PC maker Lenovo has unveiled its first Arm-based ThinkPad, which it claims has been designed with hybrid workers in mind.
Unveiled at Mobile World Congress (MWC), the Lenovo ThinkPad X13s is powered by the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 platform, the first 5nm Windows SoC. The processor is billed as being 85% faster than Qualcomm's 8cx Gen 2 platform and equips the laptop with mmWave 5G connectivity.
The Arm-based platform also offers impressive endurance; according to Lenovo, users can expect up to 29 hours of battery life during video playback from the built-in 49.5 Wh battery.
Elsewhere, the Lenovo ThinkPad X13s takes advantage of the mobility of Qualcomm chip to offer an ultra-thin, fan-less design, which has been made from 90% recycled magnesium. This eco-friendly chassis houses a 13.3-inch 1920 x 1080 display, which is available in three different options that vary based on brightness and touch ability.
Built with hybrid workers in mind, the laptop also features a 5MP webcam with AI-based auto framing, Windows Hello IR for facial recognition, and a triple microphone array with intelligent noise suppression.
For IT departments, the Windows 11 machine also ships with Lenovo Services, which can help with configuration, deployment, management, support and disposal of assets, as well as hardware and software threat protection through the ThinkShield end-to-end security platform.
In terms of ports, the Lenovo ThinkPad X13s is pretty barebones, offering just two USB-C ports for data, display out, and charging, along with a standard 3.5mm headphone and mic jack.
“Thanks to our collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies and Microsoft, we are excited to bring a new generation of work-from-anywhere device with the flexibility, mobility and security that enterprise customers need,” said Jerry Paradise, vice president of Lenovo's Global Commercial Product Portfolio.
“ThinkPad X13s promises to end power anxiety and delight users with AI accelerated collaboration experiences and hyper-speed connectivity wherever they happen to be.”
The ThinkPad X13s will start shipping in May with pricing starting at $1,099. Models with 5G modems will launch later this year.
In addition to the ThinkPad X13s, Lenovo announced numerous Intel- and AMD-based refreshes for the ThinkPad lineup at the MWC, including the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5.
This high-end laptop packs up to a 12th-gen Core i9 H-series vPro chip, up to 64GB RAM, an Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti GPU, and a 165Hz display.
