Today Intel took the wraps off two laptops at opposite ends of the market with its powerful ThinkPad P16 Gen 1 workstation and ThinkPad C14 enterprise Chromebook. Each one delivers Intel 12th Gen CPU options and a few intriguing extras like LTE on the C14 Chromebook and a unique (among workstations) touchscreen OLED display option for the P16 Gen 1.
The upcoming ThinkPad C14 is an enterprise Chromebook that makes for an affordable workforce option by focusing on productivity and security to keep your team productive and safe in today's hybrid work environments. This flexible 14-inch Chromebook will offer several Intel CPU options while running the latest Chrome OS. It has all the building blocks to land among our best Chromebooks in 2022, I'm excited to find out if it delivers on that promise when we get it in for review.
The ThinkPad P16 Gen 1 is a potent 16-inch powerhouse workstation that features the latest 12th Gen Intel CPUs and Nvidia RTX GPUs that should deliver all the power serious users will need, including up to 128GB of RAM and 8TB of storage. Based on Lenovo's previous workstations and these specs, the P16 could have a strong chance to claim the top spot on our best workstation of 2022.
Let's have a closer look at these two upcoming ThinkPAds from Lenovo.
Lenovo ThinkPad C14 Enterprise Chromebook
The ThinkPad C14 is an attractive 14-inch clamshell powered by 12th Gen Intel CPUs, including a Core i7 option. It will feature Intel integrated graphics, up to 16GB of RAM, with storage options including a 128GB eMMC or 256GB SSD. For remote workers that are traveling or in the field there is an LTE option to always remain connected.
The Abyss Blue C14 will come with two display options, a 14-inch FHD IPS panel rated at 250 nits of brightness and a 14-inch IPS touch display rated at 300 nits of brightness. This ThinkPad C14 is meant for on-the-go workers, so it's been MIL-SPEC tested to ensure it is durable and can survive your daily bumps, drops, and spills. The FHD webcam comes with a privacy shutter to keep the naughty peepers out and for extra security, you can add a fingerprint scanner.
At 3.44 pounds and 12.8 x 8.5 x0.7-inches the ThinkPad C14 is relatively slim, but not the lightest option if you are going to constantly toting it around. The benefit of that size is that it delivers a solid 57Whr battery and a compelling array of ports with 2 USB Type-A, 2 USB4 Type-C (vPro Thunderbolt), a microSD, HDMI, and a 3.5mm combo audio jack.
Of course, the ThinkPad C14 runs on Chrome OS, assuring speed and a familiar work environment for today's hybrid workers. The C14 will be available in June at a starting price of $629.
Lenovo ThinkPad P16 workstation
The ThinkPad P16 Gen 1 is one of those thick thunder workstations I love. I got to hold it briefly at a recent Lenovo event and was sorely tempted to run off with it. This portable 16-inch powerhouse will feature the latest 12 Gen Intel CPUs starting with a Core i5, i7, or the latest i9 HX series processor. The Nvidia RTX GPU options will be plentiful and max out with the RTX A5500 with 16GB of vRAM. As I mentioned earlier, you will be able to get up to 128GB of RAM with up to 8TB of SSD storage.
The P16 comes with a 16-inch display with a 16:10 aspect ratio, but as is typically the case with Lenovo there are several display options to consider. The base model includes a WUXGA FHD (1920 x 1200), or you can upgrade to a WUXGA QHD (2560 x 1600), and lastly, the top-of-the-line is a WUXGA UHD (3840 x 2400) 4K Low Blue light HDR version with an OLED touch option. Of course, the P16 will come with Lenovo's industry-leading full-size keyboard, an FHD Camera with a privacy shutter, and a fingerprint reader. A 95Whr battery will power the unit, and there are two charging options, a slim 170W charger, and a 230W slim charger.
The P16 features a nice collection of ports starting with 2 USB Type-A ports, 2 USB Type-C Thunderbolt 4 ports, 1 USB Type-C port, 1 HDMI port, 1 SD card reader, and 1 3.5 combo audio jack. Of course, for security, you have a TPM 2.0 chip, fingerprint scanner, and a webcam with a privacy shutter.
The ThinkPad P16 measures 14.3 x 10.5 x 1.2-inches and weighs in at a robust 6.5 pounds. As I mentioned earlier, it is a thick thunder workstation, but with that thickness, you will notice that you get extra cooling capacity which is needed when you put so much power into a laptop form factor.
Interestingly, you not only have the Windows 11 Pro/home OS options, but you can also purchase the ThinkPad P16 with three Linux OS options (Ubuntu, Red Hat, Fedora) which is nifty, and you are also given the option to downgrade it from Windows 11 to Windows 10. The ThinkPad P16 will be available later this month for a starting price of $1,979.
