Wacom Announces Cintiq Companion And Companion Hybrid Standalone Mobile Tablets

Following months of teasers in the form of comics strips, Wacom has officially announced its pair of standalone mobile tablets. Set to roll out in September and October, respectively, are the Android-powered Cintiq Companion Hybrid and Windows 8/Windows 8 Pro-powered Cintiq Companion. As expected, these units are essentially the Cintiq 13HD with the same HD 1920 x 1080 pixel screen and Pro Pen with 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity and stand, plus newly added multi-touch functionality, WiFi, Bluetooth, headphone jack, microphone, audio speakers, and various multimedia ports.

The Cintiq Companion Hybrid can be used just like a traditional Cintiq when plugged into a PC or MAC using the same 3-in-1 cable with HDMI and USB connectors and AC power adapter as the 13HD. When unplugged and in standalone mode, it can run Android apps (like, say, SketchBook Pro mobile) for what Wacom describes as "light" work on its Nvidia Tegra 4 processor and Jellybean OS guts. Work done on the device can be transferred to a Mac or PC via the device's ASTRO file manager -- and big files probably will need to be frequently -- since the device comes in smaller 16GB and 32GB versions priced at $1,499 and $1,599, respectively. It's set to debut in mid-September.

Unlike the Hybrid, the fully standalone Cintiq Companion can't be used as a traditional Cintiq with your existing Mac or PC and must fly solo when it arrives in mid-October. The two Companion models are powered by a 3rd generation Intel Core processor and Intel HD Graphics 4000. The model with 8GB memory and 256GB SSD with Windows 8 will cost $1,999 and the 8GB memory, 512GB SSD with Windows 8 Pro option will cost $2,499. Wacom says the Companion is optimized for the latest version of Photoshop Creative Cloud and other products in Adobe's creative suite.

You'll also notice that one of Wacom's main promotional images for the tablet (like the one at the top of this article) shows the tablet paired with a wireless keyboard. While the tablet will be able to interface with such devices, sadly, it's not included with either of the models.

Both models are currently available for preorder from the Wacom eStore. You can see both models in action in Wacom's official promotional videos below.