Lenovo ThinkBook 13S Hands-on

Lenovo has just launched in the Philippines their latest business notebook that features a premium build, slim bezels, a fingerprint scanner, and a 5-segment hinge – the ThinkBook 13S. Check out our hands-on below.

One of the first things you’ll notice about the ThinkBook 13S is its premium build thanks to its all-aluminum chassis in mineral gray tone. It’s cool to the touch, and the compact build makes it easy to put in a bag or lug around.

The ThinkBook 13S also features a shoulder eaves design to give the notebook a distinct look. The edges, especially the front side, stick out in an angle, which makes it easier for the user to open the lid.

Looking at the left side, we have the notebook’s power port, HDMI 1.4b, USB 3.1 Type-C, combo mic/audio port.

On the right are two USB 3.1 Type-A ports. Sadly, no SD card ports.

Flip the laptop over, and you will see the rubber nubs, vents, and two speakers powered by Harman.

Open the laptop, and you will be greeted by the 13.3-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS anti-glare display. Found at the top of the is the 1MP webcam and microphones.

The display is powered by Dolby Vision HDR and has nice colors, with decent viewing angles, and a reasonable 300 nits of brightness. The slim side and top bezels also help in making the screen look more immersive. The bottom is too thick though but doesn’t ruin the whole viewing experience.

One of the main features of the ThinkBook 13S is the zinc-alloy hinge that lets the users adjust the angle of the display up to 180-degrees. Lenovo says the hinge can endure up to 25,000 open-and-close cycles and is coated with indium and stannum to resist corrosion and enhance WiFi reception.

The ThinkBook 13S also features fingerprint scanner built-in to the illuminated power button.

For the keys, they’re plastic but reasonably spaced, quiet, and backlit. The trackpad, on the other hand, is large and smooth, which makes it easy to use.

Powering the ThinkBook 13S is an 8th-gen Intel CPU up to Core i7, up to 16GB DDR4 RAM, AMD Radeon 540X 2GB GDDR5 VRAM or integrated Intel UHD 620 graphics, up to 512GB SSD, and Windows 10 Pro. The 45Whr battery, on the other hand, is claimed to last for 11 hours.

Lenovo ThinkBook 13S specs:
13.3” FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS antiglare with Dolby Vision HDR (300 nits, 72% CG)
8th Generation Intel Core i5/i7 CPU
AMD Radeon 540X 2GB GDDR5 VRAM
Integrated Intel UHD 620 graphics on UMA
4GB, 8GB, 16GB DDR4 RAM
128GB, 256GB, 512GB M.2 PCIe SSD
256GB M.2 SATA SSD
1M Webcam
WiFi 802.11 ac
Bluetooth 5.2
USB 3.1 Type-C (Gen 2)
2x USB 3.1 Type-A (Gen 1)
HDMI 1.4b
Combo mic/audio
Touch Fingerprint reader
Dolby Audio certified 2 x 2W Harman speakers
Near-field Dual Array microphone
180-degree zinc alloy hinge
45Whr battery (up to 11 hours)
Windows 10 Pro

The Lenovo ThinkBook 13S carries the following price tags:

• PHP 54,990USD 937INR 79,439EUR 892CNY 6,824 – Intel Core i5-8265U, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Radeon 540X GPU, Windows 10 Home, 2 years carry-in warranty
• PHP 58,990USD 1,005INR 85,217EUR 957CNY 7,321 – Intel Core i5-8265U, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Integrated Intel UHD 620 on Unified Memory Architecture (UMA), Windows 10 Pro, 1 year carry-in warranty

It will be available in Lenovo Exclusive Stores located at SM North EDSA, SM Mall of Asia, and SM Megamall; as well as Thinking Tools SM City Cebu. Stay tuned for our full review.