Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet (3rd Gen) review: Working with style

Lenovo's final piece of the ThinkPad X1 lineup is the Tablet, now in its third generation and looking just as graceful every bit its companions, the X1 Carbon and X1 Yoga. It now looks more than than ever like the Surface Pro — no more detachable modules that snap onto the keyboard dock with an adapter, no more opposite kickstand — and it has more than recent 8th Gen Intel hardware.

So how well does it perform on an everyday basis? I used the X1 Tablet for about a calendar week and came abroad impressed. I thought the second-gen version was more suited to those who need a ThinkPad, but this refreshed model can no doubt fit into the hands of just most anyone. Allow's discover out why.

About this review

Lenovo loaned Windows Central a review unit of the 3rd-gen ThinkPad X1 Tablet. This specific model has inside an 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8650U vPro processor (CPU), 16GB of DDR3-1866MHz RAM, and a 512GB PCIe solid-state drive (SSD). Expect to pay about $ane,750 for this exact configuration, including ThinkPad Pen Pro and the attachable keyboard and touchpad. Other models kickoff at virtually $1,270.

Encounter at Lenovo

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet review hardware and specifications

Category	XX
Processor	8th Gen Intel Cadre i7-8650U vPro Quad-core
Display	13-inch 3,000 x ii,000 resolution (QHD+) 1200:1 contrast ratio 3:2 aspect ratio 400 nits brightness
RAM	16GB DDR3-1866MHz
Storage	512GB Samsung PM981 PCIe SSD
Graphics	Intel UHD Graphics 620
Ports	Two Thunderbolt 3 Nano SIM microSD card reader 3.5 mm sound
Speakers	Forepart-facing Dual 1W
Wireless	Intel Dual Band Wireless-Air-conditioning 8265 802.11ac (two x 2) Bluetooth iv.1
Photographic camera	Forepart-facing 2MP Rear-facing 8MP
Keyboard	Backlit
Touchpad	Precision
Biometrics	Fingerprint reader IR camera (optional)
Battery	42Wh
Weight	Tablet: 1.96 pounds (0.89 kg) With keyboard: two.8 pounds (one.27 kg)
Dimensions	Tablet: 11.97 in x 8.9 in x 0.35 in (304.1 mm 10 226 mm x 8.9 mm) With keyboard: 11.97 in x 8.9 in 10 0.59 in (304.one mm x 226 mm x 15.1 mm)

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet blueprint

The ThinkPad X1 Tablet has been refined further to bring this tertiary-generation model that resembles closely the Surface Pro. Information technology now has a kickstand with 170 degrees of motion that deploys from the middle of the rear chassis instead of the bottom. This allows for a slight tilt to the tablet when drawing flat at a desk, but tin besides hold the brandish most vertically when typing or viewing media.

Without the keyboard fastened, the tablet is only 0.35 inches (8.9 mm) thick, and the ThinkPad smoothen black end does a good job of making information technology appear even thinner than that. It does weigh a chip more than the second-gen X1 Tablet, just information technology now has a larger, college-res display. The manual power push button is gear up into the side of the tablet to cut down on accidental presses when in your hands, and there's also a book command nearby.

On the other side, you have two Thunderbolt 3 ports (1 is used for charging), a Kensington lock slot, a 3.5mm sound jack, and a port for Nano SIM if yous cull to add together LTE connectivity at checkout. The 2 Thunderbolt 3 ports have four PCIe lanes each — allowing yous to connect displays, eGPUs, docks, etc. — and volition hold up well into the future, merely I had to detect a USB-C to USB-A adapter as soon as I wanted to use my monitor scale tool. No doubt this result volition arise enough more times.

The dorsum panel of the tablet has six screws that agree it in place. Remove them and you have access to the bombardment and SSD, assuasive for tinkering or small repairs for those interested. The SSD can be swapped out at home, assuasive yous to salvage a bit of money at checkout, but the RAM is soldered onto the board.

On the face of the tablet, set into the bezel, we have a fingerprint reader for Windows Howdy and a 2MP front end-facing webcam. It really does a decent task grabbing stills or video — I wouldn't be embarrassed using it for a meeting — and the rear-facing photographic camera comes out even better at 8MP. At that place is an choice to add an IR camera to the mix, though the review unit did not have one. In that location are speakers on either side of the display that as well face up out; they go loud, but they audio quite hollow.

