Blog

"The ThinkPad X1 Nano is an extraordinary addition for small laptops."

• Solid productivity performance

• Extremely light

• Good keyboard and touchpad

• Excellent battery life

• Very nice 16:10 display

Lenovo has been working on its legendary ThinkPad line for several years and is breaking away from the tried and tested. With the great ThinkPad X1 Extreme and a 2-in-1 tablet form factor with the detachable ThinkPad X12, it got big and powerful. Let's not start with the craziness of the ThinkPad X1 Fold.

Now Lenovo has made the ThinkPad X1 Nano the smallest and lightest ThinkPad of all time. Don't think that this means it's cheaper as the configuration of the ThinkPad X1 Nano review unit that Lenovo sent me costs a cool $ 1,847. This gives you an 11th generation Intel Tiger Lake Core i7-1060G7, 16 GB RAM, a 512 GB PCIe solid-state drive (SSD) and a 13.0-inch 2K IPS display (2,160 x 1,350 ) in the increasingly popular 16:10 aspect ratio.

The ThinkPad X1 Nano has jumped into a very competitive area (Hello, Dell XPS 13). Does the ThinkPad X1 Nano live up to its potential?

design

Lenovo may have made the ThinkPad X1 Nano smaller than any other ThinkPad, but it didn't detract from the aesthetics. The ThinkPad X1 Nano is just as black as most ThinkPads – no visible carbon fiber like the ThinkPad X1 Extreme or a titanium cover like the one in the new ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga.

You'll find the same subtle red cues as the “i” LED on the ThinkPad Yoga and the red TrackPoint nubbin and red key accents. It's a super conservative look that can only be found in the ThinkPad. The simple design neither corresponds to the slim lines of the Dell XPS 13 nor the elegant elegance of the HP Specter x360 13.

The X1 Nano is built like other ThinkPads, with a mix of materials resulting in a robust chassis. In this case, it is a carbon fiber hybrid material that makes up the lid with a magnesium-aluminum alloy in the bottom of the case. These materials contribute to the ThinkPad X1 Nano's low weight of just 1.99 pounds compared to the XPS 13 and Specter x360 13, both at 2.8 pounds. And the ThinkPad X1 Nano feels just as rugged as the two, which are some of the toughest we've tested.

For a device in its class, the X1 Nano is the lightest laptop you can buy.

Note that 1.99 pounds is really, really light. For a laptop of this type, the X1 Nano is the lightest laptop you can buy – even lighter than the LG Gram 13, whose entire purpose is to be as light as possible. It's almost as light as the Acer Swift 7 (1.96 pounds) and lighter than the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook (2.3 pounds), neither of which are in this CPU class.

Is such a lightweight laptop such a big deal? They are certainly a joy to use and carry around. When you add the materials of the ThinkPad X1 Nano that are cool to the touch, you get an extremely attractive and comfortable laptop.

If – like some lightweight laptops – it felt weak to the touch, it would diminish the benefit of being so light. However, the ThinkPad X1 Nano feels just as solid as any ThinkPad. The lid, the keyboard deck or the housing must not be bent, twisted or bent. The XPS 13, however, has the ThinkPad X1 Nano-Beat when it comes to the hinge – the latter is a bit stiffer and requires both hands to open.

The ThinkPad X1 Nano is not quite as thin as it is light and has a taper of 0.55 to 0.66 inches. The XPS 13 is only 0.58 inches, while the Specter x360 13 is slightly thicker at 0.67 inches. Since the ThinkPad X1 Nano's top and bottom bezels are slightly larger than those of the XPS 13, it's a bit deeper, but not by much, even with the smaller display (13 "versus 13.4").

Thanks to the larger 16:10 display (just like the XPS 13), the ThinkPad X1 Nano offers more space for the palm rest than the Specter x360 13, which is still 16: 9.

Connectivity is one area where the ThinkPad X1 Nano is affected by its size. There are only two USB-C with Thunderbolt 4 ports on the left, mating with a 3.5mm audio jack. The Specter x360 13 can insert both a USB-A port and a microSD card reader, which the ThinkPad X1 Nano lacks.

However, with Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0, the Lenovo is at the cutting edge of wireless connectivity. Support for 4G or 5G WWAN is optional via a SIM slot on the back.

security

I'm adding a special section to this review to take into account some pretty cool technologies that Lenovo has built into the ThinkPad X1 Nano. None of this is new, but the software in particular has been perfected – at least compared to the last time I tried it.

The ThinkPad X1 Nano has the usual ThinkShutter physical slider that covers the webcam. So this is nothing special when it comes to ThinkPads. What is special, however, is the HPD (Human Presence Detection) technology and software that uses radar to detect when a user is in front of the laptop and when this user leaves. As long as the user is in front of the ThinkPad X1 Nano, it will stay awake and function normally.

However, move outside of a 60-degree arc and the laptop will turn off the display, lock it, and go into modern standby mode to save battery life. As soon as the user returns within that 60-degree arc, the ThinkPad X1 Nano is activated and automatically logs in again if Windows Hello is set up for facial recognition.

