XP-Pen Deco Pro Stylus graphics tablet used with OTG Android tablets for Drawing and note-taking

One of the most popular brands in drawing tablets, XP-Pen has officially launched its flagship product Deco Pro Small and Deco Pro Medium on 17nd May 2019. These smart tablets captured the market in no time as both the tablets are highly compatible with Android OS, which has never been seen before in the entire tablet industry.
XP-Pen Deco Pro Creative Pen Tablet is an amazing device special made for professional sketchers, drawers and illustrators. The XP-Pen Deco Pro Series graphic tablet is a brand new product that can be connected not only to a PC / laptop but also to an Android phone / tablet to use. Besides, OTG connection is another feature of Deco Pro that will further facilitate drawing outdoors.
The XP-Pen Deco Pro Drawing tablet works with most graphics software like Windows Paint 3D, Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Corel Painter, Autodesk Sketchbook, Manga Studio, Clip Studio, Zbrush. It’s also compatible with the Sketckbook ,MediBang Paint , Deco Draw Android Drawing App Since it’s a tablet aimed at those who draw digitally, it has a pretty good variety of hotkeys – 8 of them: undo, change brush size, pan, zoom, erase and many more. Deco Pro offers one Virtual wheel ( touch ring ) and one Mechanic wheel that allows you to zoom in and out, use brushers, and scroll up and down. Double Wheel Design helps a lot to improve your working efficiency and save your time.
Deco Pro is equipped with the battery-free pen, which sets you free from the charging issues. Together with 8192 levels of pen pressure sensitivity and ±60° tilt support, you can enjoy more accurate and natural strokes, bringing you a more real paper-like drawing experience.
Because the work area of a PC/laptop is different from a phone/tablet, so the work area of the Deco Pro graphic tablet will be different according to the different connection way you choose.
266PPS helps to sense the pen movement agilely, with almost no delay lines. 5080 LPI high pen resolution makes the pen stroke more delicate and natural, which can easily achieve pixel-level painting display. Thanks to these configurations, your working flow is greatly improved.
It is compatible with Windows 7 or later, macOS 10.12 or later, and Android 6.0 or later (OTG supported devices).

XP-Pen Deco Pro Creative Pen Tablet Specs
Model: Deco Pro Small / Deco Pro Medium
Application： illustration / animation / graphic design / industry design / image retouching / anime gaming, etc.
Express Keys: 8 Customized Press Keys and Double Wheel
Technology: Battery-Free Electromagnetic Resonance
Active Area: 9 x 5 inch / 11x 6 inch
Resolution: 5080 LPI
Report Rate: 266PPS
Pen Pressure: 8192 Levels
Pen Tilt : 60 Degrees
Reading Height: 10mm
Interface Support: USB-C
OS Support: Windows 7 or later， macOS 10.10 or later Android 6.0 or later
Compliance: CE / FCC / CCC
Dimensions/piece : 350 x 211.8 x 8mm
Color: Black
Official site: https://www.xp-pen.com/product/432.html
I have been professionally retouching photos for 8 years, full time. I have been using a Wacom intuos tablet (non-display) for that long. The hardware is great. I just replaced an indestructible old tablet that didn't keep up with modern technology. But thanks to that I found myself in the situation of needing a new tablet and I learned about the XP-Pen Deco thanks to various reviews on YouTube.
XP-Pen has established itself as a good drawing tablet manufacturer over the years. It has a good list of options for beginners and professionals alike. I'd like to introduce you to the Deco Pro Medium. their most advanced graphics tablet . Let's see if it's worth getting.
Design
The design of the tablet is very eye-catching, The tablet is very lightweight and beautiful, which I really like. The XP-Pen Deco Pro tablet is thinner and lighter than its predecessor, The back and the top of the tablet made of aluminum as it is cold to the touch,This is one of the few screen-less tablets on the market which uses a metal back, so it was most certainly built to last.
XP-Pen Deco Pro is built using premium materials . The result is a pen tablet that feels reassuringly strong but is a mere 7mm thick.
The surface sheet is smooth texture . On one side of the tablet you will find eight customizable express keys and the roller Wheel , offer the perfect amount of custom functionality .
The tablet comes with the latest generation pressure pen, which feels and looks nice; and a housing for the pen which also hides about 10 replacement nibs which is very cool.
The Tablet Itself

