Taken from TPU … Although CES 2022 might not be what was initially expected for Lenovo, the company might be revealing several new notebook models, albeit in a more digital fashion than the company had initially planned, due to it pulling out from physically exhibiting at the show. Pictures of at least three upcoming models have leaked courtesy of @Evleaks and all three are intriguing in their own right, as they all bring something new to the table, or should that be lap?
First up we have the 17-inch ThinkBook Plus, which has an integrated tablet on the right hand side of the keyboard, plus a stylus that works with the tablet. Sadly the stylus looks rather “cheap” for a lack of a better word, especially compared to other recent devices with a stylus, so hopefully some third party options will be usable. It appears as if the tablet section can be used for normal touch input as well, based on the leaked pictures. No tech specs were provided, but we can spot what appears to be a combined finger print and power button just above the keyboard and around the back is an HDMI port, two USB type-A ports and a USB-C port, plus what appears to be a power socket and another USB-C port on the left side of the notebook.
The ThinkPad Z models appear to be the Z16 and the Z13, suggesting a 16-inch and a 13-inch model. What stands out here is the protrusion above the display for the web camera, which appears to be a Windows Hello compatible setup with 1080p support, something of a big step up compared to most laptops today. Both models seem to have a soft touch finish on the lid and a two tone, premium design overall. Fortunately, it appears that Lenovo has kept the ThinkPad “nipple” that most ThinkPad buyers are after in addition to the generally vastly better keyboards compared to much of the competition.
The ThinkPad Z16 appears to sport at least three USB-C ports, which may or may not support Thunderbolt and or USB4. We also spot an SD card slot and a combo headset jack, but beyond that, we’ll have to wait and see what features it’ll come with. The ThinkPad Z13 on the other hand seems to have been really stripped down when it comes to ports and only appears to have two USB-C type ports and a headset combo jack, which is most likely not going to go down well with the traditional ThinkPad crowd. Both models also seem to have a side mounted power button, again something that is unlikely to be popular with the traditional ThinkPad buyers. Hopefully these are new additions for a new generation of ThinkPad users, rather than something that is intended to replace current, already feature reduced models in the lineup.
