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Lenovo introduced its ThinkPad T16 Gen 1 laptop as the perfect device for work-hard, play-hard professionals. It's true this laptop can multitask like nobody's business, but a few omissions feel like missed opportunities.

ThinkPad is synonymous with dependable, built-to-last laptops, and the T16 lives up to this legacy well. After recently reviewing the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10, however, something feels missing from the T16 for its price of $2,199. But still, Lenovo markets the T16 correctly---it's a solid choice if you're a busy professional who expects a lot from your computers, both at work and at play.

Overall, the ThinkPad T16 can handle multitasking with finesse, and it pulls out the stops for all forms of media (within the confines of its specs). For its price, you'll get a laptop that (almost) does it all, minus a few features Lenovo left out.

Design: The ThinkPad Tradition

The Lenovo ThinkPad T16 Gen 1 booting up.
Hannah Stryker / Review Geek
  • Dimensions: 14.2 x 10.1 x 0.8in (361.9 x 255.5 x 20.5mm)
  • Weight: 3.64lbs (1.65kg)
  • Display: WUXGA (1920 x 1200p) IPS
  • Screen Size: 16in
  • Native Resolution: 1920 x 1200p
  • Brightness: 300 Nits
  • Touchscreen: No
  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2

The Lenovo ThinkPad T16 Gen 1 laptop follows its predecessors in design. When closed, the lid has the "ThinkPad" logo in the top-right corner and a sleek Lenovo logo in the bottom-left corner. When open, you'll see the webcam, privacy shutter, and dual microphone array above the matte, anti-glare display.

The body includes a sizable trackpad with three mouse buttons at its top, and a red TrackPoint sits in the center of the keyboard. Above the keyboard are the Power Button/fingerprint reader and the Dolby Audio speaker system. In the bottom-right corner is another ThinkPad logo. The bottom of the laptop also has plenty of vents for heat dissipation.

The ThinkPad T16 is far from flashy, but it looks clean with its matte chassis and screen. The aesthetic reminds me more of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 than the X1 Carbon Gen 10 (or the X1 Carbon Gen 9)---but the placement of the speakers above the keyboard, instead of at the sides, makes for a more spacious keyboard layout.

Ports: Plentiful Options to Keep You Connected

  • Ports: 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports (1 is Always On), 2x USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports, 1x HDMI 2.0, 1x RJ45 (Ethernet), 1x Kensington security slot, 1x 3.5mm headphone/microphone combo jack
  • Smart card reader: Optional add-on
  • SIM card slot: Optional add-on

If there's one thing Lenovo thought of when designing the build of the ThinkPad T16, it's ports. For someone whose whole job is done from a laptop, plenty of port options are a must---unless I want to invest in a separate laptop docking station.

Thankfully, there were plenty of places to plug in my USB-A devices, like an ergonomic mouse and an ergonomic keyboard, along with a selection of other ports to help me connect to anything I needed.

On the left side of the laptop, there is an Ethernet port (RJ45), two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI port, a USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 port with Always On, and a headphone/microphone jack. The right side features a Kensington security slot, a USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 port, and a smart card reader.

Performance: Handles Your Toughest Workloads

A close up of the ThinkPad logo.
Hannah Stryker / Review Geek
  • Operating System: Windows 11 Pro
  • Processor: Intel Core i7-1270P (12th Gen)
  • RAM: 16GB; 8GB soldered DDR4-3200 plus 8GB SO-DIMM DDR4-3200
  • Max Expandable RAM Capacity: 40GB
  • Storage: 512GB SSD M.22280

The Lenovo ThinkPad T16 is a beast. It can keep up with some of the best laptops out there in speed and multitasking. As I was working on multiple projects, I switched between Photoshop, Google Docs, WordPress, YouTube, Spotify, and a plethora of other websites and distractions, the T16 broke no sweat. I had, at one point, over 30 tabs open, along with Steam, Xbox, and Photoshop running. Not a blip. This kind of speed and efficiency are the hallmarks of a worthy work laptop for professionals who like to work smarter, not harder.