The physical machine Deco Pro Android Drawing Tablet is nice and sturdy. It uses a USB-C to connect, and the USB-C cable detaches from the other end, which is useful if you need to transport it so you don't have to coil the cord around it like some older xp-pen star tablets.
It seemed to work on my Dell PC just fine, I use it on a wired connection, and it seems to pick that up just fine anyway. the active drawing area is adequate yet still compact and portable. the smooth surface will allow the nibs to last longer.
Interaction With The Computer
The port itself is a standard USB type-C port with no tunnel in front of it. The use of USB type-C is really good here as it allows for the user to plug in the L-shaped cable whichever direction they need to, depending on whether they are right or left-handed.
Once you've gotten it plugged into your computer you'll need to spend a bit of time with the drivers to get it to work on your computer. I'm installing it on a Windows 10 desktop. It was extremely easy to setup, download and install drivers from XP-PEN's website,
The driver is packed with features. You can set sensitivity for pressure. Any of the buttons with any keystroke you want. You can set for different programs so when you're in that program, the keys automatically start functioning differently depending what software you're using. It has absolute or relative options and you can set for use with two screens or just one of the two that you have, and on and on. TIP-eliminate all other drivers, restart computer and then install this tablet's driver otherwise you'll have glitches.
First up, driver I must say instantly even before any tweaking I could feel just how smooth, and responsive this tablet was, with an unprecedented depth in pressure sensitivity, there is a nice curve editor right in there driver so you can fine tune and find the sweet spot you desire. It took me about 30 seconds to get the feel of a 2b pencil. A left-hand right-hand configuration switch, my self, being left-handed is a must, as well as aspect ratio and drawing field changes. You can also set up the dial, express keys all with user-defined commands.
I then ran the gambit software test, Adobe Photoshop, Clip Studio Paint, Zbrush, Maya, and Blender. It all registered and performed beautifully across the board. The Express keys and wheel are responsive and have a home key registration so you know where your hand is with out looking. I must same I am very happy with this purchase and believe XP Pen will have a long future with me and my graphical needs I hope to be able to try out one of there Artist Series Pen Displays in the future as soon as I can save up the money to invest in a new one, and review that as well.
The pen support pen tilt and pressure
Another great feature is the pressure-sensitive pen tip, that is designed to recognize 8192 levels of pressure and detect tilt up to 60 degrees. the pen tilt on the Deco Pro is quite smooth. The vast degree of pressure responsiveness in the Pen is something I really appreciated, The pen also has two buttons click on the side that gives users the ability to click, right-click, or double-click.
The pen has a great feel in the hand, and that it doesn't require batteries or need to be recharged has been a convenience for sure. Sensitivity levels are amazing, though I have found myself decreasing the range to accommodate my own pressure preferences. Its exceptional sensitivity and responsiveness gives me the control I need to take my work to the next level.
The drawing experience!
I prefer the Deco Pro Medium version because it has a better large drawing surface and I can rest my hand on other parts of the tablet when I am working. In addition, there are more express keys and the Double Wheel .
I'm using it mostly for Photoshop and Lighroom and other Drawing or Sketching apps and it's the perfect size for everything I need a tablet for. The sensitivity/pressure settings are amazing and it really does give a true feel for the pressure applied. I've experienced no lag while in the wired setting for work. In fact, for most applications I end up mapping a small area of the tablet to correspond to my full 27 inch monitor screen and it allows me to control my entire screen without moving my hand.
The Double wheel is responsive and a really distinct aspect of the table, it really gives it personality. The fully customizable buttons on the side are one of my favorite features of this tablet. I've set it to work in conjunction with my Photoshop key shortcuts, and it makes my life so much easier when editing photos, digitally painting and doing any touchups on any application.
I really like that it came with a drawing glove, I have never used one and now I see that it can really help to keep your tablet clean. The surface of the Deco Pro really likes to get dirty with fingerprints, so the glove helps it look pristine. Not to mention, this comes with a pen stand, and the pen stand optimizes storage space so well with a selection of different pen nibs inside the stand.

