ThinkPad X240s

The new slim X-Series is a thinner and slightly lighter version of the X-Series, with some features less (DockingPort, removable battery etc.). Thats all about it. If someone wants these features, then he gets an regular X-Series, if someone doesn´t need them and likes to have a slimmer and lighter Notebook, he could take the slim X.

 

Oxf77 and others' point is that there really doesn't seem to be much of a difference in size and weight between the two models, at least with respect to previous iterations of the X2xxs models.

You misinterpreted Kaso's point with the "needs and preferences" regarding the fact that there are 2 separate models, X240 and X240s, with too similar size and performance. How is the person for which weight is the important factor served? It just seems incredibly weird to offer 2 SKUs again and not make the s model, you know, small and light like its predecessors. It's not like lenovo would be limiting choice by sacrificing processing power and optimizing the X240s to make the most of a haswell chip and smaller battery size is fine when the X240 is available for anyone that needs more power..

Their release schedule and models this year have been kind of goofy overall though. Maybe haswell's shipping schedule is to blame.

 

Yes because one is a S version and the x230 isn't..... you should be comparing x240s with the x201s.

Once again- what is the point of buying a light laptop and then shoving a massive battery on it- might as well get the T440s. Look at Sony laptops- their ultraportable is VERY ultraportable. The x240 (apart from discrete graphics) is going to be very similar to the T440s at this rate.

I haven't seen the internals of the X1 Carbon.

Why can't Lenovo take the x201s chassis- upgrade the CPU/memory/mobo for Haswell, upgrade the screen to IPS and then keep the dimensions the same and the battery offerings the same?

-1.1Kg ultraportable
-16GB max memory
- Haswell CPU
- IPS screen.

If you want 6 cell- you attach 6 cell, if you want mega-light- you use 4 cell. Why didn't Lenovo just do this? Everyone can have whatever they want via using a different battery.

 

Dunno about you guys but I think this will be my next baby!

Looks sweet now that it has a touchpad included (yes I know "real" thinkpad users use the TrackPoint but I still like a nice touchpad for some stuff). I have a T410s now and was thinking of getting the T440s but wanted something smaller in general. This seems to be it!

 

Doesn't having 2x 3-cell batteries, with one being removable meet both needs? An option for long battery life, and an option for lighter travel. (edit: I guess that only applies to the X240 and not the "s".)

I could look past the limited RAM, I think... maybe. Now I'm just wondering if they'll offer full-power Haswell CPU's and Windows 7 support (though I highly doubt it).

Having the non-touch FHD IPS screen option is probably the biggest reason I'm looking at this machine at all. I may not like Apple, but at least they're pushing other companies to FINALLY get away from lame resolutions and TN panels.

 

They do but if you enter the ultraportable niche and sacrifice certain crucial components and features (like upgradeability, limited ram, storage, etc), you will quickly find yourself competing against a gazillion of other similar devices both from the business and consumer sector. And when that happens, you will realize that your product no longer has anything which made it special. And all that for those 300gr weight difference which in the end won't even make any difference to the customer. It's an illusion. You will still be using the exact same bag, and the bag will still weigh the same as the extra 1/3 of an inch that you managed to free up will be taken by some useless junk which you don't need anyway That's the reality I see on a daily basis.
And another thing: Big corporations want to move all the data away from the end user and into their cloud to have absolute control over it. And they are successfully driving us there by letting us choose the candy (super light and ultra thin). Now, I'm not saying we should go back to 6kg notebooks. But there could be a better paradigm. Instead of taking control from the end user by making onboard solutions, keep them separate and let the user choose how many CPU's/GPU's/SSD's they need/want, similar to desktops.

To what you could have had.

 

I'm getting a bit frustrated here, what is wrong with:

x240s 1.1kg, very light, ULV CPU
x240 1.4kg, light, Normal CPU

This is exactly what they did with the x200/s and x201/s- bingo! Worked!

Then you cover most people who normally look at the X-Series

 

lol, I confused myself. Was talking about x240, for some reason I thought it was getting a ulv CPU and low RAM.... (

 

I think both versions are stuck at 8GB RAM. IBMThink said there's a possibility the X240 (non-s) will get full-power CPUs when they're released in September. Either way, Lenovo hasn't announced/finalized anything yet. If the X240 is slightly larger for wutever reason, I hope they can stick extra RAM in there. 16GB RAM, regular CPU's, FHD IPS, 11-hour battery life... yeah, that'd just about do it.

