Lenovo’s super light ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen2 gets a 28W 12th Gen CPU, Dolby Voice, and touchscreen option
With a much more powerful processor and option for a touchscreen, the 2.1lb X1 Nano Gen 2 looks fantastic.
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What you need to know
Lenovo first introduced the X1 Nano back at the last CES in 2021. The laptop’s concept is quite simple: It’s literally a smaller version of thebest business laptop, the X1 Carbon, but meant for frequent travelers. Wereviewedthe computer and were surprised just how much we liked it due to the excellent keyboard 2K display, options for 4G/5G, and being so light and portable.
Now, Lenovo is introducing the Gen 2 of the X1 Nano, and it brings with it some substantial improvements.
The first, and most important, is the processor. Sure, it’s getting Intel’s latest12th Gen chipswith the new P- and E-core architecture, but it’s thetypeof processor that’s important. The first-gen Nano used the Intel 11th Gen i7-1160G7 (max 15W), whereas its bigger brother could go up to a Core i7-1185G7 (max 28W).
For Gen 2, Lenovo can actually squeeze in a Core i7-1280P 28-watt processor giving this laptop way more power. Going with that new chip is a new thermal design to match its heat output and performance. These CPUs are alsoIntel EvoandvProcertified.
RAM jumps from just 16GB LPDDR4X up to a max of 32GB LPDDR5 memory with Gen 2, and there is now greater PCIe SSD storage going from just 1TB to now 2TB when configured.
The screen stays mostly the same, but there is some improvement there. Lenovo notes that the 13-inch 16:10 Dolby Vision 2K display now has an optional touch display that uses “new add on film touch (AOFT) technology to enable a better interactive experience without adding much weight.”
Obviously, as a business productivity machine, video meetings are a big deal. The new X1 ThinkPads Lenovo is bringing onboard its “communications bar,” highlighting the camera and microphones. The X1 Nano’s webcam is bumped to full HD with separate IR and RGB sensors for improved quality. There is also the new Dolby Voice, which uses AI to filter out background noise in real-time.
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And, like last time, there is still Lenovo’s “Intelligent Security,” includinghuman presence detectionto lock and unlock your laptop without touching it automatically.
There’s even a heavy focus on sustainability, a common theme with all laptop OEMs in 2022, as the ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2 is shipped in plastic-free, tapeless, fully-recyclable packaging.
Overall, this is one exciting little machine and we can wait to get our hands on it.
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2 will be available from April 2022, with an expected starting price of $1,659.
Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central. He is also the head reviewer,podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007, when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and watches. He has been reviewing laptops since 2015 and is particularly fond of 2-in-1 convertibles, ARM processors, new form factors, and thin-and-light PCs. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.
