The Essential Pen Tablet in Its Simplest Form: Huion Inspiroy Frego Pen Tablet Review

This pen tablet tool sticks to what’s essential and offers the utmost user convenience. Can this new tablet from Huion be your go-to editing tool?

With the constant advancement of technology available for photographers and other imaging creatives, we are increasingly capable of bringing our post-production work wherever we go through various portable devices. Nowadays, you can bring your entire editing machine to work on a large project without having to plug your computer into a power source. Along with that, the accessories that make these tasks easier for us are also becoming more portable to accompany us wherever our work takes us. This new-generation pen tablet, the Huion Inspiroy Frego, allows you to bring the convenience of a pen tablet for precision editing, retouching, and illustration without any hassle.

The Huion Inspiroy Frego

The Huion Inspiroy Frego is available in two sizes, Small and Medium, both of which come as 8 mm thin slates in cosmo black with a tapered slope on one side for the user’s hand comfort. The small version measures 220 x 165.7 x 8 mm (8.66 x 6.52 x 0.31 inches) with an active area of 160 x 100 mm (6.30 x 3.94 inches) and weighs just 280 grams. The medium version measures 304 x 220 x 8 mm (11.97 x 8.66 x 0.31 inches) with an active area of 254 x 158.8 mm (10 x 6.25 inches) and weighs 546 grams.

Both versions have a tablet surface clear of any buttons or dials, with all edges and corners open for the drawing hand to rest on. A single power button can be found on the upper-right corner (on the side opposite the tapered edge), alongside a pairing button and an indicator light. In the middle is a loop to hold the pen, and on the other side is a single USB-C port that can be used for wired operation directly to the device or tablet or to charge the built-in battery.

The Inspiroy Frego uses Bluetooth 5.0 technology, which provides a report rate of >133 points per second and can communicate with the paired device from 5 to 10 meters away. When using a wired connection, this increases to >300 points per second. It is equipped with a 1,300 mAh battery that can last for 24 hours of use and can be fully charged in 2.5 hours. This slim and portable tablet comes with a single battery-free pen equipped with Huion’s Pentech 3.0, which offers 8,192 different pressure levels and a resolution of 5,080 lines per inch. It comes in the box without any case or pen stand but instead includes 10 extra nibs and a nib replacement tool in a small zip bag. Along with the tablet, pen, and nibs, the box includes a USB-A to USB-C cable for charging and wired use, as well as a user guide.

Setting Up

Because of the Bluetooth connectivity and the simplicity of the tablet itself, this may very well be the most plug-and-play pen tablet device available. To get the tablet working, all it requires is the regular Bluetooth pairing process used to connect a keyboard or mouse to a device. Once paired, it operates in a default mode and orientation for the tablet and pen.

Using a downloadable driver and setup software, modifications to the orientation and the active area can be made through a simple user interface. Since the tablet does not have any customizable shortcut buttons, most configurations involve the pen. On the pen setup page, you can assign the two side buttons specific shortcuts or commands, as well as adjust the pen input to different pressure sensitivity patterns for better control and precision.

User Experience

The Huion Inspiroy Frego combines the essential functions most users want in a pen tablet with the portability required by on-the-go creatives. The slim and lightweight form factor makes it very easy to carry along with a laptop or mobile device, with virtually no added bulk or weight. While it would have been nicer if the tablet came with a dedicated carrying sleeve to secure the pen and a couple of extra nibs, it can easily fit inside a typical laptop sleeve or a bag’s laptop compartment.

The Inspiroy Frego is remarkably easy to set up, making it ideal for quick tasks that need to be completed right away. Since the tablet connects via Bluetooth, it can be used from a considerable distance from the computer. However, because it lacks shortcut buttons, using it from a distance may require a shortcut remote, such as Huion’s Keydial tools, or a Bluetooth keyboard placed nearby to switch between tools easily. Otherwise, due to the tablet’s non-intrusive form factor—especially the small version—it can be seamlessly used with a laptop or desktop computer without taking up too much desk space.

Like other pen tablets and pen display tablets, the Huion Inspiroy Frego can be a valuable tool for photographers who do a lot of manual retouching, whether this involves portraits, products, landscapes, or architecture. Its precision and the customizability of the pen’s response also make it helpful for creating composite images. Since the pen tablet is compatible with other portable devices, such as smartphones or tablet computers, it can also be used with mobile versions of editing tools, such as Photoshop and Lightroom Mobile. This bare-essentials pen tablet adds to the wide variety of options available to users, depending on which size and functions best fit their workflow. Overall, considering the portability, ease of use, and affordable price point, the Inspiroy Frego is a great option for users who prefer simple tools, need portability, or are on a tight budget.

What I Liked

• Slim and lightweight portable tablet
• Convenient connectivity options
• Easy setup

What Can Be Improved

• No included carrying sleeve and case for extra nibs