According to the latest Gartner report, Lenovo sold 19,945 laptops in the third quarter of 2021, outpacing its competitors once again after five straight quarters of double-digit growth.
The brand owes its success to consistent innovation and constantly refining its products to suit modern markets. As such, you’ll find it offers a variety of well-known models like the Legion, Yoga, ThinkPad, and lesser-known ones like the ThinkBook.
No Lenovo laptop exists without a good reason, so let’s discover how ThinkBooks earn a place in the Lenovo line-up.
About Lenovo ThinkBooks
The ThinkBook isn’t as popular as Lenovo’s ThinkPad, once dubbed the ‘best laptop ever‘ by Business Week. Yet, this model laptop holds its own against this giant of tech innovation.
Lenovo designed the ThinkBook to offer everyday and small business users some of the same perks as the high-powered ThinkPad. The two models do share some commonalities, with the Lenovo ThinkBook holding its own in several key aspects.
The brand launched the first models, the ThinkBook 13 and 14 in 2019, and have since expanded the range to include the:
- 13x
• ThinkBook Plus and ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 (Intel)
• 14p, 15p, and 16p Gen 2 (AMD and Intel)
• 13s and 14s Gen 2 (Intel and AMD)
• 14s Yoga
• 14 Gen 2 (Intel and AMD)
• ThinkBook Plus
• 14, 14s, and 15Most of these models boast numerous important features that help them stand out in their league.
- Screens Designed for Maximum Productivity
The ThinkBook laptops boast super-thin bezels to make the most of the screen. The 2nd and 3rd generation models also boast a 16:10 aspect ratio, which means less scrolling.
The 2021 ThinkBook Plus has a large E-Ink screen on the lid, perfect for checking email without interrupting your workflow. At 12-inches, it’s the largest E-ink screen available and compatible with Windows 10, too.
- World Class Graphics
The Lenovo ThinkBook 15 Gen 2 offers an FHC resolution with a 100 % sRGB color gamut. This means you’ll enjoy superb, lifelike visuals with detailed contrast and color.
It’s built for flicker-free viewing and supports TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light on some models.
- Classic Keyboard and Trackpad
The Lenovo ThinkBook Plus boasts an old-style keyboard with well-spaced, perfectly-sized keys. It lacks the usual Lenovo red mouse pointer or left and right mouse buttons.
Instead, it has a springy smooth trackpad for click inputs that deliver sharp, decisive feedback.
- Plenty of Ports
It’s unlikely you’ll ever run out of places to plug things in on a Lenovo ThinkBook. Most of them feature the following ports for ultimate convenience:
- Power DC
• RJ45
• HDMI
• USB 3.1 Gen 1
• USB 3.1 Gen 1, USB-C
• USB3.1 Gen 2, USB-C + DisplayPort + Power Delivery
• Headphone and microphone combo
• Hidden USB 2.0 (Type-A)
• 4-in-1 (SD, SDHC, SDXC, MMC) Card reader
• USB 3.1 (Gen 1, Type-A)
• Kensington lock slot
A small drawer on the ThinkBook 15 contains a pair of custom earbuds with AI-powered noise cancellation and dual array mics.
You’ll never waste time searching for your earbuds before you start your next conference call or Zoom meeting – provided you remember to pack them away afterward.
- Durability That Goes Beyond the Call of Duty
Lenovo builds its ThinkPads army-tough, subjecting them to a battery of military-grade tests.
Each ThinkBook runs the gauntlet with eight durability and reliability tests. These ensure it’s resistant to spills, dust, drops, knocks, altitude, and extreme temperatures.
The outer case comprises anodized aluminum with a dual-tone finish for excellent durability and good looks. There’s no flex when you press the screen or the keypad.
- State-of-the-Art CPUs
The latest ThinkBooks boot up quickly, retrieve data fast, and boast flexible onboard storage options. They feature the latest generation of AMD or Intel® technology for optimum power and efficiency.
According to www.lenovo.com, the ThinkBook range are all Intel Evo verified via the Intel Evo platform.
This Evo platform compliance means they’re powered by the latest 11th generation Intel® core and exceed Intel’s stringent standards for battery life, responsiveness, and more.
Whenever Lenovo brings out a new version of ThinkBooks, you can rest assured they contain the latest AMD and Intel processors.