It works very well and is a real convenience – when you're not doing a task, that is. I noticed that my lengthy benchmarks were interrupted when the software put the ThinkPad X1 Nano to sleep. Therefore, the utility must be turned off if the computer is to continue running. I couldn't find a setting to turn off the step of switching to Modern Standby which is a bit of a stupid thing to do.

Overall, however, I found Lenovo's solution to be faster and more reliable than the similar utility found on Dell's Latitude 7400 2-in-1.

performance

The ThinkPad X1 Nano uses a previously unusual version of the latest 11th generation Tiger Lake CPU from Intel, the Core i7-1160G7. In contrast to the more popular Core i7-1165G7 with an output of up to 4.7 GHz and a TDP (Thermal Design Power) range of 12 to 28 watts, the Core i7-1160G7 achieves a maximum output of 4.4 GHz and a lower TDP range from seven to seven watts 15 watts. That makes it less power hungry and cooler – a good fit for the tiny X1 Nano.

Although the CPU is theoretically slower, it didn't do particularly well in our benchmark tests. The ThinkPad X1 Nano didn't show up in Geekbench 5, where it could only manage 5,139 in multi-core mode and 1,466 in single-core mode. Other Tiger Lake laptops typically exceed 5,400 and 1,500. In Handbrake, where we encode a 420 MB video as H.265, the ThinkPad X1 Nano did surprisingly well and finished in exactly three minutes. That outperforms some laptops with faster Tiger Lake chips, like the Dell XPS 13 with a Core i7-1185G7, which takes about 20 seconds longer. The HP Specter x360 14 with a Core i7-1165G7 took 10 seconds longer.

The ThinkPad X1 Nano also did relatively well in Cinebench R23, where it achieved 4,550 points in multi-core mode and 1,377 points in single-core mode. This beats the XPS 13 (4,267 and 1,449) again, but fell behind the Specter x360 14 in performance mode (4,847 and 1,404). The ThinkPad X1 Nano is not the fastest Tiger Lake laptop in this test, but it is not as far behind as the CPU specs suggest.

Finally, I ran the PCMark 10 Complete test, where the ThinkPad X1 Nano got a total of 4,684 and then 9,295 in the Essentials, 6,413 in Productivity, and 4,678 in the Creation subtests. These values ​​are a little further behind the faster CPUs, in which the Specter x360 14 scored 4,796, 9,760, 6,340 and 4,837 points in the various tests. This is the only test in which the lower CPU of the ThinkPad X1 Nano couldn't quite keep up.

In general, however, the ThinkPad X1 Nano was fast enough for productivity tasks. I've never seen slowdowns happen, and I've used it just as hard as any other laptop I've checked. Lenovo did a great job of packing just the right amount of performance into the small and lightweight chassis.

In terms of gaming, the ThinkPad X1 Nano, which came with the usual Intel Iris Xe that you'll find in Tiger Lake machines, was also competitive. In the 3DMark Time Spy test, which is located in the middle of the field, 1,549 points were achieved. The XPS 13 managed 1,589 while the MSI Prestige 14 Evo (otherwise a very fast laptop) only managed 1,465. The Specter x360 14 scored a glowing 1,709 in performance mode.

I also ran Fortnite which was running on the ThinkPad X1 Nano at 1920 x 1200 and I saw 31 frames per second (fps) in 1080p and high graphics and 23 fps in epic graphics. This is comparable to the XPS 13 with 29 fps and 22 fps and the Specter x360 14 with 36 fps and 23 fps. Some Tiger Lake laptops are faster and some are slower, but in general they approach the discrete Nvidia MX350 performance of a very small and light laptop.

display

The ThinkPad X1 Nano has a brand new display with an aspect ratio of 16:10 (13.0 inches). It has a 2K (2,160 x 1,350) resolution which is very sharp, although I've noticed that the color temperature is a little warm (yellowish).

According to my colorimeter, this is a good display for a premium laptop, but not a great one. The color gamut was of average width at 74% of AdobeRGB and 98% of sRGB, and color accuracy was good at DeltaE 1.31, with 1.0 or less being considered excellent. The XPS 13 Full HD + display was similar at 75% AdobeRGB and 98% sRGB and a color accuracy of 1.36. The Specter x369 13 I tested used an OLED display with much wider and more accurate colors, so this isn't the best comparison.

The ThinkPad X1 Nano's display was very bright at 414 nits, which was nice to see (no pun intended). That made it bright enough to overwhelm a lot of ambient light. The contrast was 980: 1 and thus just below our preferred threshold of 1000: 1 for premium laptops. The XPS 13 was brighter at 458 nits and had a much better contrast at 1350: 1. Here, too, the OLED panel of the Specter x360 13 was superior in its almost infinite contrast, although it was not as bright at 405 nits.

