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Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2 review: this tiny ThinkPad remains to be great

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September 28, 2022

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Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2 review: this tiny ThinkPad remains to be great

MSRP $2,300.00

“The ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2 is surprisingly fast for such a tiny laptop, and it enjoys a solid construct quality that is a match for mainstream or business users.”

Pros

• Fast productivity performance
• Solid construct quality
• Superb IPS display
• 1080p webcam
• Extensive privacy features

Cons

• Battery life took a step back
• Keyboard is just a little harsh
• Expensive

The ThinkPad X1 Nano is loads of computer in a really tiny shell. Lenovo just released the laptop’s second generation, which features an update to Intel Twelfth-gen CPUs but otherwise maintains essentially the identical design.

That’s OK, though, since the ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2 didn’t need much improvement. The new edition is just a much faster laptop that’s an excellent higher tool for demanding productivity staff while maintaining the tiny form factor that made the previous generation so great. While Lenovo goals the ThinkPad at business users, that is one model that has mainstream appeal.

Specs

A wide selection of configurations can be found with the ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2. The $1,572 entry-level model encompasses a Core i5-1240P CPU, 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM, a 256GB PCIe Gen4 SSD, and a 13.0-inch 16:10 2K low-power IPS display. Notably, even this model has 16GB of RAM as a substitute of 8GB. On the high end is a $2,527 configuration with a Core i7-1280P CPU, 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, a brighter display, and 5G WWAN support.

My review unit, which lacked the 5G connectivity and used the lower-end display, got here in at $2,300.

The vPro CPU affords access to enterprise security and manageability and is well worth the investment for business users. All models have the identical One-year warranty, which is disappointing for such an expensive laptop — even though it’s the industry standard.

It’s as small as a ThinkPad might be

Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

The ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2 is sort of the exact same size as its predecessor and weighs almost as little. It’s gained a number of ounces, now weighing 2.13 kilos versus 1.99 kilos, but after all, that’s not enough to note. What’s noticeable is just how light the laptop really is. Where other 13-inch laptops just like the Dell XPS 13 and XPS 13 Plus feel quite dense, the ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2 feels light and airy. It’s amazing what might be done with materials like carbon fiber and magnesium-aluminum. And the laptop isn’t just light; it’s thin as well at 0.58 inches.

The one dimensions where the ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2 isn’t particularly impressive is in width and depth. Despite its 13.0-inch 16:10 display that’s barely smaller than the XPS 13 Plus’ 13.3-inch 16:10 panel, the ThinkPad is sort of as wide and barely deeper. That’s as a result of display bezels that aren’t as small as on the XPS 13 Plus. There’s nothing to complain about here, after all, but it surely’s vital to notice that Dell still wins out in terms of tiny bezels.

The ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2 feels surprisingly robust for a laptop of its size.

If the ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2 were flimsy, then all that light weight and thinness could be wasted. Amazingly, it’s quite rigid, with a lid that doesn’t bend even under extreme pressure and a keyboard deck and chassis bottom that resist flexing. It’s as solid as the perfect 13-inch laptops around, a powerful feat considering that the materials used very often end in laptops that bend, flex, and twist.

Take a look at the ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2 from a distance and also you’ll have a troublesome time distinguishing it from its larger siblings. It sports the identical black-on-black aesthetic with red accents in the brand on the lid and keyboard deck, the red TrackPoint nubbin in the course of the keyboard, and the highest edges of the TrackPoint buttons. Some configurations have a carbon fiber weave on the lid, but otherwise, the design is minimalistic and adheres to the ThinkPad feel and appear. That extends to the soft-touch surface that’s comfortable to carry and for typing.

The keyboard can be the ThinkPad standard, albeit with less key spacing and barely smaller, yet just as sculpted keycaps. The layout is identical, right down to the left Fn and Ctrl keys which can be reversed from the industry standard (and might be swapped within the BIOS). I discovered the mechanism a bit stiff, with loads of travel but an abrupt bottoming motion.

It wasn’t essentially the most comfortable keyboard I’ve used, with HP’s Spectre and Dell’s XPS keyboards being significantly better. Lenovo has you covered in terms of controlling the cursor, with each the TrackPoint nubbin and a small yet serviceable touchpad. Each work well. My review unit didn’t include a touch display, however the higher-end display does.

Understandably given the small chassis, the ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2’s connectivity is restricted. There are two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4, a 3.5mm audio jack, and an optional Nano-SIM slot for 5G or LTE WWAN. Wireless connectivity also includes the most recent standards with Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2.

A transportable powerhouse?

Yes, I do know, the ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2 can’t possibly be as fast as larger and thicker laptops. That’s entirely reasonable. And it’s not, with some obvious thermal throttling given the 28-watt 14-core/20-thread Core i7-1280P squeezed inside. Besides, it provided impressive performance considering how thin and lightweight it’s and thus how easy it’s to hold around. I’ve reported each balanced and performance mode leads to the table below, which was configurable through the use of an integration Lenovo built with the Windows 11 performance tuner.

