Lenovo goes crazy refreshing its entire ThinkPad family with 7th-gen Intel CPUs

Just ahead of the CES 2017 convention taking place in Las Vegas January 5-8, Lenovo announced the refresh of its ThinkPad laptop family for business. The updated laptops now sport the latest, seventh-generation Core processors from Intel, along with fingerprint scanners, beefed up security courtesy of a discrete Trusted Platform Module 2.0 chip, and Thunderbolt 3 connectivity. The company also revealed a new ThinkPad Thunderbolt 3 dock, and a ThinkPad USB Type-C dock for adding additional ports for ThinkPad laptops.

Before we dive in, take note that the following devices sport the “Signature Edition” of Windows 10 Pro or Home. That means customers won’t find the annoying bloatware that typically comes preinstalled on laptops — unnecessary software loaded by the laptop maker that eats system resources and storage space, slowing the device down.

Many laptops listed on the following pages are compatible with WiGig, which is the next level of wireless connectivity, better known at Wireless AD. It adds the 60GHz band to the current 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands already offered in Wireless N and Wireless AC, with speeds of up to 8 gigabits per second. Right now, the Wireless AC 5GHz band is only capable of up to 1.3 gigabits per second. That said, 2017 will be the year Wireless AD (WiGig) explodes on the mass market.

ThinkPad Yoga 370

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This unit, according to Lenovo, is designed for both business and general use, packing a 360-degree hinge and a “Lift n’ Lock” keyboard to make this a unique 2-in-1 device. Despite its “transforming” form factor, the ThinkPad Yoga 370 is durable enough to be certified for military use. Other notable features include a touch-enabled screen, Thunderbolt 3 connectivity, WiGig support, a fingerprint scanner, and a lightweight form factor of just over 3 pounds.

ThinkPad T470

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Lenovo calls this model the “workhorse” for business. The ThinkPad T470 focuses on security with features such as a discrete Trusted Platform Module 2.0 chip, a fingerprint scanner, and an infrared camera option. Instead of using login credentials, owners can simply look at the laptop or swipe their fingers to access the machine via Windows Hello. One notable option is Intel’s new Optane SSD, which uses its new “stacked” 3D XPoint technology that stacks memory cells vertically instead of horizontally as seen with current NAND-based storage solutions.

ThinkPad T470p

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Here is a variant of the ThinkPad T470. This version adds an additional 3,440 x 1,440 resolution option, DisplayPort connectivity, an optional backlit keyboard, and a 720p webcam. However, Lenovo pulled out a few features for this model such as the T470’s infrared camera option, and Thunderbolt 3 connectivity. This T470p model is heaver and thicker, too, weighing four pounds and measuring 0.94 inches thick. Outside of that, the T470p is nearly identical to the base T470 model specs, and is sold in black only.

ThinkPad T470s

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Here is another variant of the T470 notebook, which adds a bunch of features to the base design, such as an additional 3,440 x 1,440 option, a Mini DisplayPort connector, and support for WiGig connectivity. However, Lenovo had to sacrifice a few base features in the process including lowering the maximum memory configuration down to 24GB, removing the discrete graphics chip option, removing the infrared camera option, and removing the Intel Optane SSD option. Otherwise, the specs are somewhat similar, although it’s slightly thinner and weighs less too.

ThinkPad T570

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Like the ThinkPad T470, this laptop is a “workhorse” for business but with a larger screen. And like the T470, it offers a fingerprint reader and an optional infrared camera for password-free device access. There’s even an option for Intel’s Optane SSD using its new 3D XPoint memory technology. However, unlike the smaller T470, this version will be sold with a 3,840 x 2,160 resolution option that supports touch input. This laptop also has a starting weight of 4.4 pounds and measures just 0.79 inches thin.

ThinkPad L470

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Lenovo is targeting the mainstream business customer with this model, packing a single, unique feature no other laptop in the company’s refreshed ThinkPad lineup provides: a switchable, discrete graphics chip from AMD. More specifically, it includes the AMD Radeon R5 M430 graphics chip with its own 2GB of dedicated DDR3 memory. Other features include hard drive and solid state drive storage options, an option for Intel’s Optane SSD, and two resolution options. What customers won’t find here is HDMI and DisplayPort video outputs, but rather just a single analog VGA connector.

ThinkPad L570

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This model is a bit more feature-packed than the ThinkPad L470. For starters, it has a larger screen measuring at 15.6 inches, enabling Lenovo to cram a few additional goodies into the larger form factor. That includes throwing in DisplayPort digital video output, an extra USB 3.0 port, and separating the microphone and headphone connectors into two physical jacks. It has the addition of a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution option, and two M.2 slots for expanding the internal storage. This model also has a slightly higher starting price, a higher weight, and a greater thickness than the L470 model.

ThinkPad 13

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Lenovo bills this model as its “high-value system” of the refreshed ThinkPad family. It targets students, individuals, and business shops on a budget, but is built to meet military durability standards. Some of the notable features include a 13.3-inch screen with touch input, an optional fingerprint reader, an optional backlit keyboard, and a USB Type-C port for charging. There’s no discrete graphics chip, as the laptop relies on the integrated Intel HD Graphics 620 component inside Intel’s new seventh-generation Core processors. This model is rather thin and light, and has a low starting price of $674.

ThinkPad X270

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This is the last laptop in Lenovo’s ThinkPad refresh, billed as a “business road-warrior system.” It provides four different resolution options, one of which includes touch. Other options consist of a smart card reader for added security that apparently comes bundled with a NFS connectivity option. Other highlights consist of a USB 3.1 Type-C port, a fingerprint reader, and several battery options to provide over 20 hours of juice on a single charge. The laptop depends on the integrated Intel HD Graphics 620 component in Intel’s sixth-generation Core processors, so there’s no discrete graphics chip option.

ThinkVision P27h and P24h monitors

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These two monitors are the same feature-wise outside their physical sizes. They’re based on IPS panel technology and support 99 percent of the sRGB color space, making them great for color-intensive applications. Both models appear to connect via a single USB 3.1 Type-C cable, which supports both video and data. And because the displays sport four USB 3.0 ports as well, customers can plug all their peripherals into the display, leaving only one single connection between the display and PC. These two displays also feature an additional DisplayPort connection for daisy-chaining more than one of these panels together.

ThinkPad Thunderbolt 3 Dock

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Finally, Lenovo is offering two new docks for its ThinkPad laptops. This first model connects via a Thunderbolt 3 port, and extends a ThinkPad PC’s connectivity options. As the specs show, it’s capable of supporting three additional displays by providing two DisplayPort connections and an HDMI connection. It also includes a gigabit Ethernet port, five USB 3.0 ports, a headphone/microphone combo jack, and a power button that can control the system power status of connected ThinkPad PCs. The dock is even capable of providing up to 65 watts of power, and ships with its own 135-watt AC adapter.

ThinkPad USB-C Dock

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Last but not least is Lenovo’s new ThinkPad USB-C Dock. This device extends the connectivity of a ThinkPad PC by connecting via a USB 3.1 Type-C port. This unit is lightweight compared to the meatier Thunderbolt 3 dock, supporting up to two additional display through two DisplayPort connections. Other highlights include a gigabit Ethernet port, three USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, and a power button that can control the system power status of the connected ThinkPad PC. The unit provides up to 60 watts of power, and ships with a 90-watt AC adapter.