The Windows tablet market is a bit, well, uninspiring with so many brands giving up on the idea. Luckily, Lenovo is still here to give Microsoft some competition and the ThinkPad X12 looks like a decent alternative. This new tablet comes with a 12.3in display just like the Surface Pro 7 and the same 3:2 aspect ratio which works particularly well for this type of device. It’s a Full HD+ IPS screen with 400 nits of brightness and Gorilla Glass. As you might expect from a ThinkPad device, it’s also got lots of power under the hood with up to Core i7 vPro quad-core 11th-gen processors from Intel with Xe integrated graphics. The vPro is aimed at business users and the X12 is also Microsoft Teams certified. There’s also LPDDR4x memory – up to 16GB – and up to a 1TB NVMe SSD. The ThinkPad X12 supports Thunderbolt 4, although not many other ports with one USB-C 3.2, a NanoSIM slot and headphone jack. A USB-C dock might be needed here. While the X12 is more expensive than the £799 Surface Pro 7, Lenovo importantly includes the detachable Folio keyboard which offers a full-size backlit keyboard, the iconic ThinkPad nipple mouse stick and a fingerprint scanner.
You’ll also notice a loop to store a stylus but the Lenovo Precision Magnetic Pen and Digital Pen are both optional extras. The Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable is expected to be available from January 2021, starting at US$1,149. In perfect timing, the Surface Pro 7+ has been announced but what does that mean for the Surface Pro 8? Tech Advisor’s Reviews Editor, Chris has been reviewing all kinds of tech for over 10 years and specialises in audio. He also covers a range of topics including home entertainment, phones, laptops, tablets and more.
