HomeWinBuzzer NewsLenovo ThinkPad Joins Windows on ARM with First Snapdragon CPU

Lenovo ThinkPad Joins Windows on ARM with First Snapdragon CPU

Lenovo ThinkPad X13s is a new Windows 11 Pro laptop that is the first ThinkPad to run Windows on ARM on a Qualcomm processor.

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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
Soldered
Dual-channel

Graphics

Qualcomm Adreno

Storage

Up to 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD

Display

13.3 inches
16:10 aspect ratio
1920×1200 (FHD+)
IPS, anti-glare, 300 nits, 100% sRGB
1920×1200 (FHD+)
IPS, touch, anti-glare, 300 nits, 72% NTSC
1920×1200 (FHD+)
IPS, anti-glare, low power, 400 nits, 100% sRGB, low blue light

Ports

Two USB-C 3.2 (Gen 2)
3.5mm audio
SIM

Audio

Top-firing
Dual Dolby speakers
Three far-field mics
Qualcomm Voice and Audio suite

Wireless

Wi-Fi 6
Wi-Fi 6E
5G sub6 eSIM
5G mmWave eSIM

Camera

5MP RGB camera
5MP IR camera
Computer Vision

Keyboard

Spill resistant
Backlit

Touchpad

Precision
TrackPoint

Security

Human Presence Detection
IR camera
Camera e-shutter
Microsoft Pluton

Battery

49.5Wh

Dimensions

11.76 x 8.13 x 0.53 inches
(298.7mm x 206.4mm x 13.4mm)

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.

SourceLenovo
Luke Jones
Luke Jones
Luke has been writing about Microsoft and the wider tech industry for over 10 years. With a degree in creative and professional writing, Luke looks for the interesting spin when covering AI, Windows, Xbox, and more.

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