Wacom Cintiq vs iPad Pro: Which tablet is right for you?

What tablets are appropriate for designers and what is the best tablet? This article compares Wacom Cintiq vs iPad Pro. It will also compare their cost, size, ease of use, compatibility with Apple Pencil and more. The author’s conclusion is that if you’re a professional looking to get started on designing graphics or just want a sleek device to play games on then an iPad Pro 9.7″ would be your choice over the Cintiq 13HD

The “wacom cintiq pro” is a tablet that has been around for quite some time, but it still remains one of the best tablets on the market. It’s not perfect though, so you’ll want to make sure that you’re getting the right device for your needs before you buy it.

iPad Pro vs. Cintiq by Wacom

It’s impossible to have a debate about art technology without mentioning Wacom at least once. After all, the Japanese company’s name has been associated with drawing tablets for more than a decade, and prominent artists from across the globe utilize their products. Wacom has been making tablets for almost 35 years, with its first device being released in the early 1980s.

However, we all know that when Apple does anything, it does it correctly. And, based on the latest iPad releases, it’s evident that the Cupertino-based tech behemoth has its sights set on the creative community, which is a dedicated Wacom customer base. Which tablet would you select if you had to choose between the Cintiq by Wacom and the iPad Pro, Wacom’s and Apple’s greatest tablets? The solution isn’t straightforward, which is why we’ve written this in-depth guide for you. Continue reading to learn more!

iPad Pro vs. Cintiq by Wacom

Wacom has previously controlled the drawing tablet industry until competitors such as XP Pen and Huion entered the market a few years ago. Apple has now entered the fray. The Cintiq comes in a variety of sizes, including Cintiq Pro and standard Cintiqs, whereas the iPad Pro comes in 11-inch and 12.9-inch varieties. We’re going to compare the Cintiq 16 with the 2021 iPad Pro 12.9″ to keep the gadgets as identical as feasible.

The Cintiq series, which is basically a giant external display that you can draw on, requires a PC or Mac to work effectively, which influenced us in our comparison. On the iPad Pro, on the other hand, all you need is an app to sketch. As a result, the iPad Pro makes more sense as a multitasking tablet. However, many individuals still prefer Wacom drawing tablets, thus this oversimplifies the problem.

Let’s take a deeper look at both tablets to see why, beginning with the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Cintiq by Wacom

Cintiq by Wacom Pros

It provides excellent value for money.
Both pros and amateurs will benefit from the features.
There is no need to charge the Wacom Pro Pen 2 (Wacom Pro Pen 2) stylus.
Artists appreciate the texture of a screen.

Cintiq by Wacom Cons

Touch controls are not available.
To work with, you’ll need a PC or a Mac.
You must pay an additional fee for a stand.
Has a weight of over 4 lbs.
Connecting to two ports on your PC is required.
Resolution is mediocre.

iPad Pro

Pros of the iPad Pro

The new M1 chipset is a beast of a chip.
Unlike the Cintiq, it’s a full-featured tablet.
The display is beautiful and high-resolution.
Design is stunning.
You can work on the go with this device.

Cons of the iPad Pro

Pricy
The Apple Pencil will set you back an extra $128.
The Apple Pencil must be charged.
There is no SD card slot.

Now let’s inspect the features of the Cintiq by Wacom and iPad Pro, side by side.

Model	Cintiq by Wacom 16	iPad Pro 12.9″ in 2021
Display	15.6-inch LCD with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels	Mini-LED LCD, 12.9 inches, 120Hz refresh rate 2048 x 2732 pixels is a resolution of 2048 x 2732 pixels.
Chipset	None	Apple M1
Battery	There is no need to connect anything in.	Fast charging 10758 mAh Li-Po18W
Memory	N/A	1TB 16GB RAM 2TB 16GB RAM 128GB 8GB RAM 256GB 8GB RAM 512GB 8GB RAM 1TB 16GB RAM
OS	NA	iPadOS15.3
Rear View Camera	No	12MP + 10MP + 3D TOF LiDAR
Front-facing camera	No	12MP
Ports	Only one 3-in-1 cable port (HDMI + USB + power) is available.	DisplayPortMagnetic connection USB Type-C (Thunderbolt 4) USB Type-C (Thunderbolt 4)
Connectivity	No	Dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6 hotspot
Support for SIM cards	No	Yes, Nano-SIM is a real thing.
GPS	No	Yes
Stylus	Yes	Yes
Bluetooth	No	5.0
Dimensions	The dimensions are 16.6 x 11.2 x 1.0 inches.	The dimensions are 11.05 x 8.46 x 0.25 inches.
Weight	4.1 lbs	1.5 lbs
Price	$599	$1,228 (with Apple Pencil and 128GB)

iPad Pro vs. Cintiq by Wacom: Features Face to Face

If you’ve gone through the table above, it’s pretty clear that the devices are pretty different in many ways. While the iPad Pro is an all-purpose device, the Cintiq by Wacom targets artists, painters, photographers, image editors, and 3D artists. To better understand the differences, let’s analyze each feature and break them down.

