Lenovo announces refreshed ThinkPad and IdeaPad lineup with Ryzen CPUs at MWC 2019

While phone-makers at MWC attempt to wow us with **impractical foldable smartphones** and innovative cameras, laptop-makers like Lenovo are, thankfully sticking to tried-and-true designs. Given that laptops are no longer glamorous, that’s actually a good thing. In general, it appears that Lenovo has refreshed most of its 2019 lineup with upgrades to newer 8th gen Intel CPUs, the introduction of AMD Ryzen CPUs, slimmer bezels privacy guards on its webcams. The laptops also include support for RapidCharge — proprietary Lenovo tech that can juice up the laptops at a rapid rate. [caption id=“attachment_6149841” align=“alignnone” width=“1024”] Lenovo is refreshing the bulk of its 2019 laptop line[/caption]

Lenovo IdeaPad C340

Available in 14” and 15” variants, this laptop offers a range of Intel and AMD processors. On the Intel front, we have CPUs from the Intel Pentium 5405U to the Intel Core i7-8565U. AMD CPU options include the Athlon 300U with Vega graphics and at the top, the Ryzen 7 3700U. You get a choice of 4, 8 or 16 GB of RAM, up to 512 GB of SSD storage (either SATA or PCIe), 500 GB or 1 TB HDDs or a combination of the two. [caption id=“attachment_6149701” align=“alignnone” width=“1280”] Lenovo IdeaPad C340[/caption] The AMD version only comes with SSD options and maxes out at 8 GB RAM. Display resolutions range from HD to FHD. I/O includes 2x USB Type-A 3.1 ports and 1x 3.1 Type C port. Lenovo promises a battery life of 8 hrs. The device’s hinge folds back completely, allowing one to use it in tablet mode with a stylus.

Lenovo IdeaPad S540

This one’s also available in 14” and 15” variants with either AMD or Intel CPUs. [caption id=“attachment_6149711” align=“alignnone” width=“1280”] Lenovo IdeaPad S540[/caption] The 14-inch models offer up to Ryzen 7 3700U or Intel Core i7 CPUs, 12 GB of RAM and 512 GB of PCIe SSD storage (high-speed). The Intel version supports an integrated Nvidia GPU. The Ryzen version, of course, uses Vega graphics. The 15-inch model appears to be available only an Intel-powered variant with Nvidia graphics. RAM goes up to 12 GB, storage to 512 as a PCIe SSD or up to 1 TB in an HDD + SSD combo. 16 GB of Intel Optane memory is also supported. The series should be available between April and June and will launch at a price of $729.99 for the cheapest, AMD-based model. Intel variants are about $99 more expensive.

Lenovo IdeaPad S340

Most of the specs here remain identical to those of the S540, including CPU, RAM and most of the storage options. [caption id=“attachment_6149731” align=“alignnone” width=“1280”] Lenovo IdeaPad S340[/caption] Promised battery life is 6 hrs, which is 2 less than that of the S540 line, and the screens max out at 250 nits of brightness (the top-spec S540 screens top out at 300 nits). There is a touchscreen option in this line, but it’s limited to 768p and is only available on the 15.6-inch model. The S340 line is more budget-friendly and starts at $369.99. The devices should be available from March onwards.

Lenovo ThinkPad X390 and X390 Yoga

The ThinkPad line is, of course, Lenovo’s core lineup for professionals. These laptops are the cream of the crop and include features like military-grade testing for durability, dust-resistance and various security tweaks. In terms of specs, the X390 and Yoga are almost identical. The Yoga, as the name suggests, has a 360-degree hinge and is thus, slightly heavier and bulkier than the regular model. Both lines feature Intel Core vPro series CPUs, up to 32 GB RAM, 1 TB of SSD storage and promise up to between 14-18 hrs of battery life (the Yoga has a larger battery but appears to consume more power). Both devices support Thunderbolt 3 via USB-C. These laptops also feature an interesting Privacy Guard feature that will disable notifications or even dim the display when the webcam and IR camera (infra-red) detect someone else standing near you or leaning over your shoulder. All devices boast of 13.3-inch screens, making them relatively compact and portable. In fact, the X390 weighs a mere 1.22 kg, with the Yoga being 100 g heavier. Prices start at $1,099 for the X390 and $1,359 for the Yoga. The devices should be available in May.

Lenovo ThinkPad T490 and T490s

These are the portable powerhouses in the ThinkPad line. They’re both 14-inch units but support really bright, 500 nit WQHD displays. They’re both powered by Intel Core vPro CPUs and offer up to 1 TB of PCIe storage. Interestingly, the T490s can be configured with up to 32 GB RAM while the T490 can be configured with 48 GB RAM if you so desire. The T490 and T490s promise 16 hrs and 20 hrs of battery life respectively. Both devices offer a plethora of ports for connectivity, including USB-A, USB-C (with Thunderbolt 3), HDMI, etc. The T490 weighs 1.46 kg while the T490s tips the scales at 1.27 kg. Pricing for the T490 starts at $999 and for the T490s at $1,279. Both devices should be available this May. **As always, you can head here if you wish to keep yourself apprised about the latest developments at MWC 2019**