Lenovo's first ARM ThinkPad is designed for hybrid life

The company's first ARM-based Thinkpad prioritises battery life, multi-tasking and - naturally - video calls

Lenovo has launched its first Arm-based ThinkPad, the X13s, which it is aiming at hybrid workers.

Lenovo unveiled the ThinkPad X13s - which boasts the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 platform, the first 5nm Windows SoC - at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona. The new processor is said to be 85 per cent faster than its predecessor, the 8cx Gen 2, for multi-tasking.

The Windows 11 Pro laptop has up to 1TB of PCIe solid state storage and as much as 32GB of LPDDR4X dual channel memory, as well as a 49.5 Wh battery. The hardware sits in a 13.3mm-thick chassis made using up to 90 per cent recyclable materials. The ultra-thin design is also fanless.

A major benefit of the ARM processor is the laptop's significant battery life. The ThinkPad X13s is said to have one of the longest-lasting batteries available today: 28 hours on a single charge, despite weighing only 1.06 kg. It's worth noting that the claimed battery life is achieved with local tasks like video, so if you're streaming media or using the laptop for more demanding functions, the battery may drain quicker.

The 13.3" display has a slightly unusual 16:10 aspect ratio (1920 x 1200 resolution), compared to the more standard 16:9 (1920 x 1080). As the laptop is designed for workers this makes sense, where that extra screen real estate will come in use for side-by-side tasks. The display has options for on-cell touch and low blue light, although not both together.

The X13s supports 5G mmWave or sub6 Wireless WAN, as well as Wi-Fi 6E, so it an get online itself when a wireless hotspot isn't available - another useful work feature. Toshiba has also built in AI processing to clean up video and audio on teleconferencing calls, and a variety of hardware and software protections.

The new ThinkPad will be available in May 2022, with prices starting at €1,399 (about £1,170).

In addition to the X13s, Lenovo on Monday unveiled a slew of Intel and AMD-based updates for the ThinkPad lineup. The company is expanding the ThinkPad T-series with a 16" model, ThinkPad T16, which will be available with up to a 12th-generation Intel Core i7 P-series or U-series vPro or AMD Ryzen 6000 Pro-series processor.

The Intel and AMD variants have different specifications, with the Intel laptop having greater RAM and the option of an Nvidia GeForce MX550 or RTX 2050 graphics card.

The company has also launched ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5, with up to a 12th-generation Core i9 H-series vPro CPU, a 165Hz display, an Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti GPU, and up to 64GB RAM.