Design

Return of the iPad Pro 2020

Cintiq by Wacom 16 back

Wacom isn’t exactly known for revolutionary design, whereas Apple is known for — well, revolutionary design. And this is evident when you line up both devices side by side because the Cintiq by Wacom looks clunky and purely functional, whereas the iPad Pro is a visual treat.

Apple has used metal, glass, and plastic to put together the iPad Pro, whereas the Cintiq by Wacom looks and feels like low-quality plastic, especially the back. One may have more subjective views on the stylus that each device offers because the Wacom stylus is a very popular design, but the Apple Pencil has its fair share of admirers as well. But when it comes to design, the iPad Pro absolutely crushes the Cintiq by Wacom.

Display

This is the first of the divisive features — the display. The Cintiq by Wacom carries a 15.6-inch LCD display, and most artists prefer to pay for as much screen real estate as they can afford. The matte texture on the Cintiq has its fans, whereas the iPad Pro’s glassy, laminated surface is also popular with artists. The iPad Pro is a bit limiting for artists in the drawing area but makes up for it with a crisp 4K mini-LED LCD screen.

On both smartphones, the parallax effect is negligible. One point goes to the iPad’s corner because of the touch controls, which the Cintiq lacks. For certain artists, who are used to using touch controls to rotate the canvas or zoom out, this might be a productivity problem. The color gamut of the iPad Pro is superb, reaching over 115 percent of the sRGB color spectrum, but the Cintiq only hits 96 percent.

After great deliberation, we’ve decided to award this round to the iPad Pro due to its superior Retina Display.

Audio

Unfortunately, since the Cintiq is just a graphics tablet, it does not come with speakers or the option to connect to speakers. The iPad, on the other hand, has excellent speakers. There are four stereo speakers included, which are rather powerful and perform well with both music and movies.

Hardware

There isn’t much going on with the Cintiq by Wacom in terms of hardware specs as it is a display and lacks any powerful chipset or impressive RAM options. All the computing power you need to operate the Cintiq will come from the PC or Mac that you connect the device to. So in a way, there isn’t much that can go wrong with your Cintiq 16 besides the wear and tear of regular use.

The 2021 is the year of the iPad Pro., on the other hand, is equipped with the powerful M1 processor, which was first introduced in 2020 and made its debut in last year’s iPad. In addition, the base versions come with 8GB of RAM, while the top ones come with 16GB of RAM. Aside from that, the iPad Pro has FaceID owing to the strong front-facing camera module.

Read our page on all iPad models from 2010 if you want to learn more about all the amazing features in iPads throughout the years!

Software

The software you install on your computer is responsible for how your Cintiq by Wacom behaves, and we must say that it’s expansive. You get to control the nitty-gritty of the tablet from the Wacom Desktop Center software, and any additional tweaks can be taken care of on your editing software like Photoshop, Corel Painter, Autodesk, etc. One key difference is that you can get 3D modeling work done on the Cintiq, which you can’t do on the iPad Pro. At least, not yet.

Because of the M1 chipset’s enormous power, the iPad Pro runs iPadOS, which is now at version 15.3. It’s smooth and snappy. Procreate is the most popular drawing program for the iPad at the moment, and a quick search on YouTube will show you why. Photoshop is the runner-up, although it isn’t as popular among iPad users.

Here’s a terrific video to get you started with Procreate on the iPad Pro:

The iPad easily outperforms the Cintiq in terms of software.

Performance

Wacom has a good reputation for consistent Performance and dependability, but then again, its duties are relatively basic. The iPad Pro, on the other hand, has to run your software and offer you high-level graphics at quad HD resolutions, compared to the modest full-HD resolution on the Cintiq by Wacom.

Regardless of how many applications you have open or how huge your Procreate project is, the iPad Pro performs well. It has adequate RAM, and the chipset isn’t bothered by anything you throw at it. The iPad Pro easily wins this performance round thanks to its amazing features.