The most effective comparison is the Dell XPS 13 Plus, which we reviewed with the identical CPU. It’s also a skinny machine, although not nearly as light, and surprisingly, the ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2 was the faster performer in most of our benchmarks. The Dell took the lead in our Handbrake test that encodes a 420MB video as H.265, but otherwise, the ThinkPad got here out ahead. It was slower than the diminutive Asus ZenBook S 13 OLED running the AMD Ryzen 7 6800U, and it fell behind the Lenovo Slim 9i that’s considerably larger and thicker.

In comparison with the previous version, the Gen 2 model is in a special league entirely. The unique ThinkPad X1 Nano used a low-power 15-watt quad-core CPU, and in order that is sensible. But selecting a ThinkPad X1 Nano today requires far less of a performance compromise than before. You’ll find the brand new model fast enough for demanding productivity workflows, but not the perfect for creative applications. With integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics, it’s also not a gaming machine.

Battery life is one other quality that may suffer from a small chassis. The ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2 has 49.5 watt-hours of battery capability stuffed inside, which is an honest amount for a laptop with a smaller low-power display. But physics matters, and there’s only a lot longevity you possibly can squeeze out. The ThinkPad did well in our video test and within the PCMark 10 Applications battery test that’s the perfect indication of productivity battery life, but it surely was just a little weak in our web-browsing test. Overall, you’ll approach a full day’s work with a light-weight productivity load, but in the event you’re pushing things hard, you’ll wish to be certain to have your charger nearby.

That is the one area where the second generation falls behind. The low-power CPU within the previous generation provided significantly more longevity. And the Apple MacBook Air M2 provides yet one more level of battery life.

Tiny but still comfortable

Small laptops just like the ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2 often include compromises. Low-resolution displays of suspect quality, cramped keyboards, and tiny touchpads are only a number of. Fortunately, Lenovo avoided those pitfalls.

To start with, the keyboard is the ThinkPad standard, albeit with just a little less key spacing and barely smaller yet just as sculpted keycaps. The layout is identical, right down to the left Fn and Ctl keys which can be reversed from the industry standard (and might be swapped within the BIOS). I discovered the mechanism a bit stiff, with loads of travel but an abrupt bottoming motion. It wasn’t essentially the most comfortable keyboard I’ve used, with HP’s Spectre and Dell’s XPS keyboards being significantly better. I maintained my usual typing speed and didn’t feel like I used to be typing on a very small keyboard.

The display is greater than adequate for handing the common spreadsheet, video, or website.

Lenovo has you covered in terms of controlling the cursor, with each the TrackPoint nubbin and a smaller yet serviceable touchpad. Each worked well. My review unit didn’t include a touch display, however the higher-end display is touch-enabled.

Two display options can be found with the ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2, each low-power 13.0 inch 2K 16:10 displays. One is touch-enabled with a better brightness rating and the opposite, my review unit, is non-touch and with a rather lower brightness rating.

The previous model also equipped the same IPS display, with the identical resolution. In line with my colorimeter, the display has roughly the identical premium-display average color gamut because the previous generation, with improved accuracy. Brightness is higher and contrast has been dramatically improved. Overall, the display is greater than adequate for productivity staff and media consumers, while creators will find the colours too narrow for serious work.

Two upward-firing speakers provide the audio, and I discovered the sound to be just OK. The quantity wasn’t very high, and there was some distortion when playing at 100%. Mids and highs were tremendous but there was zero bass. Keep some headphones handy.

Lenovo builds in a number of creature comforts that enhance the ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2’s privacy in addition to its appeal to hybrid staff. The webcam is 1080p and provides an in depth image in all lighting conditions, and the IR camera supports Windows 11 Hello passwordless login. There’s also a fingerprint reader on the palm rest to the suitable of the touchpad.

An ultra-wideband radar sensor provides enhanced support for Lenovo’s user presence-sensing technology, providing for Zero Touch Lock that puts the laptop to sleep when the user leaves and Zero Touch Login that wakes the laptop up and robotically logs in when the user returns. The display also dims when the user is looking in a special direction. Finally, there’s a physical shutter for blocking the webcam for added privacy.

The smallest ThinkPad is probably the greatest

The ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2 is a small laptop with a solid construct quality and fast productivity performance. It’s a big improvement over the primary generation, with a greater display to go together with the rise in speed. There’s a big drop in battery life, though, which could matter to some users.

It’s a 13-inch laptop that competes strongly against others in its class just like the Dell XPS 13 Plus and the Asus ZenBook S 13 OLED. It’s expensive, but in the event you’re in search of a laptop that’s incredibly easy to hold around, the ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2 matches the bill.

Editors’ Recommendations