Huion Hong Kong invited us to test their new Inspiroy Dial Pen Tablet Q620M. There're already many review video s on the Net but most of them don't show you much about using the dial. So, here we try to show you what they do not cover.
Huion Dial
The Q620M sets itself apart from the rest of other graphics tablets by having a dial that supports the Surface Dial protocol. That means their dial can act like the original Surface Dial, except that their dial sits on the corner of the tablet and cannot be put on the screen.
Apart from Expresii, you can also find a collection of apps that support the Surface Dial at Microsoft's site:
Apps that support the Surface Dial API
Pen Tilt
More controls on the stylus tilt reading since version 2019.12.19 The tilt range is not as large as Wacom's. In response to this, we updated Expresii to allow users to adjust the tilt reading amplification (see video below left). This is necessary for Huion's tablets because when tilted to like 40-60 degrees, it's much harder to press then Wacom's.
To our surprise, the tilt reading from Q620M is not as stable as their previous model H950P (see our review). The tilt sways from side to side as we draw a straight line across the tablet (see video below right). Therefore, we also added user-adjustable tilt stablization (see left) to alleviate the issue. Make sure you have the version 2019.12.31 or later as we pumped up the stabilization to suit Huion's Q620M.
At first, we suspect it might be the wireless module that interfered with their tilt reading, but then when we try to use wired connection, the Q620M still gives the same wobble. Anyway, we hope Huion's engineers get notice.
To our surprise, the tilt reading from Q620M is not as stable as their previous model H950P (see our review). The tilt sways from side to side as we draw a straight line across the tablet (see video below right). Therefore, we also added user-adjustable tilt stablization (see left) to alleviate the issue. Make sure you have the version 2019.12.31 or later as we pumped up the stabilization to suit Huion's Q620M.
At first, we suspect it might be the wireless module that interfered with their tilt reading, but then when we try to use wired connection, the Q620M still gives the same wobble. Anyway, we hope Huion's engineers get notice.
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Wired & Wireless
We love the Q620M being a relatively cheap tablet that gives you wireless option. The wired connection now uses a USB type-C connector, so that you can flip the connector any way and it still plugs in. No more trial-&-error flipping to make it connect! _へ__(‾◡◝ )>
Driver software
Before installing their driver, the Q620M can already function with pen pressure and tilt support via Windows Ink API on Windows 10. Their dial also functions as the Surface Dial out of the box. After installing the driver, by default their dial uses Huion's own dial menu, and if you prefer it to act like the Surface Dial, you need to explicitly check the 'Enable Windows Radial’ checkbox in their driver.
We found the work-area definition works as expected only after the first reboot. FYI, we did the work-area adjustment because it is usually easier to write Chinese characters nicely with smaller movement of the hand when using graphics tablets.
Conclusion
The Huion Q620M is a graphics tablet packed with features on a low price. While the original Surface Dial costs US$99, the same amount can get you a Huion Q620M, a pen tablet that includes a dial that can behave like a Surface Dial. Although we still prefer drawing with a Wacom because it's more sensitive and easier to get accurate strokes (especially so for calligraphy), we would say the Huion Q620M has a very high cost-to-performance ratio. Currently Huion's older model H950P gives much more stable tilt reading. We hope a later firmware or driver update can fix the issues with tilt reading in the Q620M. For now, at least our tilt stabilization and amplification help alleviate the issues. Note that the Q620M is quite a bit larger than the H950P, so if you prefer being able to easily slide the tablet into your bag, you may prefer the earlier H950P. Again, we strongly recommend you trying Huion's tablets in person if you have the chance so that you can see if you like their pressure profile or not.
All recent so-called Wacom-alternative tablets we have tested are of very nice build quality. Companies like Huion or XP-Pen are actively innovating in their designs like adding a dial or something. Wacom is of course also innovating, but now sometimes Huion & XP-Pen are ahead like for instance for the support for Android (yes, this Q620M also works with Android). I guess Wacom should be worried.
All recent so-called Wacom-alternative tablets we have tested are of very nice build quality. Companies like Huion or XP-Pen are actively innovating in their designs like adding a dial or something. Wacom is of course also innovating, but now sometimes Huion & XP-Pen are ahead like for instance for the support for Android (yes, this Q620M also works with Android). I guess Wacom should be worried.
Left: Surface Dial. Right: Huion Q620M graphics tablet with their own dial
Acknowledgement
We thank Huion Hong Kong for providing the tested hardware.
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