Despite being the largest PC vendor by market share, Lenovo has never released a ThinkPad machine running Windows on ARM. The company's workstation series of devices has so far stayed with Intel and AMD chipsets. That is now changing with the ThinkPad X13s, a new laptop that runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3.
Lenovo has offered its other device series on Windows on ARM but not the ThinkPads. It sees the company held off on releasing its enterprise laptops with ARM due to performance questions. Qualcomm says the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 makes dramatic improvements to mobile computing.
With the launch of the Lenovo ThinkPad X13s, Windows on ARM customers will have access to the company's TrackPoint system for the first time. This is the red track button that sits in the middle of the ThinkPad keyboard.
By working directly with Microsoft during the development of the device, Lenovo also brings its complete security and software package to the device. That includes its own VPN and antivirus solutions.
Full ThinkPad X13s Specs
|
OS |
Windows 11 Pro |
|
Processor |
Snapdragon 8cx (Gen 3) |
|
RAM |
Up to 32GB LPDDR4x |
|
Graphics |
Qualcomm Adreno |
|
Storage |
Up to 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD |
|
Display |
13.3 inches |
|
Ports |
Two USB-C 3.2 (Gen 2) |
|
Audio |
Top-firing |
|
Wireless |
Wi-Fi 6 |
|
Camera |
5MP RGB camera |
|
Keyboard |
Spill resistant |
|
Touchpad |
Precision |
|
Security |
Human Presence Detection |
|
Battery |
49.5Wh |
|
Dimensions |
11.76 x 8.13 x 0.53 inches |
|
Weight |
2.35 pounds (1.06kg) |
|
Color |
Thunder Black |
|
Availability |
May 2022 |
|
Price |
From $1,099 |
Windows on ARM Evolution with Qualcomm
Windows on ARM has been something of a disaster since making its debut in 2017. At the time, Microsoft signed an exclusive deal with Qualcomm but Windows machines running ARM have not been successful. As that exclusive deal is now over, Qualcomm will continue to offer its chips but not in an exclusive capacity.
In December, the company announced the third generation of the Snapdragon 8cx, promising significant improvements. The new silicon is built on a 5nm process that promises a 40% increase in single-core performance. However, it is the multi-core performance that stands out, 85% better than the previous generation.
GPU performance has 60% gains, and 60% better per watt performance compared to a x86 chip.
Tip of the day: Whether it's for a presentation, song, or YouTube video, at some point in your life you'll need to record audio from your computer. Windows 11 has multiple options to record sound due to its litany of apps. In our tutorial, we show you how to record audio using the built-in Windows 10 Voice Recorder and the freeware audio editor Audacity.