Conclusion
Highly recommended for anyone looking to get started in digital drawing tablets or those who've been it in for a while and just want a solid, affordable digital pen tablet to add to your workforce. It gets really close to the experience of using a $300 Wacom Intuos Pro for only a fraction of the price.
No CONS for now...and hopefully I wont have any in the future.
I will really recommend it to anyone looking to start drawing digitally. Especially if XP-PEN continues to improve and support this product in the near future.
I really appreciate what they have here and feel like its appropriate to support Wacom's competition so that we can all enjoy better products in the future.
There are a few main reasons why I chose this over other tablets in the same market.
1. Great price
2. Size of work area on tablet
3. 8000+ levels of for pressure sensitivity
4. battery-free stylus support pen tilt function
5. Slim and light weight
6. Pen is smaller than other models, closer to size of actual ink pens, not too bulky in hand
7. Back to price when factoring all of the above in compared to other models/competitors
Places to buy the tablet
XP-Pen Deco Pro official Store: https://www.storexppen.com/buy/deco-pro.html

An Artist's review of XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro vs wacom Cintiq 16 Display Drawing Tablet

There has been a lot going on in the budget tablet space. Every popular brand is putting its best foot forward and releasing beginner friendly budget drawing tablets one after another. Wacom have come with their Cintiq 16, whereas XP-Pen has released Artist 15.6 Pro.
Both the tablets are very similar to each other in features but differ in price. Wacom is known for its high-quality drawing tablets whereas XP-Pen tablets provide immense value at low cost ( I have ever bought a XP-Pen Star G430S drawing Tablet for kids and give it to my daughter to play osu game ). So which of the two tablets is better and which one should pick as your next drawing device.
In this Wacom Cintiq 16 vs XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro comparison, we have made a detailed side by side analysis of each and every feature these tablets have to offer. It will give you more than enough information to figure out which tablet will suit your needs better.

Design and build quality
The Cintiq 16 has a very minimalist look with just a screen at the front. Artist 15.6 Pro on the other hand shortcut buttons along with the screen at the front. Both the tablets are made of plastic and have comparable built quality.
Setup was easy,both drawing tablet use 3-in1 cable to connect . 3-in-1 cable doesn't bother me , The only cable with any major length on it is the power adapter, so it's definitely meant to be kept close to your machine.
Wacom Cintiq 16 vs XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro – display comparison
Both the tablets come with a 15.6 inch 1920 x 1080 p full HD display. The Wacom Cintiq 16 has 72% NTSC color coverage whereas XP-Pen boasts of 88% NTSC color gamut. It means that the Artist 15.6 has a wider color gamut (range). The Display on the 15.6 Pro seems overall better in terms of color and parallax .
Color Gamut can be more important depending on the work you do. 72% NTSC is pretty much the standard for consumer monitors, so it's perfectly adequate for most work, but if you plan on printing or similar, then having the wider range would be preferable. At that point though, you might wanna spring for high AdobeRGB.
However, Wacom Cintiq 16 displays come pre-calibrated out of the box and show accurate colors right of the bat. XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro is not precalibrated, which means that although the display is capable of showing better and more accurate colors – it does not have the right color settings.
This can be corrected by manually changing the color settings or using a monitor calibrator device. The Artist 15.6 Pro has a laminated screen whereas Cinitq 16 comes with a normal non-laminated display.
What is laminated display

In a laminated display, the display and the top glass are fused together which reduces parallax. In non-laminated displays, the strokes appear a few millimeters away from where the pen is actually touching the surface.
The artist 15.6 Pro is laminated so the strokes appear right below the pen tip. In case of Cintiq 16 the strokes are a few millimeters away from the tip.
Which tablet has a brighter screen
Comparing the two tablets side by side – Artist 15.6 is brighter than the Wacom 16. But the colors of the Artist 15.6 Pro washes out on max brightness. It is recommended to use the tablet on 60-70% percent brightness for the right colors which brings it equal to Cintiq 16 brightness levels.
Matte screen and surface texture
Both the tablets come with matte screens and surface texture. Wacom uses etched glass where the surface texture is directly present on the glass. The Artist 15.6 Pro uses scratch-resistant anti-glare optical film.
Cintiq 16 etched glass feels more natural and satisfying to draw on. It has a little bit more friction than the XP-Pen tablet.
Wacom Pro pen 2 vs XP-Pen P05R Stylus Comparison