In a matter of days, I used the ThinkPad T16 to video chat on Zoom, read short stories online, create Microsoft Word documents, draft articles in Google Docs and WordPress, game, watch videos, stream shows, record audio with a pro interface and microphone, edit photos---you name it, I did it. This laptop demonstrated its prowess every time.

Here's the caveat---a few things felt absent from the T16 when looking at its price. This is a case of the difference between Lenovo's many laptop models. It comes down to particular specifications---what is important to you, and what is negotiable?

Related: What's the Difference Between Lenovo's Many Laptop Models?

When it comes to the T16, the value for your money is in its flexibility and capabilities. The 512GB storage, expandable RAM, Intel Iris Xe graphics-powered display, the processor's 12 cores and 16 threads---you get the picture. However, there are comparable Lenovo notebooks I feel rank higher on overall value, like the Lenovo Slim 9i (despite its flimsier frame).

Other laptops within the same price range include a touchscreen, more storage, or a webcam that delivers a clearer image. These are rather nitpicky complaints---but something to consider nonetheless when choosing a laptop. If you're unsure, you might want to compare it to our picks for the best laptops before making a decision.

Keyboard and Touchpad: A Joy to Use

Top down view of the Lenovo ThinkPad T16 Gen 1 keyboard.
Hannah Stryker / Review Geek
  • Keyboard Features: LED backlighting, 6-row, multimedia Fn keys
  • Trackpad: Three-button, pointing device and glass-like Mylar surface multi-touch touchpad, 67.7 x 115 mm (2.67 x 4.53 inches)

The keyboard on the ThinkPad T16 has a pleasant feel. With a good amount of resistance, but not so much to make the typing too stiff, the T16 manages the right balance of give and pushback, with no loose tipping of the keys. For those who type a lot, this offers a harmonious balance of both speed and accuracy.

Situated in the middle of the keyboard is the red TrackPoint button, which offers you more flexibility in movement. The trackpad offers excellent responsiveness, whether you're using two fingers to scroll, drag, or zoom in or out. The three mouse buttons included with the trackpad are useful, so you can easily right- or left-click when you need to be precise.

Although not everyone is a fan of having a touchscreen laptop, it seems like a missed opportunity for the ThinkPad T16. Since you're likely purchasing a ThinkPad to have features that facilitate your workflow, a touchscreen could be useful for the flexibility of screen shortcuts without the need to use the trackpad.

Gaming on a ThinkPad

Casual gamers will find few flaws when using the Lenovo ThinkPad T16 for gaming if the games are on the cloud or are relatively low on the resource-intensity scale. The graphics give you an enjoyable FHD experience, but the T16 can't handle larger game files.

The more resource-hungry the game, the higher the latency, as I experienced with "Cyberpunk: 2077," which is a 70GB monster. I was able to play that game for all of 10 minutes on three separate tries---all of which were so slow I could watch paint dry faster.

I had a much more pleasant experience when playing "Life Is Strange: True Colors," and I also had a positive time playing some smaller indie game downloads. The moral here is this isn't a gaming laptop, but you can enjoy some smaller games (and even some more hardware-intensive titles with cloud gaming) to destress from your day.

Display and Graphics: Crisp Enough to Consume Any Media

Intel vPro i7 and iRISxe graphics stickers on the Lenovo ThinkPad T16 Gen 1.
Hannah Stryker / Review Geek
  • Graphics: Integrated Intel Iris Xe
  • Refresh Rate: 60Hz
  • Display: WUXGA (1920 x 1200) IPS

With the ThinkPad T16's 1920 x 1200 (aka WUXGA) IPS screen, which is just above standard FHD, I got clean, beautiful graphics. YouTubers looked like they could be in the same room as me, and animals came to life in scenic videos, with fine details like strands of fur and the shine of their eyes appearing realistic.

I found myself consistently consuming media on the Lenovo ThinkPad T16 because of the graphics.

From National Geographic documentaries on Disney+ to reality shows on Netflix and Peacock, I found the T16's balance of color contrast, shadow, and brightness satisfying for a laptop---enough to prefer using it for streaming over my phone or Roku TV for the sheer convenience of it.

Gaming also yielded some gorgeous graphics that made me want to keep playing, especially in titles like "Dreamlight Valley and Life is Strange: True Colors."

