Artists Are Raving About the XP-Pen Magic Note Pad, and It’s $140 Off on Black Friday.
Black Friday sales officially kick off on Friday, November 28, and run through Cyber Monday, December 1. Before they end, Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price tracking tools.
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Despite being a fairly disorganized person, I’ve spent the last few years testing numerous notebooks and tablets that boost productivity and help me organize my work . The best of them work so well that they make me want to become someone who actually organizes my notes. While I expected the XP-Pen Magic Note Pad to fall into this category—it’s an LED Android tablet with three screen modes that supposedly switch it from full color to e-ink mode, turning it into a notepad, media player, or e-reader —it’s actually most impressive as a drawing tablet .
Unfortunately, I can’t draw, but this thing made me regret it. It’s 35% off on Black Friday, from $400 to $260—$25 less than Prime Day and cheaper than I’ve ever seen it.
The Magic Note Pad has three screens in one, sort of
The Magic Note Pad’s main selling point appears to be its “X-Paper” display (apparently a rebranding of TCL’s NXTPAPER display ) with a 1920 x 1200 resolution, 90Hz refresh rate, and 400 nits of peak brightness (for comparison, the entry-level iPad offers 60Hz and 500 nits). The screen’s matte surface reduces glare, and it features three OS-controlled color modes. These are supposed to transform it from a full-color LED tablet into a black-and-white e-reader. A dedicated button on the top of the device allows you to choose between:
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Nature color mode or the standard you expect from any LED screen
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Light Color mode , which makes bright whites appear creamier and mutes other colors, similar to the effect of reading newspaper text (or a color e-reader like the Colorsoft Kindle ).
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Ink Paper Mode , which is supposed to simulate a grayscale e-ink display
If you’re familiar with the various technologies involved, you’ll understand that it’s virtually impossible to turn an LED-backlit screen into an e-ink display simply by changing the color settings. The device is TÜV SÜD Low Blue Light certified , meaning it reduces blue light levels by 25%. It’s also Paper Like Display certified , which I assume means it feels more like paper than other LED screens, offering a “more comfortable and natural reading experience.” The etched screen does reduce glare, and reading in Ink Paper Mode will slightly reduce eye strain if you’re reading in a dark room, but if you go outside, it’s still undoubtedly an LED tablet—you won’t magically be able to read in direct sunlight simply by switching the display mode.
Digital artists love the Magic Note Pad stylus.
The Magic Note Pad’s real selling point (no pun intended) is actually less productivity and more artistic appeal: numerous digital artists have left reviews of it on Reddit and YouTube , and they unanimously praise it for its super-responsive stylus, which offers four times the pressure sensitivity of the Apple Pencil—16,384 levels of pressure sensitivity for the included XP-Pen stylus, compared to just 4,096 levels for the Apple Pencil.
More pressure gives you more control over what’s happening on the screen, so you can draw and “paint” with much more precision, gaining the same control in the digital environment as you do in the real world. This is enough to warrant a drawing course.
The Magic Note Pad is a great value, even as a media tablet.
With the current 35% discount, the Magic Note Pad drops from the $400 “artists only” price to a more affordable $260. This is a very reasonable deal, even if you’re looking for a stylus-enabled Android tablet that can be used as a digital notepad, e-reader, or for streaming media. The device is powered by an octa-core MediaTek MT8781 processor, which appears to be a reliable mid-range chip, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of internal storage, and an 8,000mAh battery that should last several days on a single charge with normal use. It also features a front-facing camera for video calls.
In short, if you need a drawing tablet and you’ve already racked your brains over the combined cost of an iPad and Apple Pencil, here’s a great opportunity to save some money.
How long do Black Friday deals actually last?
Black Friday sales officially begin on Friday, November 28, 2025, and will run through Cyber Week—the five-day period from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday, December 1, 2025. However, the dates of Black Friday and Cyber Monday have been shifted as retailers compete for shoppers. You can take advantage of the same Black Friday deals early in the season , and we expect the sale to end by December 3, 2025.
Are Black Friday deals worth it?
In short, yes, Black Friday still offers deals you rarely see the rest of the year. If you’re shopping or looking for gifts, now is the time to look for deals on essentials, especially tech , home goods , and fitness equipment . Of course, if you’re looking to save money, the best way to save is to buy nothing.
Are Cyber Monday deals better than Black Friday?
Black Friday used to favor large retailers and higher-end appliances, while Cyber Monday favored cheaper appliances and gave small businesses a chance to compete online. However, today, this distinction has become virtually meaningless. Every major retailer runs sales on both days, so it’s best to know what you need, use price trackers, or consult guides like our blog , which uses price trackers, and not worry about finding the perfect time.