Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano leaked to be its lightest yet

Even before Lenovo took over from IBM, the ThinkPad brand has had a well-earned reputation for its robust, no-nonsense, and almost rugged qualities squarely targeted at hardcore computer users, especially those who need such devices for work. Save for one or two tablet models that mixed with Lenovo's Yoga brand, ThinkPad notebooks have never been considered to be anywhere near light or classy in terms of design. That may change once the ThinkPad X1 Nano comes out, leaked to be the ThinkPad's lightest model ever.

"Light" is, of course, relative, and "sub-1KG" doesn't really help narrow it down. But for a line of laptops notorious for their bulk and heft, even something close to about 900g could help alleviate some of the pressure on people's backs or shoulders, depending on how they carry their laptops. Being certified by Intel under its "Athena" label does offer some reassurance that it will indeed offer Ultrabook performance, at least as defined by Intel.

That will come via an unidentified Tiger Lake 15W processor, which suggests it won't be coming until much later this year. It will support up to 16GB of LPDDR4X RAM and will sport 2 brand new Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports. There's also a mention of Human Presence Detection, suggesting the laptop could automatically lock itself up for security purposes should the owner decide to walk away.

The slide for the ThinkPad X1 Nano also gives it 5G support, something still quite rare for laptops at this point in time. The 17-hour life from the 48Wh battery sounds almost too generous, especially considering how lightweight Lenovo is trying to make it. Other than that, though, there is little else to glean from this brief appearance.

Lenovo's leaked 2020 portfolio also includes new products under its young ThinkBook line, catering to SMB customers. There's also a brief sighting of the ThinkPad X1 Fold, which could become the first foldable tablet/laptop hybrid and perhaps the only one for quite a while.