Wacom’s entry-level Intuos tablets just got a huge new upgrade

A graphics tablet is one of the most essential pieces of kit one can own as a photographer or retoucher. Sure, you can edit with a mouse, but a tablet makes life so much easier, and faster, and more accurate. While you’re often good with pretty much anything that has the Wacom name stamped on it, the really good ones have traditionally been rather expensive.

The Intuos is the low budget entry into the world of Wacom tablets, but they’re quite basic. And small. Now, though, with the new 2018 range of Intuos tablets, they’ve seen some pretty significant upgrades in size, sensitivity and capability.

Today, Wacom announced a new, significantly upgraded version of its Intuos pen tablet for creative beginners and enthusiasts. Bundled with software for drawing, painting and image editing, the new Intuos tablet offers an immediate start into digital art. Anyone interested in getting creative on a digital level will be able to enjoy a natural pen experience, improved accuracy and enhanced online navigation capability. Ambitious comic and Manga fans, hobby painters and photographers just need to download a software of choice to “get creative.”

That’s how the press release reads, but what exactly have they done? Well, firstly, the new Intuos line contains models which feature built-in wireless Bluetooth. They’ve also made them smaller and lighter while keeping the same drawing area. There’s a built-in pen tray, and the Bluetooth models a battery life improvement of 60 percent. Finally, there’s increased pressure sensitivity, with the new pens having 4,096 levels.

There are three new Intuos tablets available. Two small and one medium.

Wacom Intuos Small (without Bluetooth)

• Purchasers may download their choice of one out of two downloadable pieces of software: Corel Painter Essentials 6 or Corel AfterShot 3
• Colour: Charcoal black
• Price: $79

Wacom Intuos Small (with Bluetooth)

• Wireless Bluetooth included
• Purchasers may download their choice of two out of three downloadable pieces of software: Corel Painter Essentials 6, Corel AfterShot 3 or CELSYS CLIP STUDIO PAINT PRO (in China: UDM PAINT PRO)
• Colour: Charcoal black, pistachio green or berry pink (in selected regions)
• Price: $99

Wacom Intuos Medium

• Wireless Bluetooth included
• Purchasers may download all three pieces of software: Corel Painter Essentials 6, Corel AfterShot 3 or CELSYS CLIP STUDIO PAINT PRO (in China: UDM PAINT PRO)
• Colour: Charcoal black, pistachio green or berry pink (in selected regions)
• Price: $199

I have to admit, my most recent Wacom tablet is a good few years old now. It’s definitely on its way out, but I’ve put off getting a new one because I didn’t feel they offered much benefit over the trusty old reliable one I already owned unless I spent an absolute fortune on a really high end one that I didn’t need. Now, though, at $199, that new Wacom Intuos Medium is looking very tempting.

No word on exactly when the new models will ship, but you can bet they’ll show up in the usual places when they do.