The New "Wacom One" 13 inch Cintiq Announcement

Wacom just introduced a new 13 inch Creative Display into their Cintiq family. It's called the "Wacom One". Hopefully no one else is confused by the naming, since they have a non-display tablet called the "One by Wacom". Despite the peculiar naming choice, this Cintiq is meant to be the ideal entry-level Cintiq for beginner/student artists, and so far it looks pretty neat. Technically, Wacom is not calling this a "Cintiq", it will be its own line of Pen Displays. Its another peculiar choice I'm not sure I understand, but going furthur I will stubbornly still refer to it as a "Cintiq" for simplicity.

Similar to the relationship between the Cintiq Pro 16 and the Cintiq 16 [HD], this new 13.3" Cintiq is the cheaper alternate to the Cintiq Pro 13, set at just $399. Even though it's a "budget" level Cintiq, that doesn't mean they stripped everything away. The Wacom One has some of the same specs as the Pro 13, plus a few extra. They both have the same 13.3" Screen size with a 1920x1080 HD resolution. Although it has the same LCD and 72% NTSC Color Gamut as the 16" Non-Pro.

Unfortunately the Pen technology takes a hit here. Instead of the Pro Pen 2 that is standard with the previously mentioned Cintiqs, the Wacom One is limited to a basic Pen that is similar to those used for the entry-level Intuos Tablets. 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity is not bad to say the least, especially for an entry-level device, but it might not be what users expect from the leading Artist Display/Tablet developers.

The new feature that has some Android users buzzing, is the ability to run the Cintiq off of your Smartphone. Unfortunately it's limited to only smartphones that can support an external display, with the appropriate dongles. Im very excited to try this feature out, even though personally, would opt to only use it with my computer 99% of the time.

Im not sure if this could be in direct competition with the iPad, because there are a few limitations. First, you still need a power source when connected, there is no internal battery or power supply from the phone to Cintiq. Second, even though most users have smartphones, not all phones are compatible. You can find all compatible Android phones here. Even then, its still an extra device you need connected rather then something self-contained like a full Tablet or iPad. All said and done, its more versatile than previous Cintiqs, but I'm not sure I could label this as "portable" or "mobile".

Despite the drop in pen tech over the preferred Pro Pen 2, Wacom has made the Cintiq compatible with other 3rd party brands. Im sure the included pen is quite sufficient, but the option for users to have an alternate or a quick replacement pen is a very much appreciated addition. You can find the other compatible pens listed here.

Overall, Im very excited to get the chance to play around with this new Cintiq. I can see it being a huge hit with schools and kids who would like to try their hand at digital art. Non-display tablets are very useful, but not quite for everyone. A Creative Display, at this price point, is a smart move by Wacom with all of the other alternate brands currently releasing their own entry-level Artist Displays. Once we get our hands on a demo unit, we'll have more to say about how this new Cintiq performs, but until then, I can confidently give Wacom's newest release 2 thumbs up.

The Wacom One should be available to ship by January 20, 2020. 

Order the Wacom One 13" Cintiq - DTC133W0A

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