Lenovo’s 2022 laptop lineup is ready for video calls this year

It’s a new year, which means it’s time to upgrade your laptop. If 2022 is anything like 2021, many premium and business users will face the challenge of balancing work and home, potentially both office and home. Aimed at these power users, Lenovo’s next stack of laptops comes loaded with features that it claims will help you show your best side when collaborating, even if it requires a larger notch for your display’s top bezel.

Communication panel of the new ThinkPads

All of Lenovo’s new ThinkPads have what Lenovo calls a communication bezel, which is actually a small notch at the top of the screen. In the three upcoming ThinkPad X1 laptops announced today, the notch allows for four microphones as well as a powerful webcam with a 1.4µm camera sensor larger than the average size for a laptop. In the case of the two ThinkPad Z-series laptops announced Tuesday, there are only two microphones.

The new ThinkPad X1s can be equipped with a 1080p MIPI infrared camera with a physical shutter and computer vision that uses a neural processor to detect whether you are sitting in front of a computer. This way, the laptop knows whether it should wake up or dim when you look away, saving battery life and protecting privacy. Lenovo even claims that you can wear a mask and use this feature.

The notch should also make it easier to open and close the laptop, but Lenovo made the same promise to me with the IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro and I’m not impressed.

New ThinkPad X1 laptops

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2022 laptops will launch in March. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 starts at $1,639, the ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2 starts at $1,659, and the ThinkPad Yoga Gen 7 starts at $1,749. All three have up to 14 CPU cores, thanks to Intel’s 12th generation mobile CPU lineup, 32GB of LPDDR5 memory, and 2TB of PCIe 4.0 SSD storage.

Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 has a 14-inch screen with up to 3840 x 2400 resolution and OLED or IPS options. Redesigned keycaps are designed to increase airflow to keep your device cool and spill-proof. It comes with a 12th generation Intel U or P series processor and starts at 2.48 pounds.

The ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2 is a lighter, more compact option starting at 2.13 pounds. Its 13-inch screen is limited to 2160 x 1350 resolution and 450 nits of brightness. Lenovo opted for a 12th Gen Intel Core i7 P28 processor with 14 cores.

The ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 is the only convertible ThinkPad announced today, signifying Lenovo’s use of the “Yoga”name.

It is the heaviest of all, with a starting weight of 3 pounds. On the 14-inch 2-in-1 screen, you can install an OLED panel with a resolution of 3840 x 2400 pixels. Lenovo has said it will make the ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 available with up to the Core i7 U15 and P28 series processors.

ThinkPad Z16 and Z13

Unlike what we’ve seen years ago, the most expensive ThinkPads Lenovo announced this week are powered by AMD, not Intel. Using AMD Ryzen 6000 mobile processors, these thin and light features boast AMD features like SmartShift Max (an update for SmartShift was announced this week that switches power between CPU and graphics based on workload) and SmartShift Eco (to conserve battery). The Z16 will launch in May starting at $2099 and the Z13 starting at $1549

Like the Dell XPS 13 Plus announced this week, the ThinkPad Z16 and Z13 will use a glass touchpad with haptic feedback inside an all-glass palm rest. Lenovo even made a Communications QuickMenu that opens when you double-tap the touchpad to bring up settings for everything in the so-called communications panel.