Simbans PicassoTab X14 review: A Large Stand-alone Drawing Tablet

If you are looking for a large but still affordable stand-alone drawing tablet, the new Simbans PicassoTab X14 is your best option. It is an upgrade from the smaller 11.6-inch PicassoTab XL and 10.1-inch PicassoTab X.

The Simbans PicassoTab X14 has a slightly smaller screen than the 14.6-inch Samsung Tab S9 Ultra. It has a 14.1-inch screen size.

Simbans PicassoTab X14 Specifications

• Screen Size:14.1-inch
• Screen Type: Fully laminated, IPS LCD
• Resolution: Full HD 1920 x 1080 pixels
• Refresh Rate: 60Hz
• Brightness: 200 nits
• Aspect Ratio: 16:9
• Processor: MediaTek MT8183
• RAM: 6 GB
• Battery Life: 10 to 12 hours.
• Connectivity: USB-C, Bluetooth, 2.4GHz and 5GHz WiFi
• Storage: A 128-GB disk can be upgraded with a 1TB microSD card for file storage.
• Rear Camera: 13 MP
• Front Webcam: 8 MP
• OS: Android 13
• Weight: 4.95 pounds

Simbans PicassoTab X14 Screen

The Simbans PicassoTab X14 comes with a large 14.1-inch IPS LCD screen with Full HD 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution. 

It has a landscape orientation that seems larger than it actually is, thanks to slim bezels and a 16:9 aspect ratio. 

The screen has half as powerful a screen refresh rate as the iPad Pro at 60 Hz. Although this seems low, it is perfect for drawing and playing basic games.

You will be able to use it outdoors thanks to its high brightness levels of 200 cd/m2, or 200 nits. It is also very colorful, especially when you consider its affordable price range.

The screen is fully laminated, improving the overall clarity by reducing parallax and having the three screen layers fused together. This further reduces the pen tip-to-screen distance and provides a nice pen-to-paper-like feel when drawing.

Simbans PicassoTab X14 Body and Build

The Simbans PicassoTab X14 is slightly larger than an iPad Pro or Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra. This means that it is seemingly more comfortable to use and draw on.

Due to its large size, you will be more comfortable using it on a table instead of holding it in your hand as you draw. It would have been great if it came with a stand.

You can support it with its cover, or you can invest to get a stand. We recommend the Parblo PR100 tablet stand. 

It is important to note that the tablet features a generally textured body that feels firm and comfortable on the hands.

Unfortunately, the PicassoTab X14 is heavier than both the iPad Pro and Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, at 2245 grams, compared to 732 grams on the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra and 462 grams on the iPad Pro.

Although this limits portability, the Simbans PicassoTab X14 is a standalone tablet that does not need a computer connection to use.

PicassoTab X14 Pen

Just like other Simbanns tablets, you will get a free pen, which is the Picasso Pen 4. This pen has perfect palm rejection, which will ensure that sweaty palms will not interfere with your art.

Additionally, the pen features 4096 pen pressure levels and +/- 60 degree tilt recognition. The pen is not battery-free and must, from time to time, be connected to charge. At least it only uses one AAAA battery.

Unfortunately, the pen does not have extra shortcut keys on the body, which would have been a great addition. You will have zero free pen nibs, which will result in extra spending on your part.

Power and performance

The PicassoTab X14 is a standalone tablet. It therefore has both a screen and a computer to install software. This means that it has an inbuilt OS that allows it to run different applications from its computer.

It runs on the new Android 13 and on a powerful 8-core MediaTek MT8183 processor and a dedicated Mali-G72 MP3 graphic processing unit, or GPU. For multitasking, you will have 6 GB of RAM, which makes for a smooth-running system.

The PicassoTab X14 will comfortably install and run many design and drawing applications. However, you might experience lag when you try to run very complex games.

You might need to change the default installed launcher for a better user experience. We recommend the NOVA launcher, which seemed to work for me.

To save your files, you will have 128 GB of default storage space, which might fill up quickly. Luckily, the tablet allows for easy upgrades up to 1 TB using an external MicroSD slot. You will, however, have to buy it separately.

Free Pre-installed Apps

Simbans PicassoTab X14 comes with a lot of pre installed drawing applications. You will have 2 cool drawing applications that is Concepts and Infinite Painter. You will also have a PRO upgrade for Concepts.

For animation, you will have FlipaClip to help bring your drawings to life.

Camera and speakers

Many tablets do not come with very good cameras. This tablet is an exception, with a 13 MP rear camera and an 8 MP front webcam. 

The front webcam is not the best, but the rear camera is almost as good as the one on the more expensive iPad Pro.

For the sound, however, you will have too many speakers that do not sound so good. You have four output speakers but lack a 3.5mm audio jack for those artists who like connecting to headphones.

Conclusion

For an affordable $299 price range, this is one of the cheapest standalone tablets that you can buy. It packs decent specifications, such as a large, fully laminated 14.1-inch screen and Full HD resolution.

You still get most of the free stuff that came with the Picasso Tab X and Picasso Tab XL on a more powerful system. Check out Picasso X11.

What is in the box

• Tablet
• Flip case
• Artist glove
• SIM ejection tool
• User guide and Warranty info
• USB-A to USB-C charging cable
• USA-A charger with travel plugs
• Picasso Pen 4 with 2 AAA batteries

My drawing experience

Below are some of the designs I created with the Picasso Tab X14 and Adobe Illustrator.

Frequently Asked Questions