Employees want extra flexibility than ever. Some are working from residence, some are within the workplace and others are switching between each. The concept of a 2-in-1 laptop computer is to supply that very same flexibility. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 is Lenovo’s newest stab at making the greatest ultrabook for enterprise, together with a garaged stylus to take fast notes in conferences.
At $2,343.48 as examined (round $1,700 to begin), the ThinkPad X1 Yoga, like many enterprise laptops, is costly. In fact, pricing for companies isn’t easy, people who need one should pay a premium for the ThinkPad title and sturdiness.
For that value, you get a convertible laptop computer working on an twelfth Gen Intel Core processor, together with a shiny display screen and stable battery life. And, fortunately, a 1080p webcam for all of these Zoom conferences.
Design of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7
To the diploma that the ThinkPad design is iconic, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 is immediately recognizable. Our evaluation unit got here in “storm grey” slightly than the normal ThinkPad black, however the brand with the glowing dotted i on the aluminum lid provides it away. Our lid received minor scratches someplace within the evaluation course of.
The laptop computer has a 16:10 show, which exhibits a bit extra vertical house than a 16:9 display screen, and taller is at all times higher for contact in pill mode. (I am nonetheless of the opinion {that a} 3:2 display screen makes one of the best convertible expertise).It is surrounded by skinny bezels on three sides; the one on prime is a bit larger, seemingly to suit the 1080p webcam. It is a trade-off I will settle for, although I want the slight outward notch additionally had an IR digicam in there to log in with facial recognition.
There’s a fingerprint reader, nevertheless, that’s constructed into the facility button. It labored for me reliability throughout my testing, although there was initially a little bit of adhesive left over from a sticker informing you that the button does dual-duty. As soon as that wiped off issues have been all good.
The deck is similar grey coloration, although not aluminum. It is punctuated by the purple TrackPoint nub within the heart of the keyboard, which lets some energy customers do every little thing they want with out taking their fingers off of the house highway. The touchpad has discrete bodily mouse buttons for TrackPad customers above the usual touchpad. Me, I simply use the touchpad like most individuals do. . (My apologies to our editor-in-chief, our resident nub fanatic.)
The laptops’ 360-degree hinge means, like different convertibles, the PC might be folded again right into a pill, or be stood up in a tent or a stand mode.
Contemplating its 14-inch display screen dimension, the X1 Yoga has a stable collection of ports, together with two Thunderbolt 4 ports (you will use one to cost the system) on the left aspect. That flank additionally includes a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Kind-A port and HDMI out to attach it to a monitor. The suitable aspect has a headphone jack, one other USB-A port (this one is always-on for charging different units), a Kensington lock slot and the storage for the included stylus.
The X1 Yoga measures 12.37 x 8.75 x 0.61 inches and weighs 3.04 kilos. That is not too totally different from what Lenovo consists of in its premium client providing, the Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 7, which measures 12.52 x 9.06 x 0.6 inches and weighs 3.09 kilos. One other small pocket book we have just lately examined, the Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED, which is a regular clamshell, is 12.3 x 8.8 x 0.6 inches with a smaller, 13-inch display screen, and weighs three kilos flat.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 Specs
| CPU | Intel Core i7-1260P |
| Graphics | Intel Iris Xe (built-in) |
| Reminiscence | 16GB LPDDR5-5200 |
| Storage | 512GB M.2 PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD |
| Show | 14-inch, 1920 x 1200, 16:10 touchscreen |
| Networking | Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX211, Bluetooth 5.2 |
| Ports | 2x Thunderbolt 4, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Kind-A, HDMI, 3.5mm headphone jack, Kensington lock slot |
| Digicam | 1080p webcam with built-in privateness shutter |
| Battery | 57 WHr |
| Energy Adapter | 65 W |
| Stylus | Lenovo Built-in pen |
| Working System | Home windows 11 Professional |
| Dimensions (WxDxH) | 12.37 x 8.75 x 0.61 inches / 314.4 x 222.3 x 15.53 mm |
| Weight | 3.04 kilos / 1.38 kg |
| Worth (as configured) | $2,343.38 |
Productiveness Efficiency on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7
We examined the ThinkPad X1 Yoga with an Intel Core i7-1260P, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. It provided combined, however largely admirable efficiency in our exams.
The X1 Yoga confirmed off essentially the most on Geekbench 5, an total efficiency check with an emphasis on the CPU. With a single-core rating of 1,615 and a multi-core rating of 8,632, it beat the Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED, with an AMD Ryzen 7 6800U, in each kinds of efficiency. The Lenovo Yoga 9i, with the identical Core i7-1260P because the Yoga, scored barely larger on single-core efficiency however decrease than each the ThinkPad and Zenbook on multi-core. The entire newer laptops beat final 12 months’s X1 Yoga Gen 6 with a Core i7-1165G7, however that is how year-over-year chip updates ought to work!
Lenovo’s enterprise laptop computer copied 25GB of check recordsdata at a fee of 955.09 MBps. Whereas that is an enchancment over the Gen 6, it’s miles slower than what we noticed on the patron Yoga 9i or the Asus Zenbook.
