The Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Removable is a 2-in-1 pill for ThinkPad followers, nevertheless it’s let down by its small display and lackluster Intel Core Extremely U-series processor.
Design
The ThinkPad X12 delivers on the traditional ThinkPad appear and feel however within the compact 2-in-1 pill PC design that was popularized by Microsoft’s Floor Professional. Sadly, Lenovo caught with a small 12.3-inch show within the X12 the place Microsoft has pushed ahead to a extra fairly sized 13-inch show in roughly the identical type issue. And you’ll actually see it within the bezels, that are nearly comically giant on the X12.
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All the usual ThinkPad design cues are there, from the black magnesium/aluminum building with purple accents to the angled ThinkPad logos on the machine’s rear and wrist relaxation and the long-lasting TrackPoint dual-pointing system. And sure, the dot on the “i” on the hind lights up learn when the PC’s in use. Thomas Watson would little question approve.
However there are additionally some archaic design touches which are much less welcome. Along with the old-school bezels, the X12’s folio keyboard has an old style sq. fingerprint reader on its wrist relaxation, the Fn and Ctrl keys are reversed, and whereas the keyboard helps two ranges of backlighting, there’s no computerized setting. Most fashionable ThinkPads have developed previous these weirdisms, however the X12 stays caught previously.
Worse, the X12 suffers from a difficulty that canines all 2-in-1 tablets: It will possibly’t be positioned in order that the show is upright and should as an alternative be inclined backward to a level I don’t like. That’s, the built-in kickstand is fantastic, it’s a function all tablets want. However when used like a laptop computer, the viewing angle isn’t nice. I’m shocked nobody has discovered a solution to handle this, however when I attempt to convey the show ahead as I need it, it will probably’t help its personal weight and it topples over.
The X12 additionally gives a function that’s largely distinctive to 2-in-1 tablets: Along with the same old front-facing webcam, it has a second digicam on the rear. This isn’t helpful to me within the slightest, and I’ve by no means as soon as seen any particular person use the rear digicam on a pill PC out on the earth. However it could seemingly be helpful in some vertical makes use of circumstances that this machine targets, akin to a discipline technician who must doc the work they’re doing. So I can see the sense of together with such a factor.
Like different ThinkPads, the X12 needs to be sturdy in use. It’s been examined towards 12 military-grade MIL-STD 810H certification strategies and over 20 inner Lenovo procedures. So there aren’t any worries there, whether or not you’re a street warrior or that discipline technician I simply conjured up.
Show
You have got however a single show alternative with the ThinkPad X12, a too-small 12.3-inch Full HD+ (1920 x 1280) multitouch IPS panel with an uncommon however fascinating 3:2 facet ratio. It sports activities an anti-reflection and anti-smudge coating and Gorilla Glass safety, and it offers 100% protection of the sRGB coloration gamut. It outputs 400 nits of brightness, which is satisfactory for indoor use however won’t fulfill the wants of that discipline technician I immediately can’t cease mentioning, not if the work is outdoor.
Have I discussed that the show is just too small? Effectively, it’s. I used to be compelled to scrunch myself up proper in entrance of the X12 to make use of the factor, and between the tiny show and its less-than-desirable viewing angles, I shortly discovered myself getting uncomfortable regardless of the full-sized keyboard and its typically wonderful typing expertise.
After all, the purpose of the PC is that it may be used as a multitouch pill or as a note-taking device with the bundled Lenovo Digital Pen, each sans folio keyboard. And in these use circumstances, the X12 shines. The kickstand that disappoints me a lot permits one to angle the show again till it’s nearly fully flat, an almost best place for many who do want to use the pen.
Inside parts
The ThinkPad X12 could be configured with one among two U-series Intel Core Extremely processors–a Core Extremely 5 134U or a Core Extremely 7 164U–each of that are underpowered and additional saddled with old-school Intel built-in graphics and never the extra highly effective Arc graphics seen in higher-end Meteor Lake chips. I had beforehand given up attempting to overview a laptop computer with one among these processors as a result of the efficiency was so problematic, and I sadly had comparable experiences with the X12. The U-series Core Extremely processor is that this PC’s Achilles Heel.
