Lenovo ThinkPad X220 review

The Lenovo ThinkPad X220 is a high-end 12.1 inch business notebook with great portability and Lenovo’s sober design. We check for strengths and weaknesses.

What we like best

Lenovo have it down when it comes to type-friendly keyboards, and despite the small form factor, the X220 offers great feedback and travel with its keyboard. There is also the much-loved (by Lenovo fans, anyway) red trackpoint in the middle of the keyboard, which once again works brilliantly and offers an alternative to the touchpad.

The screen of the Lenovo ThinkPad X220 is in standard 1366 x 768 and offers very good viewing angles. Sharp- and brightness were also impressive.

Powered by an Intel Core Sandy Bridge CPU, this laptop is not just portable but also capable of dealing with multiple office applications at once and even, thanks to the strength of the integrated graphic card, mild gaming. Users can choose between either 320 Gb HD or 160 Gb SSD hard drive storage, and there are four USB ports (a USB 3.0 port is an option only with the Intel Core i7 version) and a VGA input as well.

Considering the ThinkPad X220 is likely to be used while on the go, it’s good to see that Lenovo have thought about users’ laps staying comfortable: the X220 is very slow to overheat, remaining pleasantly cool for up to 45 minutes under medium use. Similarly, noise emission is kept to a minimum, meaning the X220 would work well in boardrooms and on quiet train coaches.

What we like least

The touchpad might feel nice on your fingertips, but its size means that it extends onto the edge of the palm rest, making it a bit cumbersome to avoid unwanted clicking. There are also no distinct left/right click buttons.

The 3 cell battery option might keep the weight of the ThinkPad X220 down, but it inevitably means that battery life is shortened noticeably. Users who need their business laptop to work longer will have to compromise when it comes to portability.