Released back in 2020, the Wacom One Tablet Creative Pen Display quickly became a popular drawing tablet for digital artists and creators for its approachable price point, large screen, and high functionality. But that was a couple of years ago, and with 2023 just around the horizon, we decided it was high time we return to one of Wacom’s most popular drawing tablets to find out how it measures up to the competition that has come to market since it was originally released.
In this in-depth review, we will tackle some of the most common questions artists and creators are asking about this tablet as well as chat about some of my favorite (and not so favorite) features of this budget-friendly device.
So let’s dive into the full review…
Is The Wacom One Tablet Creative Pen Display For Professionals?
This is a common question I have received from some of my industry friends after I told them that I got my hands on a Wacom One Tablet Creative Pen Display for review. Most of them don’t have a background in digital artwork and are simply looking for a device that makes drafting up album artwork and content a little easier and more streamlined.
The definitive answer is that the Wacom One Tablet Creative Pen Display is NOT designed for professionals. It bills itself as an entry-level display tablet and lacks many of the common features that more professional devices have in spades.
Addition buttons for zooming, Bluetooth connectivity, extra buttons on the stylus for quicker workflows, and more are all features that were left on the cutting room floor with this device. But what you get instead is a well-priced, durable, and streamlined tablet that checks all of the boxes that a beginner artist, college student, or traveling professional might need in a device.
Is The Wacom One As Good As An iPad?
This can be a tough question, but at the end of the day, I always side with the simple fact that iPads are Jack-Of-All-Trades devices that can literally do almost anything that you need. The only substitution is that it doesn’t do all of those things as well as a device that specialized in a single task.
The Wacom One Tablet Creative Pen Display is specifically designed for digital artwork, and does that job far better, in my opinion, than an iPad can. I personally think the stylus feels more natural, the texture of the surface on the device is FAR superior to that of an iPad, and the bigger screen makes working for longer periods of time far better than on any other device.
If you are looking specifically to handle digital artwork and editing, then the Wacom One Tablet Creative Pen Display is an easy recommendation. But if you need something with a wide range of different options to allow you to wear as many hats as your role requires, perhaps an iPad would be better.
What I Liked About The Wacom One
After working with the Wacom tablet over the course of a few weeks on some digital album artwork I was doing for a release on the record label I manage, I found a lot of things that I really liked about this device. So let’s dive into the standout features of the Wacom One Digital Pen Display tablet.
Its Build Quality
For a budget drawing tablet, this thing feels damn sturdy.
It’s made out of durable plastic that is lightweight and sturdy and feels like it can handle the rigors of digital artwork on the go if that’s what you need this tablet to do. I feel as if with most budget tablets like this, the build quality and materials the unit is made out of are the first corners that manufacturers cut; but this is not the case with the Wacom One tablet.
The smooth and sensitive exterior is also a breeze to work with and has an amazing, tactile feel to it. This made working with the tablet over longer periods of time an enjoyable experience!
Its Price
This is another point that doesn’t need much explanation, but the price is great for what you get. As I see this device as being either entry-level or as a great secondary option for professional creators, the fact that the price tag is resting at just under $300 is damn impressive. Bonus points in the fact that Wacom hosts frequent sales on their site which allow you to get this device at an even bigger discount.
This means that the price is totally approachable for anyone; be it a college student just learning digital art to a seasoned professional looking for a device to use while they are away from their primary workstation.
Its Functionality
I was pleasantly surprised at just how much this device could handle and how much it recreated an authentic drawing experience.
The stylus that is included in the Wacom One bundle is a simplified version of Wacom’s more premium styluses, but for the price point of this tablet, I couldn’t expect much more. It features 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity, which means that all moves you made with this little one feel natural, fluid, and precise.
There is only one button on the stylus, which is less than most other of its competitors, but for a fast solution to creating and editing digital art, it works just fine! And it should be noted that the pen can be switched between right and left-handed modes, which is something many of its competitors completely omit from their stylus’ design.