On our Handbrake check, by which now we have laptops transcode a 4K video to 1080p, the ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 accomplished the duty in 10 minutes and 35 seconds. As in Geekbench, the ThinkPad outperformed its client cousin, however right here the AMD-based Asus was a powerhouse, ending the job in 8:15.
Lastly, we ran our Cinebench R23 stress check. On productiveness laptops, we run Cinebench R23 for twenty cycles in a row, a workload that pushes ultrabooks to their limits for a major length. The ThinkPad began robust with a rating over 8,500, however that dropped fairly shortly till the system settled to a rating round 6,100.
Throughout that stress check, the ThinkPad’s efficiency cores ran at 1.84 GHz and the effectivity cores averaged 1.61 GHz. Logs from HWInfo counsel that there was pretty constant thermal throttling all through the check.
Show on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7
The ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 has a 14-inch, 16:10 show that’s out there with a wide range of resolutions. We examined it with a 1920 x 1200 decision.
The display screen is ample sufficient. For spreadsheets and Phrase docs, it is completely nice. For those who’re utilizing it for graphic design, chances are you’ll need to think about one thing a bit nicer. Once I took a break from my work to make use of the ThinkPad to take a look at the trailer for She-Hulk: Legal professional at Legislation, each the titular hero and her well-known cousin have been each their well-known inexperienced hues, and returning villainous character Emil Blonsky had a purple jumpsuit that popped in a grey jail cell. It wasn’t in any other case notable, however it did the job.
Lenovo’s show covers 79.3% of the DCI-P3 gamut and 112% of the sRGB coloration house. That is an enchancment over final 12 months’s mannequin, however not fairly pretty much as good because the OLED show on the Asus Zenbook S 13. Talking of OLED, the panel on the Lenovo Yoga 9i was much better, registering 140.1% and 198% respectively.
However at the very least it is shiny. The ThinkPad measured a median of 356 nits of brightness, on par with the Yoga 9i and forward of the Zenbook.
Keyboard, Touchpad and Stylus on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7
Lenovo’s ThinkPad keyboards have a legacy of snappy, responsive chiclets. However the ThinkPad X1 Yoga’s keyboard is simply OK. The keys have the basic scallop form and 1.5 mm of journey. However as I took a Monkeytype check, reaching 113 phrases per minute, I felt that they have been mushier than I would really like.
The middle of the keyboard is punctuated with a shiny purple dot: the TrackPoint nub, which helps you to transfer the mouse with out taking your fingers off the keyboard. If that is how you like to navigate your PC, extra energy to you, it really works nice. There are three devoted mouse buttons above the touchpad to be used with the nub.
However I favor to make use of a trackpad. Lenovo’s is 4.3 inches extensive, however not significantly tall. I had simply sufficient room to carry out sweeping three and four-finger gestures in Home windows 11, however I would like one thing roomier. The TrackPoint’s buttons take up a good bit of house, however that is the selection Lenovo made right here.
The included stylus is garaged on the precise aspect of the laptop computer. It is not as meaty as a full-sized stylus, however I believe this skinny pen is the best choice for a enterprise pocket book. It is there whenever you want it, on a regular basis, and it is adequate for jotting down fast notes. The storage additionally implies that it is being recharged on a regular basis, and I by no means had a difficulty with it working out of battery.
Maybe my solely challenge with the stylus is that I by chance hit the programmable barrel buttons a couple of instances. I admittedly maintain all pens a bit weirdly, however I do not suppose it is out of the query that others might by chance set off the eraser operate.
Audio on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7
Lenovo geared up its ThinkPad X1 Yoga with 4 audio system, a mixture of woofers and tweeters. Audio system matter on enterprise notebooks now greater than ever — folks might take heed to music with out headphones in the event that they work at home.
Once I performed Yellowcard’s “Lights and Sounds,” on the ThinkPad, it pumped loads of quantity by means of my condo. You possibly can comfortably pay attention round 60% with loads of room to go.
The Dolby Atmos speaker system was respectable, with clear vocals, snappy drums and an excellent center floor on the guitars. However as with many ultraportable notebooks there was barely any bass to be heard on the lower-end. The Dolby Entry app has a couple of totally different equalizers if you wish to make adjustments, however none of them made large variations in my day-to-day testing.
Upgradeability of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7
Moving into the ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 for upgrades or restore is mercifully simple. Earlier than you get to taking something aside, although, make sure to take out the stylus (and SIM card, if yours consists of one. Ours didn’t.) The underside cowl is held in by 5 captive Philips head screws. You will not want to fret about dropping any screws; simply loosen them and pry the bottom off.
There’s not an excessive amount of inside to simply improve or restore. The SSD is the large replaceable piece. It is below a copper heatsink that may be eliminated simply sufficient. The RAM is soldered to the motherboard
Whereas the battery is detachable, It is undoubtedly not a regular half. There is a hole in it to suit the stylus into the holding storage. If you’ll want to change it, you will doubtless have to get an official half from Lenovo.
Battery Life on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7
Based mostly on our testing, the ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 can final simply over a workday with out being plugged in. It ran for a median 9 hours and 1 minute on our battery check, which continually streams video, browses the online and runs graphics exams whereas related to Wi-Fi and with the show set to 150 nits of brightness.
