The Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Gen1 is the successor of the ThinkPad X1 tablet that obtained right here out in 2016 (!). The chassis design makes it a Flooring Skilled-like cell computer, nevertheless Lenovo has pushed that form-factor to new heights with this latest iteration.
This kind-factor concept works correctly and may very well be very in fashion. After I used to be in Japan, I seen an abnormally extreme number of these laptops, and there’s undoubtedly a market for ultra-light PCs like this.
At 1.67 Lbs with out the keyboard, it is a very compact House home windows laptop. However, its {{hardware}} is fast enough to hold out any productiveness duties you throw at it as its capabilities are much like the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 nano we reviewed in April.
Specs Highlights
The ThinkPad X12 Gen1 is constructed spherical an ultra-low voltage Intel Gen11 processor, and you could choose between 5 decisions: i3-1110G4, i5-1130G7 (as examined), i5-1140G7, i7-1160G7, and i7-1180G7. For most people, the i5-1130G7 is perhaps the perfect effectivity for the value.
The more expensive Core i7 SKUs are solely on the market with 16GB of RAM (which I prefer to advocate), nevertheless others could also be ordered with solely 8GB if that’s a better match in your funds and use case. There’s an in depth different of NVME SSD storage capacities, going from 128GB to 1TB (+$283).
Our check out unit has the Core i5-1130G7 CPU, a 512GB SSD, 16GB, has 4G, and runs on House home windows 10 Skilled. It costs $1407.60 (keyboard and pen included) on Lenovo.com on the time of publishing.
A comparably fast mannequin with 128GB, 8GB, House home windows 10 Residence, and no 4G, would worth $1189.2, and that’s the baseline worth we’ll use inside the perf/value charts.
Industrial Design
The ThinkPad X12 Gen1 industrial design is fundamental for this class of gadgets. It has the entire hallmarks of a Flooring Skilled competitor, with the addition of typical ThinkPad finishes identical to the magnesium chassis, robust hinges, and a resistant soft-black finish.
With the keyboard cowl defending the present, I wouldn’t worry quite a bit regarding the fundamental sturdiness of this laptop, and this generally is a glorious computing companion in cramped areas similar to planes or trains.
The chassis design is inherently a lot much less “lappable” when as compared with clamshell laptops, so that you just need to focus on that, nevertheless it is glorious to utilize on a desk or tray.
Whole, the X12+keyboard thickness may very well be similar to the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 nano, which is barely better because of it has a much bigger show display screen dimension. The first distinction is that the ThinkPad X12 Gen1 is finest in case you propose to use it as a full-on tablet (with out the keyboard) often.
The chassis amount of the ThinkPad X12 (no keyboard) is about half of the ThinkPad X1 nano. The X12 can be 22% lighter between these two, and that’s an enormous distinction everytime you keep it with one hand.
The ThinkPad X12 Gen1 has a superior design as compared with the Microsoft Flooring Skilled 7 as a consequence of its sturdiness and security decisions, such as a result of the Kensington lock and ThinkShutter. Nonetheless, the Flooring Skilled 7 has a full-size USB port, which can very nicely be an enormous deal for some prospects.
Keyboard and Trackpad
The ThinkPad X12 keyboard is one other excuse why Lenovo is taking the lead on this kind difficulty. It’s vitally agreeable to utilize, may very well be very stiff, and has a built-in backlight (2 brightness ranges).
The vital factor journey is about 1mm, and all the experience is as shut as you could get from the essential ThinkPad keyboard with a detachable keyboard. For security capabilities, there’s a fingerprint reader.
The keyboard attaches to the chassis by sturdy magnets and makes use of a wired information reference to the laptop, so there gained’t be any BT pairing mishaps, lifeless battery, or enter lag. Then once more, you will have to attach the keyboard to utilize it.
“THE BEST DETACHABLE KEYBOARD I HAVE TESTED. IT FEELS INCREDIBLE”
Whole, that’s the perfect detachable keyboard I’ve examined, and it feels unbelievable. This vital piece of the puzzle locations Lenovo correctly ahead of the Flooring Skilled, notably in case you ponder that the keyboard is included inside the purchase.
The Trackpad’s flooring is respectable nevertheless would possibly use a glass enhance. Nonetheless, the bodily trackpad buttons make click on on & drag operations much more actual as you could click on on with out transferring the cursor the least bit. For ThinkPad followers, the essential red-colored TrackPoint controller is present as correctly.
Ports
There are solely two USB-C information ports, nevertheless one among them is suitable with Thunderbolt 4, which opens a universe of high-speed connections to exterior storage, exhibits, and even GPUs! You will have a one-cable docking decision if be a part of it to 1 factor identical to the Sabrent Thunderbolt docking station.