 

I'm really hoping so too.
But in the unfortunate scenario of being stuck with 8gb for both versions, I'm wondering what would be better for everyday tasks (office, browsing, pdfs, etc) a x230 with 16gb or x240 (haswell obviously) with 8gb . Or would it be reasonable to wait for them to implement DDR4 latter, hopefully after a few months ?

 

Well I very much like companies like Lenovo to offer a -slim and light + batter- at the expense of performance. Its not like they dont have other models which focus more on performance at the expense of weight.
Every model type should have its focus and be strong in that one. So ppl can find the models that fit them.
To me it seems nowadays everybody wants everything in all the models. With the result of none being really light or really powerfull (exagerating to make the point).

I agree, thats a big pity indeed.
To have the choice always was awesome in the Thinkpads, and also the option to carry a spare battery with me. I guess they didnt manage to build the chassis with the X240s's components in a way they could still make the battery exchangable. I dont think it was by choice they didnt want to have that option anymore, probably they would have had to sacrifice some other stuff to make it happen...
:-(

best wishes,
alex.

 

Dont you think so?
Its not like there is another Thinkpad series that has stronger emphasis on portability/weight than the X's, right?
For me that was always the reason to buy X's (priorities in that order): size, weight, and then comes suitable performance.

best wishes,
A.

 

Few specs from HK, already available:

ThinkPad X240
CPU Intel Core i7-4500U (1.8GHz, up to 3.0GHz / 4MB cache)
Operating System Windows® 8 64-bit (Eng and TC)
Chipset SoC
Memory 1 x 8GB DDR3L 1600MHz (Max. 8GB) / 0 Free Slots
Hard-Disk 1TB (5400rpm SATA HDD) +16G mSATA
Display 12.5" HD IPS Backlight (1366 x 768)
Graphic Control Integrated Intel® HD Graphics 4400
Optical Drive Optional External Drive Purchased Separately
Communication Gigabit Ethernet, Intel WIFI 7260 / Bluetooth 4.0
Ports / Media 2x USB 3.0 / 1 x VGA / 1 x Mini Display port/ 1 x Audio/Mic Combo Jack / 4-in-1 Card Reader (SD, SDHC, SDXC, MMC) / HD Webcam
Battery Lithium Ion 6-cell / Up to 6 hours (Internal 3 cell + External 3 cell)
Dimension 305.5(W) x 208.5 (D) x 20.3(H) mm / touch: 305.5(W) x 208.5 (D) x 22 (H) mm / Approx. 1.33kg / touch: Approx. 1.62kg
Warranty 3 years carry-in International Warranty / 1 year for system battery / 1 year Protection Service

ThinkPad X240 touch
CPU Intel Core i7-4500U (1.8GHz, up to 3.0GHz / 4MB cache)
Operating System Windows® 8 64-bit (Eng and TC)
Chipset SoC
Memory 1 x 8GB DDR3L 1600MHz (Max. 8GB) / 0 Free Slots
Hard-Disk 1TB (5400rpm SATA HDD) +16G mSATA
Display 12.5" HD IPS Backlight 10 points Multi Touch(1366 x 768)
Graphic Control Integrated Intel® HD Graphics 4400
Optical Drive Optional External Drive Purchased Separately
Communication Gigabit Ethernet, Intel WIFI 7260 / Bluetooth 4.0
Ports / Media 2x USB 3.0 / 1 x VGA / 1 x Mini Display port/ 1 x Audio/Mic Combo Jack / 4-in-1 Card Reader (SD, SDHC, SDXC, MMC) / HD Webcam
Battery Lithium Ion 6-cell / Up to 6 hours (Internal 3 cell + External 3 cell)
Dimension 305.5(W) x 208.5 (D) x 20.3(H) mm / touch: 305.5(W) x 208.5 (D) x 22 (H) mm / Approx. 1.33kg / touch: Approx. 1.62kg
Warranty 3 years carry-in International Warranty / 1 year for system battery / 1 year Protection Service

