When you hear “ThinkPad,” you’ll instantly think of business execs in suits, black hardy notebooks and business presentations. But fuse the ThinkPad with the multi-talents of the Yoga, and you’re in for something far more interesting. At CES 2016, Lenovo has introduced the ThinkPad X1 Yoga, a delicious looking multi-mode notebook, alongside over 30 new products.
The ThinkPad X1 Yoga is by far the most versatile Thinkpad yet. Its ultralight chassis lets you switch modes, just as any versatile Yoga would. It even has a dockable, rechargeable stylus pen.
Typical of a ThinkPad, the X1 Yoga has a full-sized, backlit keyboard that is spill resistant. As seen in previous iterations, the keys retract automatically when not being used as a notebook. This is so the keyboard isn’t exposed when face-down on a table. Makes perfect sense, really.
Thin, light, tough
And as expected from a Thinkpad, the notebook is tested against military specifications and proven to endure extremes. Yes, scratches, falls, dust, water… you name it. It’s built like a tank, but doesn’t weigh like one. In fact, it’s a super scant 1.27kg and measures just 16.7mm thin.
On the display side of things, the X1 Yoga doesn’t disappoint. The 14-inch touch screen pushes 2K (2,560 x 1,440p) resolution, with optional OLED technology. It’s in fact, the world’s first convertible device with an OLED display.
With the X1 Yoga, you’re not just limited to touch and type, but you can also write and draw with the dockable stylus pen. It recharges when it’s docked to the X1 Yoga. 15 seconds of charging will give it up to 100 minutes of use.
Lenovo’s WRITEit technology is built-in, enabling you to enter handwriting naturally into any input field across apps, with word suggestions and auto-correction.
Power underneath
Under the hood are several processor options including up to Intel Intel Core i7-6600U with vPro. It’s all about speed, even when we’re talking about I/O. Ultrafast Samsung PCIe NVMe SSD storage delivers two times faster file and app load times compared to SATA SSD.
Connectivity-wise, there’s a plethora of ports including three USB 3.0 ports, OneLine+ for Ethernet, mDP, HDMI, microSD and optional 4G LTE.
There’s an optional WiGig Dock which lets you connect wirelessly to dual displays, audio devices and more.
Battery life is claimed to be up to 11 hours.
Pricing and availability
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga will be available for sale in the US starting January. The OLED model will ship around April. Prices start at US$1,449.
Follow CES 2016 updates here.