For enterprise prospects, a Kensington security connector could very nicely be vital for stopping theft (and information loss), and our unit has a SIM slot for the elective 4G connectivity. Sadly, there’s no SD/microSD connector, which could have been good for photographers on the go.
Sound
The ThinkPad X12 Gen1 audio system are small and crammed proper right into a tiny space. In consequence, they aren’t very extremely efficient and lack bass. Fortunately, the Dolby Premium software program program helps give the sound much more “physique” than it is going to in some other case have.
That is more likely to be the ThinkPad X12’s Achilles heel as compared with potential rivals. Nonetheless, the physics of sound is such that it’s troublesome for this type difficulty to have inconceivable audio.
With the quantity at 100%, the sound did have just a little little bit of distortion, and whereas it’s more likely to be top quality for a video title, it’s not the perfect audio experience for a movie. I’d in its place use headphones at the moment.
Present
There’s only one present chance which is a 12.3” FHD (1920×1080) IPS-LCD. It has a shiny anti-reflective finish which does correctly with smudges as correctly. No glass flooring is smudge-free, nevertheless the coating Lenovo is using seems to help.
The brightness specs level out 400 NITs, nevertheless in reality, it’s barely bigger than that, nearer to 440 NITs. Pair that with the 100% sRGB shade gamut, and you have got a extremely succesful present that’s correctly fitted to working “inside the topic,” along with outside.
The 16:10 aspect ratio helps with productiveness apps the place additional vertical space is required, and now I am questioning how a 3:2 mannequin may be like.
Webcam
The 5MP entrance camera is located on the excessive of the present and features a privateness shutter, another distinction from potential rivals, notably in firm environments.
This camera’s top quality is noticeably increased than simply about the entire laptops we’ve examined to this point 12 months and should increased address HDR in case your lighting is not going to be glorious. There’s a secondary IR camera that makes protected face unlock attainable with House home windows Whats up.
An 8MP rear camera can be on the market with barely bigger top quality. This generally is a welcome addition and should very nicely be very useful to anyone who should take topic images instantly from a reporting app. The usual will not be so good as smartphones or an iPad Skilled (faraway from it), nevertheless it’s among the many many best you may get from a PC laptop.
Pen
A Lenovo Digital Pen is included inside the discipline. It is an Energetic Pen powered with one AAAA battery and will depend on the Wacom AES customary. I’m no designer, nevertheless it seems sufficient for sketching. I contemplate that the distinctive intent was to permit great note-taking, and that could be successful.
Effectivity
Attributable to Intel’s eleventh period of ultra-low-voltage processors, the effectivity of this ultra-compact computer is good, and our Geekbench exams current it outpaces even the X1 nano for “effectivity per Lbs,” a significant mobility metric. And that’s not even with the costliest processor chance!
Even the graphics effectivity may very well be very respectable, with bigger numbers than acclaimed laptops such as a result of the 2020 Dell XPS 13 9000 (i7-1065G), so it is a laptop in a position to the occasional Photoshop session.
The storage effectivity is not going to be notably spectacular, and with a most of 16GB of RAM, I wouldn’t use this computer for video enhancing or any app that requires enormous portions of data and disk I/O, nevertheless you could if you wish to.
As a result of low-power nature of this {{hardware}} platform, it is also very quiet. The followers do not activate pretty typically till you keep a gazillion browser tabs open or play 3D video video games.
Battery Life
Having a 42Wh battery functionality for such a small gadget is reasonable. In our office productiveness exams, we had been able to get about 8 hours of regular office app utilization at a brightness of 110 NIT.
Chances are you’ll depend on to go from zero to 80% in a single hour, which is customary while you need to value. Lenovo has laptops that will value faster, as confirmed inside the chart beneath. Fortunately, Lenovo’s new 65W charger is way extra compact and easier to carry, so that you in all probability have an outlet shut by, you’ll be good to go.
Conclusion
The Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Gen1 is an excellent completely different to the Microsoft Flooring 7 Skilled. In some methods, it is a Flooring 7 Skilled Killer, and it’s sturdy to look out an purpose motive to not select the X12 if I needed to determine on between these two.
The value between the two may be nearly an equivalent for a comparable configuration, nevertheless Lenovo’s keyboard design is so quite a bit higher, and the X12’s chassis seems further sturdy. The particular person inputs may be my #1 priority proper right here as a consequence of their enormous particular person experience contribution.
“IN MANY WAYS, IT IS A SURFACE 7 PRO KILLER”
The scarcity of a full-size USB-A port on the X12 is regrettable, nevertheless it’s not a sway difficulty for most people. Lastly, firms is more likely to be swayed by the vPro {{hardware}}, the ThinkShutter webcam, and the security lock choices.
This new ThinkPad X12 Gen1 is an efficient tablet PC with a inconceivable effectivity/weight ratio and assemble top quality, and Lenovo has made the correct different by along with the keyboard and pen.
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