I enjoyed the display, especially the 16:10 aspect ratio. After getting used to the color temperature being a little warm, I made myself comfortable and enjoyed the panel for all the work I threw on it. Creative guys in need of large bezels of color will want to look elsewhere, but for most people this is a very good indicator.

Audio was very good, with tons of volume for such a small laptop, and no distortion. This is possible thanks to quad speakers, two downward-facing woofers and two upward-facing tweeters. You get great highs and mids and just a little bit of bass. It's enough for Netflix and the occasional music, though it can't lose sight of the best laptop speakers out there, the MacBook Pro's. I also find that the speakers are a little less pleasant than the HP Specter x360 14's quad speakers, which are just a little more powerful.

Keyboard and touchpad

According to Lenovo, the keyboard of the ThinkPad X1 Nano is the same as that of other ThinkPads, with "similar" travel. This certainly seems to be the case – they're the same shaped buttons with plenty of spacing, and the mechanism is almost identical to other ThinkPads. I think the trip is a little less, which I think is a good thing – I find the "normal" ThinkPad keyboard a little too much effort.

I like the lighter keyboards on the Dell XPS 13, the HP Specter range, and Apple's Magic Keyboard on the latest MacBooks. Ultimately, the ThinkPad X1 Nano's keyboard feel is the best I've seen on a ThinkPad, unless it's my imagination.

The touchpad is a Microsoft Precision version that enables a precise tracking experience and functional multi-touch gestures under Windows 10. You lose some space on the buttons for the TrackPoint nubbin in the middle of the keyboard, which has always bothered me about ThinkPads. Really, the touchpad is too small where the extra space could make for a larger wipe surface thanks to the larger display.

Speaking of the display: Touch is not supported, which is also negative. I find touchless laptops annoying after I get used to scrolling long web pages with my thumb and tapping fast on-screen buttons with my finger.

Finally, Windows 10 Hello support is provided by both a fingerprint reader directly to the right of the touchpad and an infrared camera above for facial recognition. With the human presence detection function, the face recognition method is particularly useful and works perfectly.

Battery life

When I saw that the ThinkPad X1 Nano only had 48 watt hours of battery, I expected it to compete with other ThinkPads in a mediocre battery life. I suppose the smaller display and lower power consumption CPU made a real difference, as the ThinkPad X1 Nano definitely outperforms the ThinkPad trend.

First, I ran our web browser test, which gave a passable indication of the productivity of the battery life. Here, the ThinkPad X1 Nano managed 10.25 hours, which is a very good score, which probably means the laptop meets or exceeds Intel Evo certification of nine hours of typical use.

It also outperformed the XPS 13 Full HD + and the 4K OLED-equipped Specter x360 13 (with a 60 watt hour battery) by almost two hours. In our video test, which ran through a Full HD Avengers trailer, the ThinkPad X1 Nano lasted 18 hours – an extraordinary result. That's six hours longer than the XPS 13 and eight hours longer than the Specter x360 13.

I also ran the PCMark 10 gaming battery test which was draining the CPU and the ThinkPad X1 Nano lasted almost four hours. This is the second longest score we've ever seen, just a second behind the XPS 13 Full HD +. I tried running the PCMark 10 Application battery test which is the best indicator of productivity longevity. Unfortunately the test failed several times. However, I imagine that the ThinkPad X1 Nano would have done well in the test and, overall, should have offered the typical productivity user more than a full day of battery life.

Our opinion

The ThinkPad X1 Nano is a highly competent player in the market for small laptops. It offers solid productivity performance, great battery life, and a solid build with a good keyboard and usable human presence detection technology. Thanks to the 16:10 panel, it's up to date with the move to a higher display.

The ThinkPad X1 Nano doesn't have much to like. It doesn't quite have the glitz of the XPS 13, and it doesn't have the standout looks or flexibility of the Specter x360 13, but as far as 13-inch laptops go, this is a good one.

Are there alternatives?

The HP Specter x360 14 is a solid alternative and offers its own taller display with a 13.5-inch 3: 2 OLED panel that is miles ahead of the ThinkPad's display. Depending on the configuration, the price roughly corresponds to that of the ThinkPad X1 Nano, but is characterized by its 2-in-1 flexibility.

The Dell XPS 13 9310 is perhaps the most logical competitor with a slightly larger 16:10 display and an optimized design. Performance is similar between the two, but the ThinkPad has better battery life. The XPS 13 is just as well built, has a superior display, and can handle more storage and RAM than what Lenovo is offering.

When you're ready to switch operating systems, Apple's MacBook Pro 13 M1 is another great option. It's extremely fast, maybe better built, has a better display, and has the best keyboard and audio quality on any laptop. It's also several hundred dollars cheaper than the ThinkPad X1 Nano.

How long it will take?

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano is well built and should have useful productivity for years. The components are state-of-the-art. It is covered by the one-year guarantee that is customary in the industry and that is too short.

Should you buy it?

Yes. The ThinkPad X1 Nano is a very well built, very light and very durable laptop with some additional security features and a modern display.

Editor's recommendations