Wacom is known for its stylus – the Pro Pen 2 is considered the best stylus in the market. With Cintiq 16 you get the same stylus what you would get if you buy one of Wacom premium tablets, which is a huge plus point. With that said XP-Pen is not too far and comes with a very comparable pen.
Both the stylus have 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity and ±60° of tilt recognition along with two buttons on the sides. The Wacom stylus comes with an eraser at the back while XP-Pen does not. In terms of stylus performance, both of them are equally good but the Wacom Pro pen takes a slight edge in tilt sensitivity.
When you tilt the XP-Pen stylus the pointer shifts slightly away from the center. In the case of Wacom, the pointer remains at its place when tilted. Well, it is not a deal breaker but something you have to get used to.
Build quality and Ergonomics
Both of the pens are comfortable to hold and come with a very ergonomic design. They have a wider front grip which slowly tapers towards the back. The Wacom Stylus is slightly heavier than XP-Pen and feels a bit more substantial.
Pen holder and extra Nibs

Although the XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro is way cheaper than Wacom Cintiq 16, it still comes with a high-quality pen holder. It has a soft touch material on the outside and strong plastic core which provides excellent protection to the pen. The pen holder doubles up as a pen stand. At the back of the pen holder, you have storage space for extra pen nibs.

Wacom does not come with any pen holder. If you have to store your pen or put it somewhere while not in use – the tablet has a fabric loop which sticks out from the right side of the tablet. You can slide off the loop from the tablet which reveals the tiny storage for the pen-nibs.

The Artist 15.6 Pro Painting Tablet comes with 8 extra pen-nibs whereas the with Cintiq 16 you just get 3 extra nibs.
Shortcut buttons

There are a total of eight shortcut buttons in the artist 15.6 Pro. The buttons have different patterns to identify them without looking. On pressing – they have a satisfying click with good feedback.
Along with the shortcut buttons, the Artist 15.6 Pro has a red circular roller. The roller is very handy and performs tasks such as zoom, rotate, pan, scroll and change the size of brushes and eraser.

Wacom Cintiq 16 does not have any shortcut buttons on the tablet. So you are stuck with the keyboard for shortcuts – or you can get the Wacom Expresskey remote. The Expresskey remote are specifically made to be used with Wacom Cintiq tablets and have a total of 17 buttons and a touch ring but they are sold separately and expensive.
Tablet stand and mounting options

Wacom and XP-Pen both come with tablet stands but they are totally different from each other. XP-Pen comes with a separate plastic stand with a standing angle of 20°. The Cintiq 16 has foldable legs which lift the tablet at an angle of 19°.
The folding legs of the Cintiq 16 have a more solid feel. It clips back and forth without being loose. It gives better support to the tablet in comparison to the XP-Pen stand.
In addition to the pop-up legs, the Cintiq 16 also has holes for the Vesa mount, which means you can attach any third-party standard tablet stand for better flexibility and more standing angles.
Accessories
Artist 15.6 Pro comes with a lot of accessories like drawing glove, tablet stand and pen holder whereas Wacom has an inbuilt stand and come with an all in one super simple cloth loop. It sticks out of the display and used for holding the pen and storing extra Nibs.
Give an art glove a try! I use an art glove with my Artist 15.6 Pro and I hardly get any fingerprints. I think fingerprints are mostly caused by your palm getting the tablet sweaty from the constant contact with the screen. The best part with using an art glove is how easily your palm glides across the screen, I never draw without one anymore because it just feels uncomfortable.
Summary – Wacom Cintiq 16 Or XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro
From what we have seen so far – Wacom Cintiq 16 is better in some areas like surface texture and XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro Portable Drawing Tablet is better in other areas like the laminated screen. They both have a very comparable stylus and overall have very similar drawing experience. So it is clear that both are great devices and you cannot go wrong with either of them.
Now, it all comes down to price and value for money. The Artist 15.6 Pro is priced substantially lower than the Cintiq 16 and still has features like laminated screen and shortcut buttons which Cintiq 16 does not have. Overall you get a better value for your money. So if you are looking for a drawing tablet in a budget the Artist 15.6 Pro is the best choice for you.
But if you don’t mind spending a little extra for slightly better hardware and stylus and do not mind the lack of shortcut buttons than Wacom Cintiq 16 will not disappoint you.
for more details about the product .
XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro official site : https://www.xp-pen.com/product/65.html