Right here’s the factor. After I hear U-series, I feel 15 watts and Ultrabook-class, and within the bizarro world that has been Intel till about six seconds in the past, that’s about as environment friendly because it will get. However that’s not what these processors are: The U-series processors used within the X12 are lowly 9-watt components, and even primary day-to-day duties–copying recordsdata, signing in with facial recognition, or utilizing customary productiveness apps–could be painfully gradual with noticeable delays on launch, pauses and hitches in use, and even hangs.
What I discovered was that it was finest to actually single-task, shut the apps I wasn’t utilizing on the time, and reduce the variety of processes that ran within the background at startup. And that labored OK: Microsoft Edge and Chrome have been high quality on their very own, as have been Microsoft Phrase and Typora. However as soon as I received into creation apps like Affinity Picture, or working even two to a few lesser desktop apps concurrently, the problems have been fast and apparent. Utilizing Visible Studio to open one among my typical tasks after which compile after which run it was like watching bread toast. Dialogs appeared slowly, editor home windows stuffed in with textual content as I sat there and waited and watched, and it was actually minutes earlier than the working app appeared. No bueno.
If you may get previous all that, you’ve a alternative of 16 or 32 GB of soldered, non-upgradeable LPDDRx-7500 RAM that solely runs at LPDDRx-6400 speeds as a result of the processor is so gradual. The storage selections, at the very least, are fascinating: 256 GB, 512 GB, or 1 TB of recent PCIe NVMe Opal 2.0 2242 SSD storage. The overview unit straddles the low finish of the configuration potentialities, with a Core Extremely 5 processor, 16 GB of RAM, and 512 GB of storage, and it was borderline unusable, as famous.
Warmth was minimal, however the followers emitted a low whirring sound more often than not throughout use. It wasn’t annoying, nevertheless it was ever-present.
Connectivity
The X12’s connectivity capabilities are affordable however not forefront: You get Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3, and you’ll optionally add 4G LTE mobile knowledge with eSIM and nano SIM choices, however not 5G. NFC can also be available, although I’ve by no means discovered a real-world use case for this radio in a private laptop. I didn’t expertise any points with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, however OneDrive file downloads appear to have been impacted by the gradual system efficiency: Every time I attempted to open a cloud-only file, a dialog would show for minutes at a time whereas I waited for it to obtain. This was true of even small recordsdata, which I discovered worrying.
Ports and enlargement
Due to its small dimension and pill type issue, the ThinkPad X12 understandably offers minimal enlargement capabilities. There are solely two USB Kind-C ports, which is okay, however each are on the PC’s left facet: A Thunderbolt 4/USB4 port with 40 Gbps of information switch efficiency, Energy Supply, and DisplayPort 2.1 that’s far too excessive on the chassis, and situated just below a combo headphone/microphone jack, and a ten Gbps USB 3.2 port with Energy Supply and DisplayPort 2.1 capabilities that’s nearer to the underside. And thus best for an influence connection.
And that’s it. On the appropriate facet of the machine, you’ll discover the Quantity up and down buttons above a Kensington nano safety slot.
The facility button is on the highest, and there’s a Pogo connector on the underside for the bundled folio keyboard.
Audio and video
The ThinkPad X12 has two small 1-watt audio system, they usually’re backed by Dolby Atmos immersive sound capabilities. Sadly, their place excessive on both facet of the show (when used usually with the kickstand) means they’ll’t profit from the bass-enhancing impact laptops with bottom-firing audio system get when used on a strong floor. So that they’re a bit tinny sounding with a hole echo, they usually don’t provide a really deep sound stage. They get fairly loud for a single listener in entrance of the PC, however couldn’t fill a room with sound. However there was no noticeable distortion, at the very least, even at full quantity.
