Earlier this month, Wacom showed of its Cintiq Companion 2 at the Consumer Electronics Show. The new artist’s tablet promises advanced technology for the optimum pen-on-screen experience.
From a new FCC filing, it looks like the Cintiq Companion 2 could be ready to ship soon.
Wacom’s first-generation Cintiq Companion is model number DTHA1300H, while the new FCC filing shows an “LCD Tablet” with the model number DTH-1300. That suggests this is the upcoming Cintiq Companion 2.
The tablet works as either a Cintiq graphics tablet or a full Windows 8.1 tablet. When connected to a desktop or laptop computer, the tablet can be used as a primary or secondary Cintiq display screen.
The companion Pro Pen can be used as a brush, pen, or marker when combined with a number of creative software programs. It has 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity and tilt recognition.
The first-generation Cintiq Companion features a 13.3-inch screen display with a 1920 x 1080 resolution and two USB ports. The second-generation model’s screen resolution is significantly higher at 2560 x 1440.
It also comes with three USB ports, and an SD and Micro SD slot. Plus, thanks to the new Cintiq Connect feature, you can use the Companion 2 with any system that supports an HDMI output signal, including Mac and PC computers.
The Cintiq Companion 2 comes with a Core i3 Haswell CPU and 64GB solid-state drive for $1300, a Core i5 CPU and 128GB for $1,600, and a Core i7 processor and 256GB for $2000. There’s also a $2500 model with a Core i7 Broadwell processor and 512GB of storage.
I know what you are thinking, $1,300 for a tablet is way too expensive. However, I have a few artist friends that swear by Wacom’s tablets and are probably saving pennies (and hundred dollar bills) in their piggy banks right now in order to buy one.
The entry-level model is also priced $200 lower than the original Cintiq Companion was when it launched in 2013.
Wacom originally announced that it would be available for pre-order at the company’s online store in February. Based on yesterday’s FCC filing, it is possible that the tablet will also be ready to ship soon after.