Huion Kamvas Slate 11 Overview – 11” Android-Based mostly Drawing Pill for £240

I’ve been testing the Huion Kamvas Slate 11 for a number of weeks now, and it’s an fascinating proposition within the drawing pill market. That is Huion’s try at making a standalone Android drawing pill that bridges the hole between a conventional graphics pill and a client Android pill. At round £240, it’s positioning itself as an reasonably priced entry level for digital artists who need one thing transportable with no need a pc connection.

The important thing promoting level right here is independence – this runs Android 14 and works completely by itself, in contrast to conventional drawing tablets that should be tethered to a PC or Mac. I used to be curious to see whether or not this might truly ship a good drawing expertise at this value level, or if the compromises could be too important.

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Specification

Set Up Issues

Sadly, once I first tried to arrange the pill, I obtained a “dm-verity corruption” error, stating that the system can’t be trusted.

Urgent the facility button obtained it to start out booting, and finally, I used to be in a position to get to the Android set-up display, however this wasn’t one of the best begin.

Moreover, rebooting the pill throws up the error once more, and I’ve to recollect to press the facility button to proceed.

I looked for different folks reporting this challenge with this pill, and Huion generally, and wasn’t capable of finding every other stories, so I’m inclined to say that this was simply unhealthy luck and a uncommon/one-off expertise.

There are directions on-line for different Android units on repair this downside completely, however they require entry to fastboot and adb, which is probably going past the skills of the common particular person (or not less than, their willingness to repair it).

Past this, the pill set-up course of was the identical as every other Android system.

Design, Show, Pen and Construct High quality

he construct high quality genuinely stunned me for this value level. The aluminium again feels premium and strong, not a budget plastic I anticipated at £240. At 500g and simply 7.5mm thick, it’s remarkably transportable – about the identical weight as carrying a paperback e-book. The darkish gray end seems skilled, although the digicam module on the again does protrude considerably. With out the included case, I’d fear about scratching it when putting the pill on arduous surfaces.

The 11-inch show has a 16:10 facet ratio, which I discover extra sensible than the squarer 4:3 ratio of the bigger Slate 13. The 1920×1200 decision works out to about 207 PPI – not razor sharp, however enough for drawing. The nano-etched matte floor does scale back the perceived sharpness barely, however that’s the trade-off for lowered glare and higher pen really feel.

I’ve combined emotions concerning the show high quality. The matte end efficiently eliminates reflections and offers glorious tactile suggestions when drawing – it genuinely feels nearer to paper than glass. Nevertheless, at 350 nits most brightness, it’s noticeably dimmer than most trendy tablets. Indoor use is ok, however overlook about utilizing this outside on a sunny day. Colors additionally seem considerably muted in comparison with my iPad Professional. The 99% sRGB protection is first rate on paper, however in follow, colors look flat and lack vibrancy.

The viewing angles are significantly disappointing for an IPS panel. There’s noticeable color shift and brightness fall-off when viewing from an angle, creating an undesirable vignette impact across the edges even when seen straight on. For severe colour-critical work or picture enhancing, this show merely isn’t as much as the duty.

The H-Pencil itself feels surprisingly good in hand. It has a pleasant weight to it and doesn’t really feel low cost like I anticipated. The metallic end (although it’s truly plastic) provides it a premium really feel. There’s a single programmable button you could configure for varied shortcuts. Battery life on the pen is superb – I’ve been getting about 20 hours of steady use between prices.

Android OS

Operating Android 14 provides you entry to the total Google Play Retailer ecosystem, which is each a energy and weak spot. The optimistic is you could set up any Android drawing app – Infinite Painter, ArtFlow, Ideas, and lots of others work properly. You additionally get split-screen multitasking, which is genuinely helpful for reference pictures or tutorials whereas drawing.

The MediaTek Helio G99 processor, whereas not cutting-edge (it was launched in 2022), handles most drawing apps adequately when paired with 8GB of RAM. Fundamental sketching and portray with an inexpensive variety of layers works easily. Nevertheless, push it with massive canvases or complicated tasks with dozens of layers, and also you’ll begin seeing lag.

I examined varied apps extensively. Adobe Photoshop Specific handles fundamental JPEG enhancing properly however struggles with RAW information. Krita runs surprisingly properly for many duties, although complicated brush engines could cause slowdown. Clip Studio Paint, which has glorious Android optimisation, in all probability runs better of all of the skilled apps I examined.

The 128GB storage is enough, expandable to 1TB by way of microSD. I’d advocate getting not less than a 256GB card should you plan to retailer many tasks regionally. File administration between the pill and different units works properly by cloud providers like Google Drive or Dropbox.

Drawing Expertise

Right here’s the place issues get sophisticated. The drawing expertise on the Kamvas Slate 11 is first rate for informal use however has a number of points that forestall it from being nice.

The most important downside is the preliminary activation power (IAF) required to register pen enter. Gentle strokes typically don’t register in any respect, making it troublesome to realize skinny, delicate strains or refined shading. That is significantly irritating when attempting to construct up tones steadily or work with effective particulars. I discovered myself urgent more durable than feels pure, which affected my drawing type.

Line high quality is one other concern. Quick, assured strokes look good, however gradual diagonal strains exhibit noticeable wobble or jitter. This makes exact inking or technical drawing difficult. Some apps provide line stabilisation to compensate, however you shouldn’t want software program workarounds for {hardware} limitations.