Nobody goes to buy a small 2-in-1 pill for its leisure capabilities. Which is able to work out high quality, because it simply delivers the fundamentals.
Hybrid work
The ThinkPad X12’s hybrid work capabilities are equally first rate at finest. The PC includes a front-facing 5 MP fastened focus webcam, an 8 MP rear-facing digicam with auto focus, and dual-array microphones backed with Dolby Voice capabilities.
That every one looks as if it could be fairly nice nevertheless it’s simply satisfactory. The webcam gives first rate high quality however will get grainy in decrease gentle environments. The problem is the angle of the show/physique: It leans again up to now that it was tough to be in body with out contorting myself or attempting to prop up the PC on one thing.
There are some configuration settings associated to background removing, auto-framing, and extra within the Lenovo View app, and because of the X12’s Meteor Lake innards, it helps based mostly video-based Home windows Studio Results.
The microphones don’t help Voice focus, the one audio entry in Home windows Studio Results, however you’ll be able to configure the Dolby Voice background noise removing capabilities within the Dolby Entry app, they usually’re fairly first rate. I made a number of take a look at recordings and might simply hear the distinction when that is toggled. However the high quality isn’t nice, and noise discount can garble speech.
I didn’t actually take a look at the rear digicam adequately, as I’ve no use for it. However it suffers from the identical angled view difficulty because the entrance webcam, and would make most sense if the consumer was holding the machine like an enormous smartphone. Which I suppose is the purpose.
Keyboard and touchpad
If the ThinkPad X12 has an upside, it’s the removable folio keyboard cowl, which incorporates a top quality, full-sized, and backlit keyboard, a traditional TrackPoint twin pointing system, and even a match on chip fingerprint reader. Plus there’s a enjoyable pen loop for maintaining the bundled Lenovo Digital Pen safe in transit.
From a typing perspective, all the pieces is nice: The folio keyboard offers that acquainted ThinkPad key really feel, with strong, non-clacky key presses and a minimal of flex, provided that it’s built-into a protecting cowl. As with Floor Professional, you’ll be able to angle the keyboard up towards the underside of the PC’s physique utilizing built-in magnets, or lay it flat on the desk. I most popular the previous and located the keyboard to be comfy and correct. I additionally like that Lenovo didn’t attempt to jam tiny PgUp and PgDn keys into the arrow key structure.
There are issues, after all. The X12 folio keyboard has a Copilot key, which I’m rising to detest. The Fn and Ctrl keys are reversed, as famous. And it’s tied to an in any other case cramped PC, making the general expertise much less good.
The TrackPoint nubbin and devoted left, center, and proper buttons are current and work usually, and the touchpad is delightfully small for 2024 and labored precisely and reliably.
Lenovo additionally bundles its Digital Pen with the X12, which is a pleasant contact for many who want such a factor. However you can too improve to a Lenovo Precision Pen, which provides tilt detection, yet one more configurable button, and magnetic attachment capabilities. I’m a fan of the pen loop, nevertheless, and really feel that’s the safer alternative, irrespective of which pen you get.
Safety
The ThinkPad X12 delivers all of the anticipated consumer security measures, together with Home windows Whats up fingerprint and facial recognition capabilities. The webcam has a guide privateness change, as is frequent as of late, and you’ll toggle the microphone utilizing a devoted perform key.
Sustainability
The X12 is sort of sustainable, with 90 % recycled magnesium within the physique, 30 % PCC recycled plastic within the folio keyboard cowl, 30 % PCC recycled plastic within the speaker enclosures, 50 % recycled aluminum within the kickstand, 25 % PCC recycled plastic within the battery enclosure, and as much as 90 % PCC recycled plastic within the AC adaptor. Plus, the packaging makes use of 85 % recycled plastic and/or sustainable supplies.
