The webcam is 1080p, which is stable, although we’re seeing a variety of premium laptops transfer to 5-megapixel and even 12-MP sensors like Apple’s new MacBook Air (M4). I did encounter one major problem—flickering throughout video calls. The digital camera labored positive, however each time I began a video name, it might flicker to black each few seconds. Lenovo appeared satisfied this was a fixable bug, however that’s not what you need to see on an expensive machine.
Quick and Lengthy-Lasting Sufficient?
The ThinkPad X9 14 is on the market in two processor choices, the Intel Core Extremely 5 226V and Core Extremely 7 258V. My unit was the sooner choice, although neither are powerhouses. They’re a part of Intel’s Lunar Lake sequence, which tilts the stability towards effectivity and battery life reasonably than brute power. That’s anticipated on this laptop computer class (although it’s value noting how briskly the M4 MacBook Air is by comparability).
{Photograph}: Luke Larsen
I wasn’t all that impressed by the Cinebench and Geekbench scores, however as long as you’re purchasing within the acceptable class in your wants, you gained’t be disillusioned by the ThinkPad X9 14. For normal work and enterprise instances, the ThinkPad X9 14 will swimsuit you simply positive.
Battery life isn’t fairly as robust as I’d hoped, lasting solely 12 hours and quarter-hour in my native video playback check, significantly behind a lot of its friends—or at the very least laptops with this chip. That is higher than the Home windows laptops in earlier Intel generations, although. Relying in your workload, it might nonetheless get you thru most of a workday away from the wall.
A New Period
The ThinkPad X9 14 seems like a little bit of an experiment. On Lenovo’s official website, it markets the machine towards small enterprise homeowners, which is sensible in principle, however Lenovo additionally has the ThinkBook line, which is a completely separate model dedicated to this demographic. These are typically extra inexpensive, whereas the ThinkPad X9 14 carries the premium options and design.
The OLED show, thinner chassis, and haptic suggestions trackpad are the highlights, and the elimination of the TrackPoint helps additional modernize this laptop computer in my ebook. Solely ThinkPad diehards nonetheless swear by the distinctive navigation, one thing the executives at Lenovo are properly conscious of. The ThinkPad X9 14 is an effective subsequent step in evolving the model past its roots, however the competitors is stiff, providing higher battery life and efficiency at decrease costs. Laptops just like the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition, MacBook Air, or Asus Zenbook 14 OLED all present some or all of those advantages.
If the ThinkPad model nonetheless holds a mark of pedigree for you, although, the ThinkPad X9 14 definitely brings it into a brand new period, as long as you’re keen to say goodbye to the beloved TrackPoint.
