As everyone is gearing up to head back into the office, Lenovo is updating its ThinkPad lineup of work-focused laptops with new hardware. The ThinkPad P1, P15, and P17 laptops include better graphics and Intel’s 11th-generation processors, and the P1 even sports a 1080p webcam, which feels like finding a diamond in the rough, as anyone who has shopped for a laptop in the last five years can tell you. Later this year, Lenovo will also release a curved display and docking station for pairing with the new machines.
Back to the ThinkPad P1, which boasts 5G connectivity, a 90Whr battery, a new keyboard with a larger touchpad, and a 1080p camera tailor-made for video calls. There’s also a 16-inch UHD+ display with a 16:10 aspect ratio — up from 15 inches on the discontinued model — and there is just enough bezel to tell there’s a laptop behind the screen.
Inside, the ThinkPad P1 runs on Intel’s 11th-generation Intel Core or Xeon mobile processors, configurable up to 5.0GHz. The laptop is available with an Nvidia RTX A5000 graphics card with 16GB of VRAM, or you can opt for a GeForce RTX 3070 or 3080, with either 8 or 16GB of RAM. There’s up to 64GB of memory available and up to 4TB of storage. It’s equipped with plenty of ports, too, including two USB-A ports, two USB-C ports, an HDMI output, a headphone jack, and a nano-SIM card slot for 5G connectivity out on the road. Photographers have a built-in SD card reader, and you can lock down the laptop with the embedded fingerprint scanner. The whole package weighs 2 kg. The ThinkPad X1 will be available in July, starting at $US2,100 ($2,693).
The second-generation ThinkPad P15 and P17 are also joining the lineup, and both designed with processing-intensive tasks in mind. The P15 features a 15.6-inch UHD OLED display, while the ThinkPad P17 sports a 17.3-inch colour-calibrated display. Both laptops are configurable with 11th-generation Intel Core processors and the option of an NVIDIA RTX A5000 graphics card with up to 16GB of VRAM.
You can choose up to 128GB of RAM and up to 6TB of onboard storage, with room for a RAID. Ports are just as bountiful as on the ThinkPad P1, plus there’s a nano-SIM card slot and an Ethernet port. The camera is only 720p, however, compared to the P1’s 1080p camera resolution. The ThinkPad P15 and P17 will be available in select regions in July, starting at $US1,750 ($2,245) and $US1,780 ($2,283), respectively.
The ThinkPad is one of Lenovo’s signature laptop lineups, and the moniker indicates it’s a high-performing machine designed for getting stuff done. Shopping for a ThinkPad can be confusing, as there are also variants like the ThinkPad X1 Carbon and Yoga to consider. But the P-series is meant specifically for the extreme professional who needs extra processing power on the go and prefers a more rugged look.
If you need more USB-A ports or an additional battery, there’s also a ThinkPad Thunderbolt 4 Workstation Dock with a 300w power supply coming soon. If you’re planning to stay docked, you might also stay tuned for Lenovo’s ThinkVision P34w, a 34-inch curved monitor with a WQHD 3440 x 1440 resolution. They’ll cost $US420 ($539) and $US900 ($1,154), respectively, and will be available this spring in select regions.
Editor’s Note: Stay tuned for local Australian pricing and availability.