Camera, Microphone, and Speakers: Decent Performance, Though a Bit Lackluster

The Dolby Audio speaker system in the Lenovo ThinkPad T16 Gen 1.
Hannah Stryker / Review Geek
  • Speakers: 2 x 2W Dolby Atmos sound system speakers
  • Webcam: 1080p resolution, fixed focus with camera E-privacy shutter
  • Microphones: Dual-microphone array, far-field, Dolby Voice

Although the Dolby Audio speaker system does its darndest to create a nice audio experience, the Lenovo T16's speakers are not the best I've encountered on a laptop---nor are they the worst. They seemed to perform best at around 50 to 75%, but once you crank it up past that threshold, the sound gets muddy.

Audiophiles will hear no pleasant booming bass and notice the mid-tones are so-so, but the higher sounds come through nicely. These speakers won't blow you away, but they do their job for the casual user. Of course, you can always use a pair of Bluetooth headphones to get the sound you're looking for.

The webcam is decent, albeit average for the price of this laptop---it did its job well in well-lit rooms, but in darker environments, it made me look like an obscured, grainy mess.

The best part of the ThinkPad T16's sound system is the dual microphone array. It captures the human voice with clarity and brightness and also includes the Dolby Voice feature, which has some noise cancellation---though, as you'll notice in my noisy microphone test below, it only goes so far. I put on a track of ambient café noise, and you can still hear that on the recording.

Microphone Test: Lenovo ThinkPad T16 Gen 1 Laptop in a Quiet Environment

[audio mp3="https://www.reviewgeek.com/p/uploads/2023/02/18525fe5.mp3"][/audio]

Microphone Test: Lenovo ThinkPad T16 Gen 1 Laptop in a Noisy Environment

[audio mp3="https://www.reviewgeek.com/p/uploads/2023/02/09297dc8.mp3"][/audio]

Battery Life and Charging: An Impressive Charge Life for the Everyday Worker

The Lenovo ThinkPad T16 Gen 1's 135W charger.
Hannah Stryker / Review Geek
  • Battery: Integrated Li-Polymer 86Wh battery, supports Rapid Charge (charge up to 80% in 1hr)
  • Charger: 135W USB-C AC adapter

On average, I was able to get a solid eight- to nine-hour workday out of the T16 without charging up. This was impressive with the workloads I did. I was also impressed with its remaining capacity when I left it asleep. Once, I worked for two and a half hours with 100% at the start, and it was about 74% when I concluded work. I left it on sleep for another 43 hours and 40 minutes with minimal usage in between (maybe an hour tops). When I returned to the device, the charge was still 38%---meaning it drained less than 1% per hour on sleep.

When gaming, my average battery drain was far less than I expected. In about an hour, my battery went from 100% to 81%---a modest, doable drain for the price of playing a large game.

The charge speed with the 135W charger was not bad either. In 30 minutes, I got about 30% while using my laptop. Idly, I did get around 60 to 70% charge in one hour of plugin time, so Lenovo's lab tests were accurate to my experience.

Should You Buy the Lenovo ThinkPad T16 Gen 1 Laptop?

Professionals who want a laptop with the weight the ThinkPad name carries can do no wrong purchasing the Lenovo ThinkPad T16 Gen 1 laptop. It's capable of completing task after task with ease and doubles as an enjoyable casual gaming or streaming device.

However, if you're looking for more bells and whistles for the price (i.e. a higher resolution display or a touchscreen), you may want to compare some other laptops with similar specs in a comparable price point. Some laptops that are just as good (if not better) include the Lenovo Slim 9i or the HP Spectre x360 (which features AI beauty mode in video calls and a 3K touchscreen).

If you think the Lenovo ThinkPad T16 laptop is for you, you can purchase it today starting at $2,199.

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Lenovo ThinkPad T16 Gen 1 Laptop

Pros
  • Nice lengthy battery life, even when left on overnight
  • Solid and durable, has the premium ThinkPad feel customers expect
  • Crisp and clean graphics powered by Intel Iris Xe
  • Ports galore
Cons
  • No touchscreen
  • Webcam and speakers are so-so
  • Lacks some features for the price point