The patron-focused Yoga 9i beat it at 8:08, however it has an OLED display screen. The Asus Zenbook was in an identical area at 8:15. None of them lasted so long as final 12 months’s X1 Yoga, which ran for simply shy of 14 hours.
Once we requested Lenovo concerning the discrepancy, the corporate disputed the numbers. In its personal testing (utilizing a model of our proprietary battery check,) representatives mentioned it noticed battery life round 12 hours. It is potential that any discount in battery life is as a result of larger, 28W P-series processors slightly than final 12 months’s U-series components. We carried out the check a number of instances throughout two models.
Warmth on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7
Even after we ran our Cinebench stress check, the ThinkPad X1 Yoga’s contact factors have been largely cool and cozy.
The middle of the keyboard, between the G and H keys, measured 38.4 levels Celsius (101.12 levels Fahrenheit), whereas the touchpad was a cooler 31.8 levels Celsius (89.24 levels Fahrenheit).
The most popular level on the underside of the laptop computer measured 48.9 levels Celsius (120.02 levels Fahrenheit).
Webcam on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7
The X1 Yoga Gen 7 has a 1080p webcam, which is appropriately, particularly for enterprise notebooks. Even in part of my condo the place there was a bit an excessive amount of mild coming in, I seemed good in excessive decision. Even within the harsh lighting, it caught tons of element in my pores and skin and hair, and my blue eyes and grey shirt appeared pretty correct.
Larger decision would not at all times correlate to higher picture high quality, however it’s out there, and if you wish to seem in excessive decision, wherever, it is on a enterprise name.
Software program and Guarantee on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7
Usually, one of many advantages of a enterprise laptop computer is that it would not include an excessive amount of junk on it. Lenovo has a couple of items of software program on the laptop computer.
Lenovo Industrial Vantage is simply that: a model of its Vantage software program skinned for companies. It exhibits system and guarantee info in addition to permits you to alter battery, sound and efficiency settings. A separate piece of software program, Lenovo Pen Settings, permits you to change what the 2 barrel buttons on the stylus do, in addition to examine the stylus’ battery life.
I used to be stunned to see that our unit got here with Lenovo Fast Clear, which appears destined to be used in medical eventualities. It is software program that briefly locks keyboard and mouse enter for a set time between one and ten minutes with the intention to clear your laptop computer with out clicking or typing errant keystrokes. On the one hand, you are able to do the identical factor with the facility button, however I am lazy sufficient that I might really see myself use it to filter out some crumbs.
There’s additionally an app for altering digicam settings. It is referred to as Lenovo View, and allows you to change three values: mild, “depth” (seemingly shadows) and coloration. By default, it solely works when plugged in, and warns that it might probably scale back battery life should you let it run on battery energy.
The opposite software program included on the ThinkPad largely comes with Home windows 11, and consists of Disney Plus, TikTok, Amazon Prime Video and Spotify.
Lenovo sells the ThinkPad X1 Yoga with a one-year guarantee, although like most enterprise laptops, you may lengthen it for an additional value. Ours got here with a three-year guarantee, in response to Industrial Vantage.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 Configurations
Our $2,343.38 evaluation configuration of the ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 got here with an Intel Core i7-1260P, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, a 14-inch, 1920 x 1200 touchscreen and Home windows 11 Professional. It is being bought by means of plenty of retailers, together with B&H Photograph and CDW.
Lenovo’s web site has plenty of configurations, together with a base mannequin with a Core i5-1240P, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD and Home windows Dwelling beginning at $1,589.40.
For those who customise it, you will get it as much as nearly $3,000. Lenovo presents choices for as much as a Core i7-1270P, as much as 32GB of RAM, As much as 1TB of PCIe Gen 4 SSD storage, and the choice for a 3840 x 2400 OLED touchscreen, cellular broadband and an enhanced FHD webcam with “pc imaginative and prescient.”
Pricing for enterprise laptops is at all times a bit tough. Firms shopping for in bulk do not pay the sticker value, and so they typically fluctuate on producer websites, so be looking out for gross sales.
Backside Line
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga (Gen 7) doesn’t present a humongous change from its predecessors and even different 2-in-1s. It is what it says on the tin: a decently highly effective, Intel-based system with a shiny show, numerous ports, and plenty of ports.
For those who’re a person trying to purchase a ThinkPad, I would suggest preserving an eye fixed out for gross sales all year long. This ThinkPad will get expensive (all of them do), however there are sometimes value cuts should you’re affected person.
Those that do not significantly care concerning the ThinkPad nub, design or sturdiness might need to think about Lenovo’s personal Yoga 9i, a stunning 14-inch ultraportable. It has a 3:2 OLED show and longer battery life, although it is also expensive. As of this writing, it begins at $999.99, it goes far larger, as much as $1,759.99 with the identical CPU, RAM and an even bigger 1TB SSD. It would not, nevertheless, have a garaged stylus.
However ThinkPad has its repute for a motive. For those who’re keen to pay the enterprise premium, the X1 Yoga will probably be as versatile about work as you’ll want to be.