ThinkPad X240s
CPU Intel Core i7-4500U (1.8GHz, up to 3.0GHz / 4MB cache)
Operating System Windows® 8 64-bit (Eng and TC)
Chipset SoC
Memory 1 x 8GB DDR3L 1600MHz (Max. 8GB) / 0 Free slots
Hard-Disk 1TB (5400rpm SATA HDD) +24G mSATA
Display 12.5" HD IPS Backlight (1366 x 768) / touch: 12.5" HD IPS Backlight 10 Points Multi Touch (1366 x 768)
Graphic Control Integrated Intel® HD Graphics 4400
Optical Drive Optional External Drive Purchased Separately
Communication Gigabit Ethernet, Intel WIFI 7260 / Bluetooth 4.0
Ports / Media 2x USB 3.0 / 1 x VGA / 1 x Mini Display port/ 1 x Audio/Mic Combo Jack / 4-in-1 Card Reader (SD, SDHC, SDXC, MMC) / HD Webcam
Battery Lithium Ion 6-cell / Up to 6 hours
Dimension 305.5(W) x 206.5 (D) x17.7(H) mm / touch: 305.5(W) x 208.5(D) x19.7(H) mm / Approx. 1.29kg / touch: Approx. 1.5kg
Warranty 3 years carry-in International Warranty / 1 year for system battery / 1 year Protection Service

Source

 

You could get away with using an x61 for those, let alone Haswell-laptop.

So,

- MUCH more efficient CPU (Haswell)
- Lighter drive (SSD vs HDD)
- same max memory as x201s

and the x240s still weighs 200g more than the x200s/x201s......

Could I remove one of the 3-cell batteries? Anyone know how much it'd weigh then?

 

Yeah, what a shame.

 

With the exception of the keyboard- I dont think the x240s excels better than the Vaio Pro 13 at anything....

 

The Vaio Pro 13, with a flexing chassis and a ton of keyboard flex? It is so light, that the quality and the reliability of the chassis suffers. And the battery is much smaller than on the X240s.

Also, where is Ethernet, DisplayPort or VGA? Is the RAM removable?

No, I don think the Vaio Pro 13 exels the X240s, other than being lighter.

 

and larger screen
and better quality screen
and lighter
and faster SSD (PCI-E on US models)

Not having Ethernet/VGA/Displayport doesn't make it a worse keyboard- it just makes it less likely for business consumers.

Lenovo messed up this x240s and it could have been an amazing laptop.

 

Leeeeeeeeeeeets play spot-the-difference:

ThinkPad X240
CPU Intel Core i7-4500U (1.8GHz, up to 3.0GHz / 4MB cache)
Operating System Windows® 8 64-bit (Eng and TC)
Chipset SoC
Memory 1 x 8GB DDR3L 1600MHz (Max. 8GB) / 0 Free Slots
Hard-Disk 1TB (5400rpm SATA HDD) +16G mSATA
Display 12.5" HD IPS Backlight (1366 x 768)
Graphic Control Integrated Intel® HD Graphics 4400
Optical Drive Optional External Drive Purchased Separately
Communication Gigabit Ethernet, Intel WIFI 7260 / Bluetooth 4.0
Ports / Media 2x USB 3.0 / 1 x VGA / 1 x Mini Display port/ 1 x Audio/Mic Combo Jack / 4-in-1 Card Reader (SD, SDHC, SDXC, MMC) / HD Webcam
Battery Lithium Ion 6-cell / Up to 6 hours (Internal 3 cell + External 3 cell)
Dimension 305.5(W) x 208.5 (D) x 20.3(H) mm / touch: 305.5(W) x 208.5 (D) x 22 (H) mm / Approx. 1.33kg / touch: Approx. 1.62kg
Warranty 3 years carry-in International Warranty / 1 year for system battery / 1 year Protection Service

ThinkPad X240s
CPU Intel Core i7-4500U (1.8GHz, up to 3.0GHz / 4MB cache)
Operating System Windows® 8 64-bit (Eng and TC)
Chipset SoC
Memory 1 x 8GB DDR3L 1600MHz (Max. 8GB) / 0 Free slots
Hard-Disk 1TB (5400rpm SATA HDD) +24G mSATA
Display 12.5" HD IPS Backlight (1366 x 768) / touch: 12.5" HD IPS Backlight 10 Points Multi Touch (1366 x 768)
Graphic Control Integrated Intel® HD Graphics 4400
Optical Drive Optional External Drive Purchased Separately
Communication Gigabit Ethernet, Intel WIFI 7260 / Bluetooth 4.0
Ports / Media 2x USB 3.0 / 1 x VGA / 1 x Mini Display port/ 1 x Audio/Mic Combo Jack / 4-in-1 Card Reader (SD, SDHC, SDXC, MMC) / HD Webcam
Battery Lithium Ion 6-cell / Up to 6 hours
Dimension 305.5(W) x 206.5 (D) x17.7(H) mm / touch: 305.5(W) x 208.5(D) x 19.7(H) mm / Approx. 1.29kg / touch: Approx. 1.5kg
Warranty 3 years carry-in International Warranty / 1 year for system battery / 1 year Protection Service