Palm rejection is inconsistent throughout completely different apps. Typically it really works completely, different occasions I get random marks from my palm. The included drawing glove helps considerably, but it surely’s an additional factor to recollect and may get uncomfortable throughout lengthy periods.

On the optimistic facet, the matte display texture offers glorious friction and suggestions. It’s one of many better-feeling surfaces I’ve used, placing a pleasant stability between smoothness and tooth. The 90Hz refresh price makes panning and zooming really feel fluid, and there’s minimal lag with most drawing apps.

Strain sensitivity, whereas marketed as 4096 ranges, doesn’t really feel as nuanced as on premium tablets. The strain curve appears compressed, making it more durable to realize refined variations in line weight. Tilt recognition works properly as much as about 60 levels, which is nice for shading methods.

Efficiency

For common use past drawing, the Kamvas Slate 11 performs adequately however not exceptionally. Internet looking feels barely sluggish, particularly on heavy web sites. The Google Play Retailer and app installations generally lag. It’s usable, however you may inform this isn’t a flagship processor.

Gaming efficiency is combined. Informal video games run effective, however extra demanding 3D video games battle. I examined a number of video games and located that whereas FIFA Cell was playable, menu navigation was uneven. This isn’t actually marketed as a gaming pill, in order that’s not a serious concern.

The 4 audio system produce surprisingly first rate sound with higher stereo separation than anticipated from a funds pill. They’re loud sufficient for watching tutorials or listening to music whereas drawing, although they lack bass as you’d anticipate.

The cameras are useful however nothing particular. The 13MP rear digicam is ok for reference images or scanning sketches, however picture high quality is distinctly common. The entrance digicam works for video calls however isn’t one thing you’d use for severe images.

Battery

The 8000mAh battery delivers strong endurance. In my testing, I constantly obtained 9-10 hours of combined use (drawing, net looking, video watching) at 50-60% brightness. Pure drawing periods at average brightness lasted about 8 hours. That’s sufficient for a full day’s work away from a charger.

Charging takes about 3 hours from empty to full utilizing the included 18W charger. It’s not significantly quick by trendy requirements, however in a single day charging isn’t a difficulty. The USB-C port means you should utilize any suitable charger or energy financial institution, which is handy when travelling.

Sleep mode battery drain is minimal – leaving it unused for every week solely dropped the battery by about 10%. The H-Pencil additionally has glorious battery life, lasting about 20 hours between prices.

Worth and Various Choices

The Huion Kamvas Slate 11 has an RRP of £290, however on the time of writing it was obtainable instantly from Huion for simply £239, and on Amazon for £259.

Not the identical product, however the Kamvas 13 (Gen 3) is properly price contemplating at £230. This can be a drawing pill with a display that you simply hook up with a PC. The drawing expertise will likely be a lot better, however clearly, it’s a much less user-friendly solution to get into graphics tablets.

The Wacom MovinkPad 11 is probably going the principle competitor. That is an 11” Android pill designed for younger creatives, priced at £389. It has the identical MediaTek Helio G99 chipset however a better decision 2560×1600 show, and consists of aWacom Professional Pen 3plus varied Wacom apps comparable to Wacom Canvas.

XP-Pen has the Magic Word Pad which is properly reviewed and so they declare the 3-in-1 X-Paper show offers a paper-like visible expertise with genuine colors, easy movement, and distinct particulars. This has an RRP of £400, however is on the market from £260.

Total

As I used to be unable to search out different consumer stories of the “dm-verity corruption” error, I’ll assume that this was an unfortunate challenge with my pill. I’ll subsequently not account for this downside in my general opinion, apart from this part, to make you might be of the issue I expertise.

So, ignoring that, the Huion Kamvas Slate 11 gives a genuinely transportable Android-based sketching platform at a sexy value, delivering first rate worth for entry-level customers or these dabbling in digital artwork. The construct high quality is spectacular for the cash, stylus battery life is superb, and the display feels surprisingly pure for sketching. Nevertheless, the show is noticeably dim and suffers from poor viewing angles, pen enter lacks subtlety, and efficiency dips below strain. If a really standalone drawing pill is what you want below £250, this can be a cheap introduction—simply anticipate compromises, particularly in comparison with PC-based choices or pricier rivals.

I’m James, a UK-based tech fanatic and the Editor and Proprietor of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Keen about all issues expertise, my experience spans from computer systems and networking to cell, wearables, and good residence units.

As a health fanatic who loves operating and biking, I even have a eager curiosity in fitness-related expertise, and I take each alternative to cowl this area of interest on my weblog. My numerous pursuits enable me to carry a novel perspective to tech running a blog, merging life-style, health, and the newest tech tendencies.

In my educational pursuits, I earned a BSc in Data Programs Design from UCLAN, earlier than advancing my studying with a Grasp’s Diploma in Computing. This superior examine additionally included Cisco CCNA accreditation, additional demonstrating my dedication to understanding and staying forward of the expertise curve.

I’m proud to share that Vuelio has constantly ranked Mighty Gadget as one of many high expertise blogs within the UK. With my dedication to expertise and drive to share my insights, I purpose to proceed offering my readers with partaking and informative content material.

Final replace on 2025-11-24 / Affiliate hyperlinks / Pictures from Amazon Product Promoting API