Lenovo's ThinkBook 14p raises the bar for business premium laptops
Lenovo walks the tightrope between business and premium
If Lenovo knows nothing else, it knows how to make a stellar business laptop. Just look at the Lenovo ThinkBook 14p and 16p. Available starting in Q1 for $849 and $1,299, respectively, these slim stunners are doling out power and portability and look pretty darned snazzy to boot.
Straddling the line between business and premium laptops, the ThinkBooks offer most of the security that you’d expect from the company with a more polished look.
ThinkBook 14p and 16p design
Now don't get me wrong, I’m a fan of the ThinkPad line with its inky black soft-touch finish or even the carbon fiber. But there’s something about that two-toned finish on the ThinkBook 14p and 16p that just you can’t help but admire. It just makes that anodized aluminum look that much more alluring. It even elevates the large ThinkBook logo emblazoned in the lower-right quadrant.
The laptop’s interior is decidedly one tone, but it’s no less pretty. Opening the lid reveals Lenovo’s familiar smile-shaped keys, brightly illuminated by white lighting. Instead of the ThinkPad’s quad of discrete mouse buttons with a red pointing nub in between the G and H keys, you get a rather large touchpad.
The ThinkBook 14p weighs 3.1 pounds and measures 12.3 x 8.5 x 0.7 inches while the ThinkBook 16p hits the scale at 4.4 pounds with a frame measuring 14 x 9.9 x 0.8 inches.
ThinkBook 14p and 16p security
Both ThinkBooks come with a healthy amount of security, including a fingerprint reader hidden in the chrome-lined power button. There’s also a TPM chip, an IR camera for Windows Hello facial recognition and a physical camera shutter.
ThinkBook 14p and 16p display
The ThinkBook 16p only has one display option, a 16-inch, 2304 × 1440 panel with a rated brightness of 400 nits and 100% of the sRGB color gamut. The 14p, meanwhile, has two 14-inch options: a 2.2K IPS, 300-nit screen or a 2880 x 2160, 400-nit OLED display. Both panels can reproduce 100% of the sRGB gamut. All of the screens have EyeSafe technology to prevent eyestrain with X-Rite Pantone color calibration.
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ThinkBook 14p and 16p specs
Lenovo is being super cagey about letting all the details out of the bag in regards to specs. What I can tell you is that each laptop will be equipped with the latest AMD Ryzen mobile processors and Nvidia RTX GPUs. Each system can be configured with up to 32GB of RAM and a 1TB PCIe SSD.
For ports, the notebooks are outfitted with two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, a pair of USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2 ports, a full HDMI 2.0 port, a MicroSD card slot and a headset jack.
For connectivity, you get Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.
Outlook
Not quite a ThinkPad, but more than an IdeaPad, Lenovo’s ThinkBook 14p and 16p are attractive, powerful options for mobile professionals whether they’re working remotely or in a traditional office. Powered by the latest AMD Ryzen and Nvidia RTX chips, both laptops should have plenty of power to spare, enough to stand up to the likes of the Dell XPS 15 and 17.
I am curious however, to see how that plays out with battery life. Either way, stay tuned for the review on Laptop Mag.
Sherri L. Smith has been cranking out product reviews for Laptopmag.com since 2011. In that time, she's reviewed more than her share of laptops, tablets, smartphones and everything in between. The resident gamer and audio junkie, Sherri was previously a managing editor for Black Web 2.0 and contributed to BET.Com and Popgadget.