Was it really worth having an x240 version?!

 

Those specs are not official. Who knows if there is any mistake or not.


One thing that caught my eye is that "X240 Battery Lithium Ion 6-cell / Up to 6 hours". This does not sound right. X220 with 6-cell already has up to 9 hours. How can X240 with 6 cells has shorter battery life?



I have a X220 that I brought with me everyday, both for entertaining (music) and for working (programming, e-book reading). But I found the lack of touch screen inconvenient. I might get the touch version of x240.

 

Of course much will depend on the settings, but my X220i was more like six hours with the six-cell when the battery was new. I'd expect the same for the X240 if it has a six-cell. The X240s with a six-cell should do better because Haswell shines with the ULV CPUs.

 

if these are the true specs of the X240, I'm extremely disappointed Where's the full voltage CPU? 16GB RAM? are u kidding me??? ((

 

Yeah, i'm resigned to waiting until Lenovo makes an official announcement. I'm hoping that they're waiting until full-power CPU's are available so they can announce it along with the X240. For now I'm drooling over the Google Nexus 7.

 

So, how do you know the screen quality is better? I haven´t seen a test of the X240s with FHD IPS yet.

Well, the X240s can accept conventional 2.5" 9.5mm SSDs and HDDs, which is more important to business-customers than this non-conventional PCI-E format.

Again, in the end, the only Pro for the Vaio is "Lighter" and maybe "bigger screen" (but it is also bigger because of the bigger screen).

Lenovo.jp says 11.8h for the X240s, probably in Idle, so 6hs are maybe with full HD video playback.

 

I'm totally ready to do my very own upgrades. New CPU, new heatpipe, new thermal paste, new RAM sticks, new SSDs, new screen... I wish the keyboard could be "downgraded."

 

It seems that everything will be soldered to the mobo except for the storage. And the new 12.5" FHD screen has a different connector....

 

The RAM isn´t soldered, nothing is soldered apart from the CPU ...and the CPU is soldered in the X-Series since the first X, the X20.

 

There is only one memory slot- you aren't going to be able to create a second memory slot....

Your only hope is for a 16GB SODIMM stick.

 

Isn't half of the RAM on-board (4GB) like in most ultrabooks?

 

The T440s has 4 GB of soldered RAM, but not the X240s.

 

I had my eyes on the next T, probably T440s, but now the x240s comes with IPS FHD touch available, thinner and lighter than the T series, it makes a better choice for my needs, especially after using the Acer S7-391 for a while, i think i really prefer a smaller frame and less weight.

however one question concerns me, the x240s comes with 2 internal 3-cell batteries, how does it work? do the 2 batteries discharge sequentially (meaning drain the first one completely, then start discharging the second battery) or simultaneously (meaning both battery discharge at the same time)?

if the battery system work sequentially, that mean the "first battery" will stay in a "completely drained" state quite often, and the "second battery" will stay in "fully charged" condition a lot, both states are bad for trying to maintain a healthy condition of a Li-ion battery. I worry that the batteries in this setup will degrade too fast.

this applies to the new T440s as well, i rely on battery a lot, and i need my computer to last 5-6 hrs under medium work load. 11.8 hrs sounds very good, but you know lenovo, it probably last 7 hrs or so tops... if the batteries are often fully charged and/or completely drained, I'm afraid I may have to change for new batteries sooner than I'd liked.

 

As far as I understand, the external battery is discharged first.

But LiOn battery health is overrated. How long it will last depends on many factors, including the type and manufacturer and the batch of the cells inside it. E.g. I have two 2+ years old 27++ batteries, both looking exactly the same, in different laptops, one with Sanyo cells (160 cycles) and the other one with Panasonic (about 250 cycles). Panasonic is still at 90% of the design capacity, and Sanyo is at 60%. So it's pointless to worry, or pamper the battery. It's a replaceable battery. Dead => $100, click, and it's a brand new one. When it's dead for the second time, you have a 5 years old laptop that may need replacement anyway.