The tablet overall is also incredibly easy to use; as there are no onboard buttons or diodes that need to be dialed in for you to start getting the results that you want. I could see many more professional creators harping on this as a detriment to the overall functionality of the device, but for those looking for a fast and affordable way to start drafting ideas and editing artwork, cutting down on the bells and whistles oftentimes can be a budget device’s strongest point.
What I Wasn’t Crazy About
Seeing as creating any form of art is about as highly subjective as you can get, I did find some things about the Wacom One Digital Pen Display that I wasn’t as impressed by as I was with the above features. Here are the two biggest red flags I encountered while using this device.
It’s Cumbersome
Unboxing this device, you will instantly see a fairly large wire chain that is needed to attach the Creative Pen Display to your computer. These wires are not small by any means and the way they jut out on the lefthand side of the device once plugged in made a quick clutter of my workspace. The wire attachment needed to plug this device in contains all possible attachments you might need (USB-C, ESB, HDMI) which simply means there is a LOT going on when all you want is to connect this thing to your computer.
I feel as if this issue would be easily remedied in my next point, but the lack of Bluetooth is an issue that should be addressed in its own right.
Its Connectivity
This device doesn’t have Bluetooth connectivity, and I know I am not the only reviewer and content creator who has made a note that this omission is a missed opportunity for this device. I see this device as being an amazing product for digital artists and creators who are working on the go, which often means that they don’t have access to daisy chains of USB hubs and multiple wiring options. Even then, the wires that are included are cumbersome as discussed above.
In fact, MacBook Pros, from which I do all of my own work, only have two ports in total. And since Apps like Photoshop and others that require the use of such a drawing pad can often be fairly CPU and battery intensive, it means that with the charger plugged in that’s both ports used in one fell swoop.
Specs On The Wacom One Tablet Creative Pen Display
Model Number: DTC133W0A
Display Size/Resolution: 13.3 in (33.8 cm) / Full HD 1920 x 1080 Active area 11.6 x 6.5 in (294 x 166 mm)
Size: 8.9 x 14.1 x 0.6 in (225 x 357 x 14.6 mm)
Weight: 2.2 lbs (1.0 kg)
Color Performance: NTSC 72% (CIE1931)
Viewing Angle: 170/170
Contrast Ratio: 1000:1
Response Rate: 26 ms
Power Consumption: Power ON mode (MAX): less than 10 W Power OFF mode: 0.5 W or lower Power Sleep mode: 0.5 W or lower
Input Voltage: 100 to 240 VAC, 50/60Hz
Aspect Ratio/Brightness: 16:9 / 200 cd/m2
Color temperature/Custom Color: 9300K/6500K/5000K
Ergonomics: Right or left-handed use; integrated foldable legs; Wacom One Pen with comfortable, ergonomic grip
System requirements
Windows 7 and later, mac OS X 10.13 and later; Connection to select Android devices requires an additional 3rd party adapter. Check out list of compatible Android devices and 3rd party adapters at www.wacom.com/comp; Internet access for driver download
What’s included Wacom One pen display, Wacom One Pen, 3 replacement nibs, Wacom One X-Shape Cable, AC adapter (10 W), AC plug head, Quick Start Guide, regulation sheet
Additional accessories Wacom One Pen (CP91300B2Z), 5 replacement nibs (ACK24501Z), X-Shape Cable (ACK44506Z), Power adapter (ACK44514), ExpressKey™ Remote (ACK411050), Wacom Wireless Keyboard (WKT400)
Connectivity Wacom One X-Shape Cable with HDMI and USB connector (to computer), Display Connector (to Wacom One display) and power plug Pen Wacom One Pen: Pressure-sensitive, cordless, battery-free with 4096 pressure levels; one customizable side-switch Supported pen tilt angle 60 degrees
Included bonus software* Up to 6 months Celsys Clip Studio Paint Pro**, Adobe Premiere Rush 2-month license, and Bamboo Paper by Wacom including advanced features; for more details visit bonus.wacom.com
