Painting on the go and connected to a PC: Magic Pro 13 reviewed
The new standalone graphics tablet from XPPen has clearly better hardware than its predecessor. In addition, it looks stylish and has an extremely practical slider built in.
The Magic Pro 13 from XPPen is designed for digital art on the go and at home. I use Android painting apps to scribble down my ideas at the nearest café. At home, I can connect the device to my PC via USB-C if needed. Then I can use it as a pure drawing tablet (without a display).
Design and display are impressive
The Magic Pro 13 is about the size of an A4 sheet, 0.7 centimeters thin, and weighs 655 grams. Its size and weight make it ideal for light travel. I like the matte white back, and it feels pleasant to the touch. The rubberized nubs on the corners are also practical, preventing the tablet from sliding too much on smooth surfaces. The small camera bump doesn't cause it to wobble either; it lies flat on even surfaces.
The IPS display of the Magic Pro is just under 13 inches and offers a resolution of 3096 × 2064 pixels, which ensures a sharp image. Thanks to the 120-hertz refresh rate, I also have a fluid experience when scrolling. Furthermore, with 650 nits of peak brightness and the matte display, I get a tablet that I can use well outdoors even in sunshine. The screen is bright enough for this, and its matte coating keeps reflections at bay. Resolution, refresh rate, and brightness were significantly lower on the predecessor, the Magic Drawing Pad.
Depending on the area of application, color space coverage is important for artists. The tablet covers 100 percent of the sRGB color space and 96 percent of the DCI-P3. The former is a good value for digital works. The latter is relevant for film production and is also in a good range. Unfortunately, the manufacturer does not specify the Adobe RGB color space (for printing).
Hardware: Slider for the touchscreen
XPPen uses a Mediatek Dimensity 8300. It performs well in benchmarks compared to other art Android tablets, such as the Huawei Matepad Air (Kirin T93B) or the Wacom Movinkpad 11 (Snapdragon 8s Gen 3). The chip from the predecessor tablet (Mediatek MT8771) was still in the lower to mid-range. The 8300 – an upper mid-range chip – brings significantly more performance.
The eight gigabytes of RAM are okay, but not outstanding. The more RAM, the larger and higher-resolution canvases I can create. For context: With the predecessor, I noticed drawbacks when I used "Clip Studio Paint". The cursor lagged extremely when I created an A4-sized canvas at 350 dpi. I have the same problem here, but only from A3 size upwards. At A4, the stuttering disappears, and I don't notice any problems at all with the less resource-hungry painting program "Infinite Painter".
There are 256 GB of internal storage available. A microSD slot is located on the side for storage expansion of up to 2 terabytes.
XPPen packs in a 10,200 mAh battery. It lasts about eight to ten hours while painting. That's good, but in the same range as the predecessor with a smaller battery (8,000 mAh). I can charge it with up to 45 watts. The manufacturer offers a suitable power adapter separately.
An exciting hardware feature is the slider on the top side. I use it to directly lock the tablet's touch function. I will explain how useful it is in practice below when painting.
If I want to take a photo with the tablet for reference images, that's also possible. Two cameras are available for this: 8 megapixels on the front and 13 on the back. The quality is not outstanding, but completely sufficient for the purpose.
Practical accessories included by XPPen
The most important accessory for a graphics tablet is, of course, the pen. XPPen includes the new X4 Smart Chip Stylus. Its white design matches the tablet, and it feels pleasantly light in my hand. The pen also recognizes over 16,000 pressure levels.
I cannot freely assign the two buttons on the front, but I still have a selection for them. However, it only includes items like switching between apps, going to quick settings, or going directly back to the home screen. I don't find that particularly useful. Normally, I use such buttons for shortcuts when drawing to switch between two tools or to undo a step.
Practically, I can calibrate the pen. While that's not necessary for me, I can use other XPPen pens with the tablet. In that case, I have to shift the cursor minimally so that it appears in the right place on the screen.
As further accessories, I find two different types of replacement nibs for the stylus, four made of plastic and four made of felt. A glove is also included so that I can glide better over the display. In addition to the touchscreen lock, it can also prevent me from accidentally painting with my hand instead of the pen.