Camera

The Cintiq by Wacom doesn’t have a camera built into it, so it’s an easy win for the iPad Pro. The iPad Pro’s cameras are easily the best that you can find on a tablet, with a 12MP wide primary camera and a 10MP ultra wide-angle camera present on the rear. On the front, you have another 12MP ultrawide snapper that also features Apple’s Center Stage technology, keeping you in focus when you’re on Facetime or other video conferencing apps.

Peripherals / Accessories

As the stylus may make or break a comparison, this might be the most important factor to consider. Both the Wacom Pro Pen 2 (Wacom Pro Pen 2) and the Apple Pencil 2 are equally enjoyable and responsive on their respective tablets, so it’s a difficult choose. So let’s have a look at what sets them apart.

The Cintiq by Wacom runs on a technology called electromagnetic resonance. Basically, there is an electromagnetic sensor under the display, which powers the pen. In short, this is also why you never need to charge your Wacom pens, unlike the Apple pencil.

Wacom Pen 2 Wacom Pro Pen 2 (Wacom Pro Pen 2)

Besides the Wacom Pro Pen 2 (Wacom Pro Pen 2), you can also purchase a stand, which in our opinion, should have come with the tablet because there is no way you can operate a device this heavy without a stand. You also get accessories like keyboards, ExpressKey remote controls (hotkeys to use with various software), gloves, and nibs.

Wacom’s software lets you to experiment with a wide variety of settings. You can fine-tune the tablet’s responsiveness, palm recognition, pressure settings, pen tilt, sensitivity, and a slew of other little aspects in the setup menu. In contrast, using an Apple pencil is rather simple — for example, you can simply adjust the Pencil pressure to harsh, gentle, or custom, as seen in this video:

As for the iPad Pro, we already mentioned how expensive the Pencil is — you can either buy the Pencil 2 for $129 or go for the first-generation Pencil 1 for $99. You can also invest in a Magic Keyboard or a Smart Keyboard Folio, but these will cost you a pretty penny. When it comes to peripherals, we give both the Cintiq by Wacom and the iPad Pro a tie.

Wacom Intuos versus Wacom Intuos Pro: What’s the Difference?

User-Interface Design

The Wacom is more of a second screen for whatever program you’re using on your computer than it is a user interface. The iPadOS, on the other hand, is a full-fledged operating system with the finest software experience available on a tablet, period. The animations are slick, and everything works as it should. iPadOS is smooth and responsive. The iPad Pro is a clear winner!

Battery

Not only does the Cintiq by Wacom need a computer connected to it, but it also does not come with any battery backup. So if you plan to work off your laptop, you better find a wall outlet, or you’re not going to get anything done. This is a pretty big problem compared to the iPad Pro, which can run for well over 10 hours, offering you peak Performance throughout. You also get 18-watt fast charging support, so even if you do run out of juice on the iPad Pro, you’ll have it recharged again in no time.

iPad Pro vs. Cintiq by Wacom: Quality and Reliability

Thankfully, we’re talking about market leaders here, so regardless of whether you buy an iPad Pro or a Cintiq by Wacom, you are in for a stress-free experience as both of these devices have excellent reputations. Both the tablets have large communities online where new features, troubleshooting, and tips and tricks are discussed, so owning either of these devices is a wholesome experience.

Warranty

The Cintiq by Wacom offers a 1-year warranty in the USA, Canada, Latin America, Japan, Asia-Pacific, and China and 2 years of coverage in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

Apple, on the other hand, provides 90 days of free technical assistance and a year of limited warranty coverage for hardware repairs. You may always upgrade to AppleCare+, which gives you two years of coverage. Every 12 months, you’ll additionally get up to two incidences of accidental damage protection. This is available for $149.

Customer Service

Both Wacom and Apple have great customer service teams that will help you get your gadget back in working condition if you ever need it. You may contact Wacom via their official support website, and if you need to contact Apple, you can start here.

Cintiq vs. iPad Pro: Standout Features

Both of these tablets are quite different: one is a professional gadget for artists, while the other is a tablet that can easily keep you occupied for hours while still serving as a solid workhorse. The rate at which creative professionals are switching to iPad Pros indicates that Wacom is soon becoming a force to be reckoned with.

Given that the iPad Pro is a standalone device, has cameras, has a powerful chipset, is well-designed, plus you can do a lot more than just draw, we would pick the iPad Pro over the Cintiq by Wacom any day!