Lenovo Launches Kaby Lake ThinkPad Assault With New Convertibles, Notebooks And Intel Optane Memory

CES hasn’t even arrived yet, but Lenovo has already unleashed a truckload of new computing products to satisfy business users (and regular consumers that prefer higher-end machines). The company has announced a total of eight new ThinkPad models and two new ThinkVision displays along with two ThinkPad Docks.

So, let’s get right to it, shall we? First up is the $1,149 ThinkPad Yoga 370, which is a new 2-in-1 convertible with a familiar 360-degree hinge and the Lift ‘n’ Lock keyboard, which protects the keys when used in tablet mode. At the center of the Yoga 370 is a 13.3-inch 1920x1080 display with an anti-reflective coating. Powering the 18mm thick, 3-pound convertible are Kaby Lake processors, which can be paired with up to 16GB of DDR4 memory and up to a 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD.

Moving on, we come to the ThinkPad T470 and T570 (both starting at $949). The former flaunts a 14-inch 1080p display, while the latter features a 15.6-inch 1080p touch display (a 3840x2160 non-touch display is optional). The 3.4-pound T470 can be configured to run up to 18 hours per charge, while the 4.4-pound T570 maxes out at 16 hours with an extended battery. Both machines have NVIDIA GeForce GTX 940MX graphics, support for up to 32GB of DDR4 memory, PCIe NVMe SSDs up to 1TB, and feature a nice mixture of ports (including USB 3.0, Thunderbolt 3, GbE and SD card slots).

However, what really caught our eye with these notebooks is something that Lenovo just seems to nonchalantly mention — both can be equipped with optional Intel Optane Memory (16GB). This is the first that we’ve heard of Intel’s SSD-killer shipping in a production product, so we’ll be eager to see what all the fuss is once the T470 and T570 starting hitting the streets.

For those that like the T470, but would prefer a slightly slimmer form-factor, there’s the $1,149 T470s. The notebook retains a 14-inch 1080p display (a 1440p display is optional), but weighs under 3 pounds and can last up to 10 hours with its integrated battery. Powered by Kaby Lake processors, the T470s supports up to 24GB DDR4 (via one DIMM slot) and can be equipped with up to a 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD.

Yet another T470 variant is the 4-pound $1,099 T470p, which features standard voltage Kaby Lake processors and a MIL-SPEC durability rating. This beefed-up notebook also adds in a 1440p display option for those that can’t make do with the standard 1080p display, and can operate for up to 12 hours with a 6-cell 72 Whr battery. 

Next up are the $799 ThinkPad L470 and $949 L570. These mainstream business notebooks come with 14-inch and 15-inch displays respectively. The L470 is the more interesting of the two, as it comes with Radeon R5 M430 graphics, optional Intel Optane memory and support for up to 32GB of RAM.

The two final members of the revamped ThinkPad family include the $699 ThinkPad 13 and the $949 ThinkPad X270. The 3.17-pound ThinkPad 13 is aimed at budget customers, but still manages to incorporate Kaby Lake processors, a 13.3-inch 1080p display, up to a 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD and support for up to 32GB of memory. The ThinkPad X270 is aimed at the ultimate mobile warrior, offering up to 21 hours of runtime in a 12-inch frame.

Each of Lenovo’s new ThinkPads comes with a plethora of expansion ports, but if that isn’t enough, the company will gladly sell you two different ThinkPad docks. The $279.99 ThinkPad Thunderbolt 3 Dock offers:

• 2 x DisplayPort
• 1 x HDMI
• 1 x VGA
• 1 x Thunderbolt 3 port (USB-C)
• 5 x USB 3.0 ports (including 1 always power-on port)
• 1 x Gigabit Ethernet
• 1 x Stereo/Mic combo port
• 1 x Security lock slot

And for those without a Thunderbolt 3-equipped machine, there’s the $199.99 ThinkPad USB-C Dock, which offers the following ports:

• 2 x DisplayPort
• 1 x VGA
• 1 x USB Type-C port (data only, 5V 3A power output)
• 3 x USB 3.0 ports (including 1 always power-on port)
• 2 x USB 2.0 port
• 1 x Gigabit Ethernet
• 1 x Stereo/Mic combo port
• 1 x Security lock slot

Rounding out Lenovo’s product onslaught are the ThinkVision P27h and ThinkVision P24h monitors. The monitors measure 27-inches and 23.8-inches respectively and offer a resolution of 2560x1440. Each offers greater than 99 percent of the sRGB high color gamut and feature a fast 6ms response time. Pricing is not yet available for either display.