- Excellent Portability
The ThinkBook range is exceptionally lightweight with the smallest model tipping the scales at just 2.5 lbs.
Its neat compact design slips easily into a small laptop bag or large purse. That makes it ideal for business travel or walking across town to your next meeting.
- Enhanced Security Features
The ThinkBook has plenty of security features common to most Lenovo laptops. The webcam has a physical shutter, and the power button features a fingerprint reader.
There’s one extra included in the ThinkPad remote workers find particularly attractive. The PrivacyGuide screen protector works well when handling sensitive data as it restricts viewing angles.
Thanks to this, anyone viewing your screen from the side will see a blurry mess. Anyone hacking into your laptop remotely will see a blank screen.
These filters also provide extra protection from dust and reduce glare by up to 30%.
- Good Battery Life
While the ThinkBook can’t compare with the ThinkPad in terms of battery life, it still runs for a long time without a power source. Here’s a comparison of some of the most popular ThinkBooks when it comes to battery life:
- ThinkBook 13x (Intel) 9 hours
- ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 11 hours
- ThinkBook 16p Gen 2 (AMD) 15 hours
- ThinkBook Plus 11 hours
Most Lenovo laptop batteries have a lifespan of around four years.
- Affordability
Most importantly for home users and small business owners, the Lenovo ThinkBooks come with a more affordable price tag than the ThinkPads.
Prices range from $500 to $1,200, while most ThinkPads retail at well over $1,000.
That’s not because the ThinkBook offers inferior performance. They’re simply not as over-the-top as the ThinkPad.
Lenovo’s cut down on bells and whistles like extraordinary processing speed and extreme security features with its ThinkBook models. They have fewer upgrade options and shorter battery life.
ThinkPads also lack touchscreen functionality and TrackPoint support. The ThinkBook 16p Gen 2 model does have an IPS touchscreen.
Exploring the ThinkBook Offering
Apart from optimizing the value factor, Lenovo is also known for its comprehensive offering of laptops in each range. The same applies to the ThinkBook.
These are some of the different models available:
The Ultralight 13x
This mini version of the ThinkBook is a speedy little thing designed to optimize your productivity. The 11th Gen Intel® Core™ processors and AI technology ensure consistently high performance.
It springs to life within one second from sleep mode as soon as you open the lid, and the fast-charging batteries last for hours after you unplug it.
Smart thermal features optimize fan speed and system performance to ensure this laptop stays cool no matter how hard you work it.
ThinkBook 14p
This ThinkBook has an AMD Ryzen™ 9 5900HX 8-core/16-thread Mobile Processor and added security. It includes a fingerprint reader, encrypted passwords, and SecureBIO for biometric logins via Windows Hello.
You can load multiple applications at warp speed and run this laptop at full throttle without missing a beat thanks to the Intelligent, dynamic cooling system.
Radeon™ Graphics ensures visuals of up to 2.8K resolution while Wi-Fi 6 provides lightning-fast connectivity, even on busy networks.
The ThinkBook 15p for Creatives
Sleek professional looks complement this graphics powerhouse. The 15p offers high performance and 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) with a 600-nit screen.
You can look forward to accurate image rendering and slick conferencing power to impress your clients and boost your productivity even more.
If you run Photoshop or Adobe Lightroom, you can look forward to 35% faster performance than before with this laptop. Thanks to superfast Wi-Fi 6, you can look forward to seamless remote collaboration and much faster download times, too.
ThinkBook Plus Gen 2
This top-of-the-range ThinkBook provides supreme productivity and dual displays, with a 12-inch E-Ink screen on the cover of the laptop.
That means you can check your email, sketch, or use any of your Microsoft apps without flipping the lid. It comes with a Lenovo Integrated Pen that slips into the cover of the laptop and charges while it’s there.
This ThinkBook has up to 16 GB memory and 1 TB PCIe SSD Gen 4. Enhanced security ensures you can conduct your business securely, while the Dolby Vision-enhanced display is pure brilliance.
Add to that the Harman Kardon stereo speakers, and you’re set to take the business world by storm.
Make the Best Tech Choices for You
If you’re a small business owner or simply unable to afford a state-of-the-art ThinkPad, the Lenovo ThinkBooks range offers a host of excellent solutions for you.
They’re lightweight, advanced, good-looking options for everyday business use with many cutting-edge features that outstrip the competition at a fraction of the price.
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