 

Is there a way to choose the panasonic batteries, say for older thinkpads? I have an x201 I want to keep for a while.

 

No idea. Not sure if a manufacturer is a good indicator in general - Sanyo and Panasonic are huge companies, with multiple factories, they produce different products etc, and what will end up in the particular plastic battery case, and how will it respond to a particular use pattern all requires testing.

 

What you guys think would be better for everyday tasks (office, browsing, pdfs, etc), a X230 with 16GB or X240 with 8GB ?
Or would it be reasonable to wait for Lenovo to implement DDR4 to X240, hopefully after a few months ?

 

I think it's unlikely you'd surpass 4GB given the usage. The X240 is a bit of an unknown right now and the devil's in the details. If you're thinking about getting the X240, you might want to wait for the reviews and you can always get the X230 if that turns out to be a better fit. If you want the FHD on the X240, that might be a reason to wait.

 

Speaking of weight, how much lighter is a SSD compared to a HDD? I notice from the link below that there will be a full SSD option (256GB)

http://lenovoservicetraining.com/content/CourseWarePublic/20288/player.html

 

They're not much lighter.

The more I see of this notebook, the more I like it.

 

Compared to your X301 it looks very good. Wish I didn't need 16GB RAM and tons of storage

 

I didn't get it:

- only one RAM slot! This means no access to dual channel, means the HD4400 will probably be slower than the HD4000 at x230?!
- 50% fixed battery and 50% removable? WHY? This was one of the big advantages of Lenovos x2xx!

What are the pros for the x240?

 

Better battery life.
Better screen.
Better form factor (maybe if the trackpointer buttons are good).
Slightly more CPU power, more GPU power.

 

====> General assumption: The specs already published are true !! <====

I prefer NO internal battery but one exchangeable!

Really? Why?

That might be a pro.

I don't need 1-2% more CPU when I loose 20-30% GPU power! If there is only one RAM slot, no dual channel is a real step back!

 

I suppose 2 swappable batteries would be nice... but it's still a nice feature that you can swap out a battery without powering down, or choose to leave the external battery to travel lighter.

1920x1080 IPS, and you're asking why? I guess everyone has different needs, but aren't we tired of all the 1366x768 screens?

and stop throwing out random numbers, you have no idea how the GPU will be impacted by the RAM at this point. 20-30% loss? c'mon man... tho i do agree that this single dimm business is ridiculous and a big step back.

 

HD4400 performance boost compared to HD4000 is quite small (HD5200 boost is huge!). Dual channel means 25-40% more power. No dual channel but slight HD4400 improvement? A shame!

 

They'll have to pry my X301 from my cold dead hands. This X240s is the first Lenovo design that even made me consider an eventual successor.

 

-What was wrong with the previous battery life? They have completely deteriorated performance at the expense of bettering a battery life which was fine.
-Agreed
-Better form factor?? I don't want a touchpad- why am I being forced to have one and then need to disable it in the BIOS so my wrist doesn't keep accident brushing it.
The i7 on the x230 is more powerful.....

and most importantly weight:

-x201s/x200s 1.1kg
-x240s 1.28kg

 

According to cnet.com, the weight of X201s with the 6 cell battery is 2.7 lbs, or 1.22 kg.

Lenovo ThinkPad X201s 5397 Specs (12.1" - Core i7 640LM - Windows 7 Pro 64-bit - 4 GB RAM - 320 GB HDD) - Laptops - CNET Reviews

Also X201s is 12.1", while X240s is supposed to be 12.5" though it is not confirmed.

 

The weight with the 4 cell is 1.1kg

12.1 vs 12.5 hardly makes a difference- the Sony Vaio Pro 13 is 13.3 and weighs 1.06kg.

 

keep in mind Lenovo hasn't officially announced anything in North America or Europe (i believe). So its possible we'll get full-powered CPU's plus the improved battery life and FHD IPS... that 8GB limit is still BS though.

 

I need a new laptop for school, so is it worth waiting for this one or should I just buy the x230 right now and just upgrade the memory to 16GB and get a 512GB SSD?