Tuesday, January 7th, 2020 Posted by Jim Thacker

Wacom launches $400 Wacom One pen display


Wacom has released the Wacom One, a new entry-level pen display aimed at “creative beginners, social content creators and visual thinkers” – and, at just under $400, its cheapest pen display to date.

The 13-inch model, launched at CES 2020, features an HD screen, 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity, and connects to Android devices as well as conventional Windows and macOS machines.

Similar display specs to the Cintiq 16, but smaller, lighter and cheaper
As with last year’s 16-inch Cintiq 16, the Wacom One provides a lower-specced-but-more-affordable alternative to Wacom’s high-end Cintiq Pro pen displays.

Like the Cintiq 16, it has a 1,920 x 1,080px display resolution and a 72% NTSC colour gamut, and – at 200 cd/m2 – a similar screen brightness.

At 1.0kg, it’s considerably lighter than the Cintiq 16, and even a bit lighter than the equivalent Cintiq Pro.

The only real compromise is the pen: the Wacom One ships with its own pen, rather than Wacom’s standard Pro Pen 2, which means 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity rather than 8,192.

Wacom’s entry-level pen displays compared
Wacom One Cintiq 16 Cintiq Pro 13
Screen size 13.3 in 15.6 in 13.3 in
Active area 11.6 x 6.5 in
(294 x 166 mm)
13.6 x 7.6 in
(345 x 194 mm)
11.6 x 6.5 in
(294 x 166 mm)
Resolution 1,920 x 1,080 px 1,920 x 1,080 px 1,920 x 1,080 px
Colour gamut 72% NTSC 72% NTSC 87% Adobe RGB
Viewing angle (H) 170° 176° 160°
Brightness 200 cd/m2 210 cd/m2 250 cd/m2
Contrast ratio 1,000:1 1,000:1 800:1
Pen Wacom One Pen Wacom Pro Pen 2 Wacom Pro Pen 2
Pressure sensitivity 4,096 levels 8,192 levels 8,192 levels
Multi-touch No No Yes
Weight 2.2 lbs (1.0 kg) 4.2 lbs (1.9 kg) 2.4 lbs (1.1 kg)
Launch date 2020 2019 2016
Current price $399.95 $649.95 $799.95

Connects to high-end Android phones as well as laptops and desktops
One unusual feature of the Wacom One is that it connects to some high-end Android phones, including Samsung’s Galaxy and Galaxy Note ranges and new Huawei models.

That means it isn’t necessary to have a conventional Windows or macOS laptop in order to make use of it, and while the range of painting apps is more limited on Android, it does include Autodesk’s SketchBook.

More affordable, but still priced higher than rival pen displays
As with previous entry-level Wacom pen displays, you do pay for the company’s long track record in delivering quality art hardware, and the cachet of the Wacom brand itself.

At $399.95, the Wacom One is priced almost identically to Huion’s rival Kamvas Pro 13, while the Kamvas 13 costs over $150 less.

Both Huion models have similar base specs, but support 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity and have a wider colour gamut than the Wacom One.

Pricing and system requirements
The Wacom One is available in Wacom’s online store right now, and costs $399.95. It is compatible with Windows 7+ and macOS 10.13+.

Find full specifications for the Wacom One on Wacom’s website