Technology News, Reviews and Buying Guides review, monitor review, tablet review, laptop review, mobile review, smartphone review, buying guide,
Lenovo has lifted the veil on the new ThinkPad L series, budget-friendly ThinkPad laptops aimed at businesses. The Lenovo ThinkPad L14 G5 and L16 G1 feature 16:10 screens and USB4 on AMD models, representing a total overhaul.
The new ThinkPad L series is here: Lenovo announced the next generation of the most affordable ThinkPad series for business. The Lenovo ThinkPad L14 Gen 5 and L16 Gen 1 are not mere updates of the L14 G4 and L15 G4 with new processors; they are total redesigns.
Lenovo’s ThinkPad laptops have undergone a redesign, officially phasing out the traditional 16:9 screen ratio. The previous Lenovo ThinkPad L14 G4 and L15 G4 models were the final iterations to feature the more rectangular display format, with the L15 G4 being the last 15-inch ThinkPad in the lineup. The Lenovo laptop ThinkPad L14 G5 and L16 G1 adopt the 16:10 aspect ratio, which offers more screen height, with the ThinkPad L16 G1 also moving to the 16-inch format.
The new design incorporates many changes from the 2024 ThinkPad T series into the more affordable L series. Concerning keyboards, Lenovo has swapped the FN/Ctrl keys, marked them for better blind typing, and expanded the touchpad.
Unlike the T series, the L series does not feature a camera notch on the display. The ThinkPad L16 G1 and ThinkPad L14 G5 only feature a small inverted notch. Consistent with other models, the ThinkPad logo is not black and embossed, and the hinges are also black.
ThinkPad L14 G5 & L16 G1: Ryzen 7035 and Core Ultra
Inside, the new L-series ThinkPads feature an Intel Core Ultra processor, with options for the U and H series. The ThinkPad L14 G5 and L16 G1 also feature an AMD processor. Lenovo will also sell both models with AMD processors. Despite Zen 4’s absence in the budget ThinkPad lineup, the new models replace the Ryzen 7030 with AMD’s Ryzen 7035. These chips enable DDR5, PCIe NVMe Gen 4, and USB4 memory. Additionally, the new models finally feature RNDA2 GPUs instead of the outdated Vega graphics.
The L14 G5 and L16 G1 feature two DDR5-SO-DIMM slots supporting up to 64 GB of RAM. Upgrading from the previous generation, the L series swaps smaller M.2 2242 SSDs for larger M.2 2280 drives. L Series models come with a 46.5 Wh or 57 Wh battery. As for displays, the ThinkPad L14 Gen 5 and ThinkPad L16 G1 still limit their screens to WUXGA (1920 x 1080) resolution. However, the ThinkPad L14 G5’s base display brightness increases from 300 to 400 cd/m², thanks to a new display film from 3M.
Another interesting change: The ThinkPad L14 G5 and L16 G1 feature a third USB A port, making them the only current ThinkPads to have three such connectors. Of course, since these are budget models, Lenovo removes some features, like 5G and WiFi 7, which remain exclusive to the T series.
Lenovo ThinkPad L16 G1 & L14 Gen 5 price and release date
AMD versions of the ThinkPad L14 G5 and ThinkPad L16 G1 will go on sale soon as they are now available for pre-order on Bhphotovideo.com, starting at $992.95.
