper right edge. A keyboard with trackpad is available as an accessory.

The pen and keyboard inevitably make me think of the iPad Pro. The keyboard format is very similar, the pen looks almost identical and the trackpad shows me a round cursor. Only the software is Android-based with OnePlus user interface.

I don’t know the drawing program that’s installed on the tablet, but I find it easy to work with. Drawing is pleasant and the pen sits well in my hand. A paper-feel matt film would give the display better grip, but the same goes for the iPad, so I’m used to that. All in all, the OnePlus Pad looks promising. When is it released? That’s hopefully going to be announced soon.

TCL Nxtpaper

The TCL Nxtpaper tablet was a surprise find. As the name suggests, the display itself has a paper-like, matt surface. I took to this finish after only a few strokes with the pen. And the 12-inch screen is a good size for sketching.

The display isn’t only great for drawing, the matt surface also makes reading more enjoyable. The screen is supposed to be eye-friendly and fingerprint free, which I find handy. It’s a shame there’s nowhere to put the pen. But if the hardware is convincing, I definitely see potential.

The TCL Nxtpaper 10 has been available since 2021. An 11-inch successor was announced at MWC and will be available on the European market in mid-May for around 250 francs. The Pro version I tested has only been launched in the USA, Russia and India for about 500 francs.

Digital notes and artwork are fun

After all I’ve seen, I’m confident that Android tablets will soon be able to compete with the iPad when it comes to drawing. I could definitely warm to the OnePlus Pad, for example. E-Ink tablets, a combination of planner, notebook and eBook reader, are also an exciting concept.