This device has gone through the ThinkPad gauntlet including 12 military machine-grade immovability tests, and it seems solid and well-congenital. There's not much flex at all in the body despite the thinness, and all the lines flow together well. It looks like a archetype 2-in-one, but it has that recognizable ThinkPad aureola to it that's hard to deny.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet keyboard and touchpad

The X1 Tablet really isn't consummate without the removable keyboard and touchpad. It attaches with Pogo pin connectors and is held in identify magnetically. There's a second set of magnets that volition agree the keyboard at an angle, but you tin also have information technology lie flat on a table. It has three levels of backlight and an automatic sensor, though with it enabled I just didn't see a backlight at all when I could have used one.

Lenovo makes corking apply of space, delivering a true ThinkPad keyboard complete with cupped keys and a comfortable typing experience. There'southward no dubiousness less travel here compared to the X1 Yoga or X1 Carbon, but that's expected from something and so thin. I didn't take any issues using it to type a lot of words.

It's covered in a sort of rubberized terminate that has a bit of grip to information technology, which is far from the Alcantara cloth covering the Surface Pro Type Cover. It'southward a toss-upwardly for me which one is ameliorate, but if you've had a bad feel with the fabric getting grimy over time, the textile on the X1 Tablet's keyboard seems much more than resilient and much easier to wipe down.

For ThinkPad enthusiasts, the TrackPoint system remains untouched. That little red nub in the middle of the keyboard works every bit it should, and the physical buttons above the touchpad as well operate as usual. A large Precision touchpad resides merely below the physical buttons; its mylar surface slides and tracks well and I appreciate the size, but I often establish that there was some lag betwixt my input and my cursor.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet display

Displays with 3:ii aspect ratios are starting to go a bit of traction, and I'grand glad Lenovo decided to go along it here for the new generation. It has been tweaked, now sized at 13 inches and offer upwardly a resolution of 3,000 x ii,000, and it's also brighter at well-nigh 400 nits. Information technology has a sleeky finish, though I was able to use information technology outdoors thanks to how bright information technology gets.

In that location is a good amount of bezel around all 4 sides, but on a ii-in-1 I think this matters less. Your thumbs accept plenty of room when property the tablet, and it seems similar the high resolution draws your eye more to what's on the display than what'due south around it. Testing colour accuracy, I came dorsum with 99 percent sRGB and 75 percent AdobeRGB. This really is a cute display, and the added characteristic of dynamic brightness command really pushes it over the edge.

Included in the packet at no extra toll is an active pen that supposedly has 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity and tilt sensing. It also supposedly has a rechargeable battery, only the fact that the one I got with the review unit takes an AAAA battery and doesn't seem to option up on tilt makes me think I didn't receive the bodily ThinkPad Pen Pro. In any case, gone is the clumsy USB-A clip that was used to attach your pen when not in utilise. Replacing information technology is another impuissant pen clip that this time has its ain slot. It'south still not ideal, but at least it doesn't take up a USB port anymore.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet operation

The review unit of measurement has inside an eighth Gen Intel Core i7-8650U vPro CPU and TPM chip for some added security and assistants features, and it likewise delivers iv cores of power for serious multitasking. I played videos while I typed and browsed the spider web and didn't find a hitch in performance. The added benefit of 16GB of RAM no doubt helps.

There is a fan to assist with heat management, and while you lot will notice it if y'all're in an otherwise quiet room, I was surprised with how smoothly it runs. The upper back of the tablet is where nigh of the heat can be felt when under load, but there was nothing atrocious. Information technology gets warm, just non warm enough that you have to remember twice about handling it as a tablet.

The battery is a bit of a letdown — I noted the aforementioned thing in the 2nd-gen review — offering up only near vi or vii hours of life when going about usual business concern at near one-half effulgence. If you were trying to stream a movie outside during the 24-hour interval with brightness cranked all the mode upward, that number would no dubiety drop considerably. Information technology's a shame you can't exit your charger behind when heading to the office.

