Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 hands-on — meet the sleekest laptop at CES 2022

(Image credit: Hereafter)

Lenovo has unveiled the ThinkPad Z13 and ThinkPad Z16 during CES 2022, and with redesigned chassis with vegan leather, sustainable packaging, the latest Ryzen Pro CPUs and optional OLED displays, these ThinkPads are the hippest the visitor has always made.

These are the inaugural entries in Lenovo's new Z line of ThinkPads, a successor to its popular X series. These new Windows 11 laptops accept big shoes to fill given that at to the lowest degree one of the ThinkPad 10-serial laptops, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano, holds a superlative spot in our list of the best business laptops on the market correct now.

The ThinkPad Z13 and Z16 look different than their predecessors, as Lenovo has thinned the bezels around the display, expanded the touchpad beneath the keyboard, and added some new functionality to the trademark ruddy TrackPoint nub. Lenovo also added a (vegan) leather trim choice to the Z13 and embedded a hitting new Communications Bar atop the display of both models that houses an improved webcam, 2 design changes that will likely inspire some strong reactions among laptop fans.

Here's what we know so far about Lenovo's new ThinkPad Z13 and ThinkPad Z16 laptops, too equally our initial hands-on impressions.

@tomsguide
We stan eco-friendly packaging #tech #laptop #lenovo #sustainable #sustainability #ecofriendly #techtok #technology #thinkpad #computer #ces #recycle
♬ originalljud - South U P E R M O D E 50 South

Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 price and release date

The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is a new 13-inch ThinkPad that ships with Windows 11 in May 2022 for a starting toll of $1,549.

Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 closed and held in hand — (Epitome credit: Futurity)

Information technology will be bachelor in Black or Arctic Grey color schemes, equally well every bit an middle-catching Bronze model with recycled vegan black leather trim.

Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 design

The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 sports a slick redesign with overnice slim bezels around the screen (Lenovo claims information technology has a screen-to-body ratio of 91.6%), though at that place's a new Communications Bar embedded in the heart of the top bezel that extends out beyond the meridian edge of the laptop.

Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 close-up of the Communications Bar — (Image credit: Future)

Housed within that embedded chimera are dual-array mics, an infrared FHD webcam with support for Windows Hello (which means you lot can log in with your face) and an electronic eShutter you can appoint to block the webcam for privacy.

During our easily-on time with the ThinkPad Z13, we were impressed by how easily nosotros could lift the chapeau with i hand, and the narrow bezels around the display. But the standout model is the Bronze model; information technology's black vegan leather feels soft to the bear upon and information technology has a nice texture to it without being too showy.

Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 display

The display itself is pretty exciting, every bit past default the ThinkPad Z13 ships with a xiii.3-inch WUXGA (ane,920 x ane,200 pixels, 16:10 aspect ratio) IPS panel that tin (optionally) be configured as a touchscreen.

If you're willing to pay extra, you can besides get a Z13 with a WQXGA (2,560 × 1,600 pixels, 16:10 aspect ratio) OLED touchscreen display that supports Dolby Vision. OLEDs usually evangelize amend picture quality than IPS displays, with inkier blacks and better contrasts, then its heady to see Lenovo ship the Z13 with an OLED pick.

Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 sustainability

The ThinkPad Z Series is made of sustainable materials similar recycled aluminum and recycled black vegan leather, but that extends to the packaging. Its fabricated from 100% recyclable bamboo and sugarcane, and the Air conditioning ability adapter uses ninety% post-consumer content (PCC). Fifty-fifty the box handle is made of recycled cardboard instead of plastic.

Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 operation

Lenovo plans to offer the laptop with the latest AMD Ryzen 7 PRO U-Serial CPUs. AMD's Ryzen PRO CPUs are basically business-grade versions of its Ryzen CPUs with roughly similar performance only improved encryption and security options, including a built-in Microsoft Pluton security processor.

You lot won't be playing a lot of cutting-edge games on the Z13, as you can't become it with a discrete graphics bill of fare — so you're express to what will play well with the integrated Radeon graphics chipset. Nevertheless, the larger 16-inch Z16 will exist sold with an option to configure information technology with a discrete Radeon graphics carte du jour, though Lenovo yet hasn't said which carte du jour(south) will be available.

Memory-wise, you'll be able to configure the ThinkPad Z13 with up to 32GB of LPDDR5 RAM and up to a i TB SSD for storage.

Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 ports

As far as ports go, you lot won't accept a lot of options: merely a pair of USB-C ports (one on either side) and an audio jack for headphones. Information technology'southward enough for business concern apply, but hardly generous.

Lenovo ThinkPad Z16: A bigger, beefier Z13

The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is finer a larger version of the Z13 with bigger, beefier component options and less colour variety. It goes on sale in May 2022 for a starting price of $2,099, and information technology comes in 1 color: Arctic Grey.

In most respects the Z16 is identical to its smaller sibling, but there are some key differences. Most notably, information technology ships with a larger 16-inch 16:10 display that has an fifty-fifty ameliorate screen-to-body ratio (92.3%) than the smaller Z13. The Z16's display is likewise an IPS screen past default, with an option to configure information technology as a touchscreen as well as a pricier selection to upgrade to an OLED display with Dolby Vision support.

Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 on a pastel background — (Image credit: Lenovo)

Lenovo'southward ThinkPad Z16 ships with the latest AMD Ryzen PRO H-serial CPUs, which are more powerful than the U-series CPUs inside the smaller Z13. It will too be configurable with an optional (and yet unannounced) detached AMD GPU, whereas the Z13 is but available with the significantly less powerful integrated AMD Radeon graphics.

The ThinkPad Z16 is likewise configurable with up to 32GB of RAM, simply you can get it with up to a 2TB SSD, twice the amount of maximum storage available in the Z13. It also has a few more than ports than the Z13, as it sports 3 USB-C ports, an SD card reader and an audio jack.

Outlook

The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and its bigger, beefier sibling the Z16 offer an exciting expect at the future of ThinkPad blueprint.

While they still sport that bright cerise fiddling nub in the eye of the keyboard, these new ThinkPads accept more middle-communicable designs than their predecessors, and the improver of a leather trim pick on the Z13 makes this a real beloved-it-or-hate-information technology laptop. The option to fox it out with an OLED touchscreen and the latest Radeon chips helps complete the Z13'due south prototype as the premium business laptop for 2022.

Of course, we'll have to become i in for testing ourselves before we can say for sure how well information technology performs, how long it lasts, or whether that leather trim was a skilful idea. Stay tuned!

Alex Wawro is a lifelong tech and games enthusiast with more than a decade of experience covering both for outlets similar Game Programmer, Black Hat, and PC World magazine. He currently serves as a senior editor at Tom's Guide covering all things calculating, from laptops and desktops to keyboards and mice.