Sadly, it doesn’t help any self-service choices in any respect. There are uncovered screws, however the case can’t be separated by the shopper with out violating the guarantee, and even primary parts just like the M.2-based SSD storage and WWAN module would require knowledgeable technician.
Effectivity and portability
Given its tiny dimension–11.15 x 8.01 x 0.35 inches by itself or 11.15 x 8.19 x 0.57 inches with the folio keyboard hooked up–and light-weight weight–1.67/2.42 kilos–the ThinkPad X12 is, after all, extremely moveable. However the instant-on capabilities have been a blended bag, and battery life was lackluster: I noticed a median of simply 4 hours of real-world battery life.
A part of the issue, I believe, is the PC’s small 42 Wh battery. However you’ll be able to at the very least Speedy Cost it to 80 % in a single hour utilizing the bundled 65-watt USB-C energy provide.
Software program
Lenovo treats its ThinkPad prospects proper on the subject of crapware: The X12 ships with nothing untoward, although there are a number of utilities, most tied to {hardware} parts, like Look (for presence-related privateness alerts), Lenovo Business Vantage, Lenovo Pen Settings, Lenovo View, Realtek Audio Console, Synaptics Fingerprint Reader Preboot Supervisor, Person Information, and three Intel utilities.
Pricing and configurations
The ThinkPad X12 sometimes begins at $2200 for a configuration with an Intel Core Extremely 5 134U vPro processor, 16 GB of RAM, and 256 GB of SSD storage. Clearly, that’s costly: A comparable Floor Professional 10 for Enterprise with a Floor Professional Keyboard with Slim Pen for Enterprise undercuts that worth by about $400, and it features a extra elegant system for storing and charging its bundled good pen. However Lenovo merchandise are sometimes on sale, and you’ll at present purchase that base configuration for about $1560.
As famous above, nevertheless, few folks could be glad with the efficiency supplied by Intel’s weakest current-generation processor structure, and Qualcomm Snapdragon X would make for a dramatic enchancment in efficiency and battery life. And on that word, a comparable Floor Professional 11 for Enterprise, with a Snapdragon X Elite processor, 512 GB of SSD storage, and the identical Floor Professional Keyboard with Slim Pen for Enterprise is available in at about $1900, nonetheless $300 inexpensive than the Lenovo on paper. (Shoppers may get the identical PC, however with the superior Floor Professional Flex Keyboard with Slim Pen for about $1950 as nicely.)
However you need to follow ThinkPad. I get it. An improve to the Intel Core Extremely 7 164U vPro will add over $280 to the worth. Shifting to 32 GB provides $149. Storage upgrades to 512 GB ($134) and 1 TB ($357) can be found. As is 4G/LTE mobile broadband, at $134. Toss in Home windows 11 Professional–an affordable $60 improve–and also you’re an astonishing $3200 for a completely decked out X12, assuming you pay full worth. Regardless, it’s nonetheless saddled by an Intel Core Extremely U-series processor.
Suggestions and conclusions
It’s tough to advocate the ThinkPad X12, and never simply because the Floor Professional 11 exists and is superior in each manner possible. Saddled by underpowered Intel Core Extremely U-series processors, the X12 simply doesn’t ship the day-to-day efficiency any potential buyer would need, and its small show, underwhelming battery life, and expense serve to additional undercut its few constructive attributes, most notably the ThinkPad appears to be like and construct high quality and the first rate folio keyboard.
I might like to see a reimagined model of this product with Qualcomm Snapdragon processor selections, a thinner physique, and far smaller bezels.
At-a-glance
Execs
First rate typing expertise except for the Fn/Ctrl reversal
ThinkPad appears to be like and construct high quality
Home windows Whats up fingerprint and facial recognition capabilities
Consists of good pen and folio keyboard with pen loop
Cons
Unacceptable efficiency
Tiny show with ridiculously giant bezels
Show can’t stand upright
Minimal enlargement capabilities with each USB-C ports on the identical facet
Lackluster battery life and effectivity