CPU GPU PCMark SSD

CPU

Geekbench 4.0 benchmarks (higher is meliorate)

Device	CPU	Single cadre	Multi cadre
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet	i7-8650U	4,971	xiv,289
Microsoft Surface Pro	i7-7660U	4,513	ix,346
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon	i7-8650U	5,025	xiv,178
Dell XPS thirteen (9370)	i7-8550U	4,681	14,816
Lenovo Yoga 730 xiii	i5-8250U	4,178	xiii,354
Lenovo ThinkPad X280	i5-8250U	four,061	thirteen,017
LG gram xv	i7-8550U	5,033	12,906
Samsung Notebook 9 Pro fifteen	i7-7500U	four,431	eight,669

Four cores in the 8th Gen Intel CPU allow for heavy multitasking, and it performed well in benchmark testing. No problems hither.

GPU

Geekbench 4.0 OpenCL (college is improve)

Device	Compute score
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet	22,211
Microsoft Surface Pro	30,678
Lenovo Yoga 730 thirteen	21,000
Lenovo ThinkPad X280	21,142
LG gram xv	22,334
Samsung Notebook 9 Pro 15	nineteen,769

The integrated UHD Graphics 620 does a decent job, but it doesn't compete with the Surface Pro's Iris Plus graphics. If y'all needed it, an eGPU could exist attached thanks to Thunderbolt iii ports with four lanes of PCIe.

PCMark

PCMark (Habitation Conventional three.0)

Device	Score
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet	iii,059
Microsoft Surface Pro	3,055
Lenovo Yoga 730 xiii	3,121
Lenovo ThinkPad X280	3,335
LG gram 15	3,395
Samsung Notebook 9 Pro 15	iii,542

The PCMark Domicile Conventional examination measures how well the hardware in a laptop works together to accomplish usual tasks. The score here was lower than I expected, but it's notwithstanding decent and matches the Surface Pro.

SSD

CrystalDiskMark (higher is better)

Device	Read	Write
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet	3,398.1 MB/south	1,946.6 MB/southward
Microsoft Surface Pro	1,284 MB/s	963 MB/due south
Lenovo Yoga 730 13	2,790.6 MB/southward	506.8 MB/s
Lenovo ThinkPad X280	3,366.1 MB/due south	1,901.v MB/south
LG gram 15	554.1 MB/s	449.6 MB/s
Samsung Notebook 9 Pro 15	549.nine MB/s	519.3 MB/southward

The Samsung PM981 SSD here delivers outstanding speed for both write and read. Availability will unremarkably determine which SSD y'all get within your laptop, so this functioning might not be guaranteed across all X1 Tablets.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet review: Determination

Lenovo has brought the X1 Tablet closer than ever to the Surface Pro with this third generation, removing some of the more business organisation-oriented features — extra battery or projector modules — for a streamlined device. It looks fantastic with its thin chassis and ThinkPad style, the display has gotten bigger and better, and performance is upward to snuff. There's besides a copycat kickstand design that has a wide range of movement.

The battery, however, won't last through a workday, and the touchpad can be a flake finicky, often lagging the cursor behind input. I recall the downsides are certainly outweighed here, especially when you lot start looking at prices. Models starting time at about $1,270, and the review model I accept here costs near $1,750. Comparison a Surface Pro with similar specs (and with a Type Cover and Surface Pen added), you lot're looking at paying almost $700 more than if you opt for Microsoft's device.

Overall, I retrieve the X1 Tablet can certainly stand with its X1 Carbon and X1 Yoga siblings. If you're in the market for a 2-in-i, this should be near the top of your list.

See at Lenovo

Pros:

• Higher-res, larger brandish.
• 3:2 aspect ratio.
• Great performance.
• Comfy keyboard.
• Tin can exist opened for DIY upgrades.

Cons:

• Battery won't last a workday.
• Odd touchpad operation.
• Still has a flimsy pen holder.

Oh Dear

New report reveals Microsoft's future AR strategy; HoloLens 3 is dead

Business Insider has today published a follow-up report with more details about Microsoft's canceled HoloLens 3 augmented reality headset. The partnership with Samsung is said to include a headset with a prepare of screens inside, powered by a Samsung phone in your pocket.

Keeping it affordable

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Starting at just $250, Microsoft's start foray into affordable laptops for the education market is a winner. With a gorgeous design, splendid thermals, and a fantastic typing feel, Microsoft would practice right to sell this directly to consumers also. Permit's just hope Intel tin can make a better CPU.

Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/lenovo-thinkpad-x1-tablet-3rd-gen-review

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