If that's not enough for you, XPPen offers a suitable keyboard, a stand, a magnetic protective cover, and the aforementioned 45-watt adapter separately. I especially recommend a stand if you want to paint comfortably on a table with the tablet.
The app selection only partially convinces me
The Magic Pro 13 comes with Android 16 and XPPen's user interface. This means the tablet is up to date, even though Android 17 is currently being rolled out. The predecessor model was still equipped with Android 12 while Android 15 was already being rolled out. I had criticized that heavily back then; now I am satisfied. I also like the tidy user interface from XPPen.
The manufacturer includes all Google services and a few practical painting and note-taking programs. However, the painting programs can only be used for free to a limited extent. I find that a pity – but it's no different with other graphics tablets. Of the manufacturers I know, only Huawei's tablets offer a full-fledged and good art program for free.
The new Canvas app from XPPen is completely free with only very minimal capabilities, as well as a note-taking and a math app. For more options, you have to download other apps from the Play Store.
In return, XPPen adds practical software functions. For example, I can open an app as a floating window. This way, I can display a reference image from the gallery directly over my canvas, for example. This works because the floating window is always displayed over the other app, and I can also move and resize it. Also practical: I can open Word in this way and take notes while watching a YouTube tutorial. In Word, I can switch between pen and keyboard input.
I only recommend the pre-installed "Clip Studio Paint" if you paint on a larger scale. You have an enormous number of possibilities with it and can even set things like the pressure levels of the stylus, various canvas specifications, and so on. However, it is quite expensive overall. I can scribble with it for free, but as soon as I want to save an image, I have to take out a subscription. That costs me at least 24 Swiss francs or euros per year. I really like the program, but subscription prices are annoying.
Alternatively, I therefore recommend Infinite Painter. You can use the program in a stripped-down version for free and pay a one-time fee of 20 Swiss francs or euros for a larger range of functions.
You can find further painting program candidates that are worth trying out in the following overview:
Painting with the Magic Pro 13
With Infinite Painter, I can really let off steam. Thanks to the fine surface, the matte display gives me the necessary grip without feeling scratchy. The latency is very low. This means that I notice it if I pay attention to it, but it doesn't bother me while drawing.
I use the slider every now and then so that I don't accidentally draw lines with the heel of my hand. However, I then miss not being able to zoom in on my canvas with my finger. That's why I don't use it for quick sketching, but only for coloring when I have the same canvas view for a long time. It would be practical to have a zoom shortcut on the stylus.
The pen itself feels super comfortable when painting. It lies lightly and securely in the hand, and the buttons are placed far back so that I don't press them by accident. XPPen has chosen its shape practically. It is pleasantly round at the front and slightly flattened at the back. This way, it doesn't roll away when I put it on the table. The displayed cursor is practical for detail work.
After I finished my test image, I only notice how quickly a few hours have passed. I am fully in the flow, and the hardware keeps up well with several layers. Nevertheless, it reaches its limits. I don't recommend an image larger than A3 or several dozen layers with it; that's when my program and the cursor start to stutter and hang. But for smaller works, the Magic Pro 13 is completely sufficient. It meets my requirements for painting on the go.
Connecting the tablet to the PC is also very easy
A small, exciting addition: The tablet has two USB-C ports. I use one to connect the tablet to my PC (or Mac). Then the Magic Pro 13 automatically goes into a tablet mode without a display. This allows me to use any computer programs and use the tablet as a drawing surface. That's pretty cool and not complicated at all. For this, I only need to install a driver from XPPen. After that, I can also adjust the pressure sensitivity of the stylus on the PC.
In a nutshell
The Magic Pro 13 is a powerful upgrade for painting on the go
Pro
- good display with sharp resolution and matte panel
- strong performance
- useful PC mode via second USB-C port
- Slider for touchscreen mode
- well-thought-out stylus (does not roll away thanks to the flattened back)
Contra
- Performance limit for large formats (it often stutters from A3 upwards)
- restricted stylus buttons
- Free software is only partially useful
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.
