The News: Lenovo recently announced that its ThinkPad X13s is now available through Verizon. The ThinkPad X13s which initially launched earlier in the year, is the world’s first laptop powered by Qualcomm’s premium Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 compute platform. Read Lenovo’s Press Release for more details.
Lenovo’s ThinkPad X13s Powered by Qualcomm is now Available at U.S. Verizon Stores
Analyst Take: I see the move by Lenovo and Verizon, offering Lenovo’s ThinkPad X13s powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 compute platform, as an excellent one, for many reasons. For starters, it’s a given that businesses and consumers want to be connected all the time with minimal obstruction, and having a notebook with 5G connectivity is the holy grail for hybrid workers.
There are often many scenarios where workers and consumers have connectivity blind spots that inhibit or entirely preclude productivity. When traveling, for instance, many hotels have inadequate or insecure connectivity and employees on the road are often connected via collaboration software such as Microsoft Teams, Webex Suite, Zoom and others, using video to collaborate and/or present. If the network is inaccessible or poor quality occurs, this can have a negative impact on the user experience.
Another scenario is when workers are at home and a blackout occurs, taking out Wi-Fi in the home, which also renders the user disconnected from remote teams. This happens frequently with teams that live in areas that are prone to natural disasters and brownouts. To add more color, in recent years, we have seen a major uptick in heatwaves with record-breaking temperatures that have continued to plague many regions. With the threat of global warming impacting the climate today, these occurrences appear to be increasing, which could impact workers — and connectivity — in the future.
That’s why I like the Lenovo ThinkPad X13s. It has a 13.3-inch display with a battery that can last up to 28 hours on a single charge, which is perfect if a brownout or natural disaster scenario occurs. The device has a 5-megapixel front-facing web camera and weighs in at 2.35 pounds. The Lenovo ThinkPad X13s also includes Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 compute platform, which makes it the first laptop released that uses that processor. In my opinion, this should bode well for Qualcomm in the future as it continues to widen its total addressable market in the PC market where Arm-based processors have gained more notoriety lately with Apple. The system also includes 5G connectivity and can be financed for slightly over $40 dollars a month for 36 months from Verizon.
Wrapping it up, I think the Lenovo ThinkPad X13s is an excellent choice for users that need a personal computing device that has a longer battery life, is much lighter, and has 5G connectivity that should resonate with consumers or hybrid workers who always need to stay connected. Lenovo distributing the ThinkPad X13s through the telecommunications channel is a smart strategy, since the channel is exceptionally strong at selling mobile devices (e.g., handsets, tablets, etc.), and accessories and can easily upsell the ThinkPad X13s for a small monthly fee.
Disclosure: Futurum Research is a research and advisory firm that engages or has engaged in research, analysis, and advisory services with many technology companies, including those mentioned in this article. The author does not hold any equity positions with any company mentioned in this article.
Analysis and opinions expressed herein are specific to the analyst individually and data and other information that might have been provided for validation, not those of Futurum Research as a whole.
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The original version of this article was first published on Futurum Research.
Michael Diamond is an industry analyst and foresight professional with 25 years of experience in the IT channel and market research industry. He is a route-to-market expert covering desktop and mobile devices, collaboration, contact center, ProAV, data center infrastructure, and cybersecurity. Prior to joining Futurum Research, Michael worked for The NPD Group as the sole industry analyst covering indirect channels, cybersecurity, SMB and vertical market trends, data center infrastructure (e.g., enterprise storage, servers, networking), ProAV and PCs. He has been quoted by media outlets such as Bloomberg, Kiplinger, TWICE, OPI (Office Products International), Apple World today, Dark Reading, Enterprise Storage Forum, Credit-Suisse, Footwear News, CRN (Computer Reseller News), Channel Futures and Into Tomorrow. Michael has presented at myriad events including The Channel Company’s Xchange, The Global Technology Distribution Council’s summit, SMB TechFest and more.