Lenovo has introduced a new sub-brand that combines the performance of traditional ThinkPad laptops with the design of IdeaPad and Yoga laptops, respectively. In this way, the company wants to offer an alternative to the powerful but relatively old-fashioned ThinkPads, which are primarily sold to corporate customers. The Thinkbooks do without the black design and the characteristic red TrackPoint in order to bring a device onto the market that is visually reminiscent of the Macbook Air. Some parts like the keyboard and the touchpad were completely taken over from Yoga S730.
Some features that are reserved for Lenovo business devices can also be found in the new Thinkbook line. This includes the webcam, which has a mechanical privacy screen. In addition, the case should be more torsion-resistant than with the IdeaPads and the keyboard has a splash water protection, in order to survive the hard everyday life on business trips undamaged. The login to the laptop is done via the fingerprint sensor that Lenovo has integrated into the power button.
The Thinkbook models are available with 13.3″ and 14″ displays. According to the Datasheet the resolution of the matt screens is Full-HD (1,920 x 1,080 pixels). Intel Whiskey-Lake processors are installed in the ULV version with four cores. Optionally a dedicated AMD Radeon 540X graphics card is available, otherwise the Intel UHD 620 onboard solution is used. The main memory offers between 4 and 16 GByte capacity. The SSD is between 128 and 512 GBytes in size.
The devices will be launched in the USA at the end of May and will be available from 730 dollars (13.3 inches) or 750 dollars (14 inches). According to Lenovo, only the 13-inch version will be launched on the German market for the time being. The prices and the release date have not yet been mentioned by the company. Typically Lenovo in Germany does not bring the very slow equipment variants in Germany on the market. A minimum price of around 1,000 euros is therefore to be expected in this country. Service options from the ThinkPad range, such as on-site replacement, are also available at an extra charge and are not available on IdeaPad and Yoga laptops.
