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Lenovo's ThinkPad X13s ARM Laptop Costs More Than Expected
Lenovo has begun selling the ThinkPad X13s, the first PC powered by the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 processor, and the first ThinkPad with an ARM chip in general, but it costs more than expected. The ThinkPad X13s was announced back in February 2022 with a May 2022 release date before a delay then pushed the availability back to June.
Windows and Qualcomm have been working together to develop ARM chips that will power Windows PCs, and while the journey has been bumpy and slow, the new Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 chipset is a significant improvement over its predecessor. However, it isn't as powerful as Apple's M1 chip which beats the Qualcomm chip by no small margin in benchmark tests.
The ThinkPad X13s has now been listed on Lenovo's official website in the United States and is available for purchase in four configurations. The 13.3-inch fanless notebook is designed for “hybrid workers, global travelers, field technicians, and front-line workers.” and it shows in its design. It weighs just 2.35 lbs (1.06 kg), boasts a spill-proof keyboard, and has optional mmWave and sub-6GHz Wi-Fi support. Previously reported to have a $1,099 starting price, the cheapest configuration on Lenovo's online store is currently $1,300.
Outstanding Battery Life Comes At A Cost
For the aforementioned price, buyers get a model with a touchscreen display and up to 300 nits of brightness. There is 16GB of LPDDR4X RAM paired with the 5nm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 processor and 512GB SSD gen 4 storage. It also has a fingerprint reader, a backlit keyboard, a 5MP webcam with infrared, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5, and Windows 11 Pro pre-installed. For $1,385, folks can pick up the 5G model with the same RAM and storage but no touchscreen. Lenovo is also offering a model with a touchscreen display, 32GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage for $1,439, albeit without 5G.
The most expensive model is priced at $1,571. It comes with 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, a touchscreen display, and a Snapdragon X55 modem for connecting to sub-6GHz 5G networks. All models have the same 49.5 Whr battery which should last up to 28 hours on a single charge (video playback) and Lenovo ships them with a 65W USB-C charging brick. The ThinkPad X13s sticks to the classic ThinkPad design. It has the line's signature ThinkPad TrackPoint and three-button trackpad. For ports, there are two USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 ports, an audio/mic combo jack, and a nano SIM slot. Stereo speakers with Dolby Audio are included, as are Ai-based noise suppression and a privacy E-shutter (via the F9 key).
There's no doubt that $1,300 is a steep price for a computer, but it is too early to rule out Lenovo offering cheaper options with less RAM and storage. Back in February, it revealed the laptop will also be available on AT&T and Verizon, and while they are not yet available on the online stores of these carriers, there is a possibility these Lenovo models will carry a less-expensive price tag, in addition to being variants with an eSIM and support for mmWave 5G.
