The Huion Kamvas Slate 11 and 13 represent Huion’s foray into the world of standalone tablets. These devices offer the core functionality of a traditional Pen Display, similar to other offerings on the market, but with the added benefit of operating independently, without the need for a separate laptop or computer. This positions them in a similar space to competitor products, running on Android and providing access to the Google Play Store.
Essentially, a standalone pen display blurs the lines between a traditional pen display and a standard consumer tablet with a stylus. The key distinctions lie in specific enhancements and accessories designed to optimise the drawing experience. A notable feature of the Kamvas Slate is its Nano-Etched surface, a matte texture engineered to replicate the feel of paper, enhancing comfort during drawing. The display is also fully laminated, a common feature in consumer tablets, which minimises parallax between the stylus tip and the input, resulting in a more natural, pen-to-paper feel. Each tablet comes bundled with Huion’s H-Pencil, a drawing glove to prevent unwanted palm interference with the touchscreen, and spare stylus nibs.
Huion Kamvas Slate 11 & 13: Key Specifications
The Kamvas Slate is available in two screen sizes: the Kamvas Slate 11 and the Kamvas Slate 13. Here’s a detailed look at their specifications:
| Feature | Kamvas Slate 13 | Kamvas Slate 11 |
|———————-|——————————————|——————————————|
| Launch Price | $449 / £499 / AU$699 | $329 / £289 / AU$499 |
| Display | 12.7-inch nano-etched LCD (IPS) 4:3 | 11-inch nano-etched LCD (IPS) 16:10 |
| Active Area | 191 x 259.8mm | 147.4 x 235.9mm |
| Resolution | 2176 x 1600 (213PPI) | 1920 × 1200 (207PPI) |
| Colour | 16.7 million (8bit), 99% sRGB | 16.7 million (8bit), 99% sRGB |
| Brightness | >350nits | >350nits |
| Pressure Levels | 4,096 | 4,096 |
| CPU | MTK Helio G99 (8-core) | MTK Helio G99 (8-core) |
| RAM | 8GB | 8GB |
| OS | Android 14 | Android 14 |
| Storage | 256GB (expandable to 1TB via microSD) | 128GB (expandable to 1TB via microSD) |
| Camera | 8.0MP (front), 13.0MP (rear) | 8.0MP (front), 13.0MP (rear) |
| Battery | 10000mAh | 8000mAh |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.0 / Wireless 2.4GHz, 5GHz | Bluetooth 5.0 / Wireless 2.4GHz, 5GHz |
| Connections | USB-C | USB-C |
| Dimensions | W 280.6 x L 211.8 x D 7.5mm | W 256.8 x L 168.3 x D 7.5mm |
| Weight | 682g | 500g |
Pricing and What’s Included
The Huion Kamvas Slate 11 and 13 are positioned with competitive price points, making them attractive options. Often, Huion offers sales, further enhancing their value. Unlike purchasing a standalone tablet, Huion bundles these devices with a range of useful accessories, adding to their overall appeal. Each tablet includes a protective case, stylus, spare nibs, a drawing glove, a USB power cable, and a card ejection tool.
Design and Handling
The build quality of both the 11 and 13 is surprisingly good for their price range. The backs are constructed from aluminium, and the surrounding edges feel like alloy, contributing to a premium feel.
The screens do not extend completely to the edges, leaving an approximate 8mm border. While this might be a drawback on a standard consumer tablet, it is a beneficial design choice for a pen display. It offers more space for the palm of the hand to rest comfortably while drawing, preventing it from slipping off the device.
The Kamvas Slate 13 features circular camera modules on the rear, which protrude noticeably. The included case is essential to protect these from scratches. One module houses the 13MP rear camera, while the other contains the LED torch/flash. The design of these modules, with their plastic serrated borders, slightly detracts from the overall premium aesthetic of the tablet. The Kamvas Slate 11, in contrast, has a more refined rectangular camera module.
The included H-Pencil feels robust and well-made. It has a pleasant weight and does not feel cheap, a definite improvement over some competitors.
Display Quality
Upon using the Kamvas Slate 13, the display appeared somewhat muted, even at maximum brightness. A direct comparison with another tablet revealed a significant difference in colour vibrancy and accuracy. While the Slate’s 350-nit display is not as bright as some consumer tablets, the colours appear noticeably less vibrant and accurate compared to some alternatives. The Kamvas Slate 11 fares slightly better, with colours appearing more pleasing to the eye than its larger counterpart.
The Kamvas Slate’s display is also quite sensitive to viewing angles. It uses an IPS screen, designed to provide consistent colours across different angles, but experiences a noticeable drop-off in quality as the viewing angle changes. This results in a vignette effect, particularly pronounced on the Kamvas Slate 13. This makes it unsuitable for serious image editing, where consistent and accurate colour representation is crucial.
While not ideal for professional photo-editing, the screen is adequate for general sketching and doodling. Many artists adopt a hybrid workflow, using the tablet for initial sketches and then transferring their work to a computer for colour correction and more detailed editing. The matte, paper-like screen does slightly reduce the perceived resolution, but this is a common trade-off with pen displays designed to mimic the feel of paper.
Performance
The MTK Helio G99 processor provides sufficient power for everyday tasks. Working on multi-layered artwork and editing JPEG images proved smooth and responsive. More demanding tasks, such as editing high-resolution RAW images, resulted in some slowdown. The tablet is best suited for sketching and quick JPEG edits, rather than intensive RAW and video editing.
The Kamvas Slate can also be used as an entertainment device. Games run smoothly, and the camera is adequate for basic tasks such as photographing sketches for tracing or capturing reference images.
Drawing Experience
The Kamvas Slate’s drawing experience is a mixed bag. Compared to a direct competitor, it exhibited slightly more jitter when drawing lines, resulting in less smooth strokes. The pressure sensitivity was also less refined, with the H-Pencil ceasing to register pressure before its competitor.
However, the Kamvas Slate outperformed its competitor in other areas. It exhibited less parallax out of the box, and the H-Pencil could be tilted further before losing registration, which is beneficial for shading and colouring. Both tablets exhibited similar levels of lag when drawing sweeping lines.
The H-Pencil feels better in the hand due to its superior build quality and reduced parallax, but its performance is not always optimal. The drawing experience is adequate for casual artists, students, or those on a budget. The Kamvas Slate 13’s 4:3 aspect ratio provides slightly more screen real estate than some competitors. The Kamvas Slate 11 offers a highly compact standalone pen display option. The matte screen provides a pleasant tactile experience.
Conclusion
While the Huion Kamvas Slate 11 and 13 have certain shortcomings, they remain viable options for specific users. The display inconsistencies make them unsuitable for professional photographers or creatives who demand accurate colour representation. However, for casual artists or students on a budget who need a portable pen display for sketching ideas, taking notes, or working in conjunction with a desktop computer, these tablets offer a worthwhile service.