Lenovo unveils a super slim 5G ThinkPad with 28 hours of battery life

Lenovo set out to create a laptop to solve customer pain points with respect to connectivity, battery life, and security and the ThinkPad X13s is the result. This new thin-and-light Windows 11 Pro laptop aims high with its slim chassis, powerful wireless radio options, and impressive battery life claims.

The company told Android Authority that its customers want laptops that act more like smartphones. That means an always-on connection, battery life that pushes into two days, and apps that run like a dream. Lenovo turned to Qualcomm to help make that happen. The ThinkPad X13s is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 Mobile Compute platform, the latest from the chipmaker. Together with an Adreno GPU, and up to 32GB of LPDDR4x RAM and 1TB of storage, the machine has the chops to run Windows apps on Arm with ease. Lenovo said it worked together with Microsoft, Qualcomm, and third-party app developers to ensure the X13s supports a wider range of applications at launch. Moreover, the 8cx Gen 3 solves some of the performance problems that plagued older 8cx machines.

Opting for the Qualcomm chipset allowed Lenovo to meet some of its design goals with the ThinkPad X13s. For example, the laptop runs cool enough that it doesn’t require any fans. Removing fans from the design freed up internal space, which helped keep the overall package trim. The recycled magnesium and plastic chassis measures 298.7 x 206.4 x 13.4mm and weighs 1.06kg (2.35 lbs.) We were able to see the machine in person and it was impressively thin and light. It meets mil-std 810H, which means it can handle getting bumped about.

Lenovo kept the screen tech rather restrained. At 13.3 inches, the X13s display is typical in terms of size. It is available in three WUXGA options, all of which take advantage of the 16:10 aspect ratio. The first is an IPS LCD that produces 300 nits of brightness, while the second is a touch-enabled LCD that also produces 300 nits of brightness, and the last is a low-power, low-bluelight screen that pushes out a more luminescent 400 nits of brightness.

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The 49.5Wh battery itself isn’t particularly large or impressive on its own, but when put to work by the efficient 8cx it will last up to 28 hours, according to Lenovo. That’s two to four work days, depending on your work style. With that much battery on tap you could feasibly leave the charger at home when taking quick trips here and there.

The connectivity suite is top-notch. It offers always-connected 5G/4G options, including both sub-6GHz and mmWave 5G for the latest in high-speed access. For local connectivity, the machine ships with Wi-Fi 6 and 6E. Unfortunately, ports are rather limited. The X13s has just to USB-C ports, though at least they’re 3.2 Gen 2. The laptop also includes a 3.5mm audio jack and a Kensington lock. There are no legacy USB-A ports or expandable storage.

Media functionality is solid. In addition to two 5MP cameras, the ThinkPad X13s has a multi-speaker Dolby sound system and three far-field, 360-degree mics to help your conference calls look and sound their best.

Speaking of cameras, Lenovo takes security seriously. Using Qualcomm’s 8cx-based artificial intelligence, the X13s can tell when someone peeks over your shoulder and will warn you about the potential shoulder surfer. Moreover, the laptop has Lenovo’s ThinkShield and Microsoft’s Windows 11 Secured Core to keep things airtight and easy for IT to manage.

Lenovo says the ThinkPad X13s will be available starting in May 2022 with a starting price of $1,099. AT&T will be Lenovo’s first 5G partner in the US, with Verizon to follow later in the year.

Lenovo has way more stuff than that

The ThinkPad X13s wasn’t the only new gear Lenovo introduced at Mobile World Congress. The company showed off several Chromebooks and a new Android tablet. Other Windows 11 machines include:

• ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5: This machine is powered by 12th Gen Intel Core i9 H-Series processors and supports up to 64GB of LPDDR5x memory and 8GB of storage.
• ThinkPad T series: These bank on 12th Gen Intel Core or AMD Ryzen Pro 6000 series processors and have been updated with 16:10 screens.
• ThinkBook 14s Yoga Gen 2 and ThinkBook 13s Gen 4: These two devics also include 12th Gen Intel Core processors, Thunderbolt 4, Wi-Fi 6E and come in dual-tone aluminum enclosures.
• IdeaPad Gaming 3i and IdeaPad Gaming 3: These entry-level gaming devices are available in 15- and 16-inch sizes with 12th Gen Intel Core i7 H series or Ryzen 6000 H-series chips with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 graphics cards.
• IdeaPad Flex 5i and IdeaPad Flex 5 convertibles: Available in 14- and 16-inch sizes, these convertibles include 12th Gen Intel Core i7 U series chips with Intel Iris Xe MAX graphics. 
• IdeaPad Duet 5i: This is a 12-inch detachable that runs Windows and ships with a bundled keyboard. It is powered by 12th Gen Intel Core i& chips and features a 2.5K touchscreen with a 16:10 aspect ratio.