Although solid, the build is rather plasticy. The back panel is an entire sheet of plastic finished with a rough texture, giving it a rather nice feel. There are no slippy or shiny surfaces here. The back panel wraps around the side, revealing the tablet’s buttons and ports on the topside, finished with the Wacom signature fabric loophole tag.
For $500, though, you’re not going to find the build quality you’d expect on an iPad, but for its price point, you can tell that the design team at Wacom has thought about how the tablet feels and is most certainly not an afterthought.
The mighty stylus
Setting up the tablet for the first time was incredibly easy. The Wacom One comes with two hefty USB-C cables: one to connect the tablet to the laptop and the other to the tablet to the supplied power supply.
As a Mac user, it was a simple case of popping in the USB-C, and away I went. The tablet turned on and instantly acted as a second screen, extending it as I had expected. Staying on cables, I would say this is one of the tablet’s few letdowns.
This is most definitely a stay-in-one-pace product. Once the cable is connected, you feel very tethered. It is a far cry from the iPad Pro I use today, where I can pick up and go on the move, on the train, plane – anywhere. This, however, feels like you are set in place, and if there is no power connected to your laptop, an additional power supply will be needed to add to the wires, and these wires are not thin or very flexible. They have a weight and are incredibly noticeable.
Once the tablet was connected and turned on, it was instantly clear that the 13-inch 1080p display could keep up. It is bright, color-accurate, and really nice to look at. When I picked up the stylus and slid it across the display, it felt right. This experience is so much better than when I tried the Apple Pencil on its slippy glass screen—so slippy that I had to buy a Paperlike screen protector just to imitate the feel of a textured surface.
The stylus on the Wacom is how it should be done, and for this great price, it is an absolute joy to use. The nib reacts perfectly and is replaceable via a handy tool that comes in the box; there’s enough resistance on each stroke to imitate that paper scratch. I was surprised to see that the reversible eraser was missing, one of the features I fell in love with back in the day and one I still miss from the Apple Pencil.
Another thing I love about the stylus is that it is battery-free. There’s no need to charge or stop drawing at any point. With that, it is so light to hold. It feels lovely to hold as it fits into my hand. The tablet uses electromagnetic resonance (EMR) to detect the stylus. It knows precisely the position, tilt, and pressure, all without a battery. Compared to the Apple Pencil, it feels beautiful.
Companion or replacement
Using the Wacom One 13 Touch via my Macbook Pro took a bit of getting used to. This is not a niggle at the tablet itself but more so a workflow change itself.
Having worked on an iPad Pro for so long, I know the need for an external tablet hasn’t been there. After a while, I still found myself using the keyboard commands that were engraved into my mind on my Macbook while I was drawing on the tablet.
Don’t get me wrong, Wacom has provided multiple ways to map these commands, either on the stylus itself or via the buttons on the top of the unit itself. I did map these, but it will take time to learn these new habits.
From my extensive use of it so far, I’d say this was more a companion than a full-screen replacement. I would use it as a second display while using the key commands I’m so used to.
The touch feature on this particular model was handy. There is a toggle switch that allows partial, full, or no touch to be enabled. I didn’t find myself using the touch feature as much as an illustrator, but the few times I did, it came in handy and was responsive. If you know touch will not be of use, I’d recommend opting for the slightly smaller, touchless Wacom One 12 Pen display at a much cheaper price.
One big issue I have with this tablet is that no stand is included. Instead, Wacom offers a separate stand you can purchase for use with the One 13 Touch and the One 12 Display, which is an annoying upsell.
I found having to position myself weirdly so I could see the screen at a good angle annoying, propping up the display on my Macbook as I worked enough to alter the angle for comfortable use. For more extended periods, it would become problematic. The fact that there are no retractable feet to adjust the angle is perhaps my biggest complaint, but I understand that it would have changed the design that I love so much.
“this is a perfect way to trade a mouse for a stylus…”
A tablet worthing thinking about
Overall, Wacom has created a fantastic price point option. The One Touch 13 keeps you tethered via a chain of cables, but if you go wireless, the price increases, so I understand and forgive in this case.
The well-thought-out design and substantial weight translate into a premium-feeling product. Using the stylus was an absolute dream, and I wish even writing on paper felt that smooth. As an illustrator, I think I am far too set into my Apple ecosystem to move permanently back to this setup, but for Photoshop users, this is a perfect way to trade a mouse for a stylus. For a nifty $500, the Wacom One 13 Touch provides a tremendous and professional entry into the graphics tablet arena.
Talk Android was supplied with this Wacom One 13 Touch for review. All opinions are of the reviewer.
