We like Lenovo notebooks; we never make that a secret. We think that they really know how to make great notebook PCs. In fact, we own Lenovo notebook PCs ourselves.
We thought that one of their most interesting products was their ThinkBook. It was made with productivity and durability in mind. The excellent keyboard is a bonus too.
Lenovo has launched the new generation ThinkBook in Malaysia. This is technically the second generation of the brilliant notebook series. The last generation was two years ago.
This time as well, they launched three new notebooks in their ThinkBook series. They launched the ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 i, the ThinkBook 14s Yoga i, and ThinkBook 15 Gen 2 i. Yes, they are all in three different sizes.
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 i
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 i comes packing Intel’s 11th Generation Core processors. It will also come with Intel’s new Iris Xe Graphics, which also means that it should be one powerful notebook PC. Of course, these things also mean that the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s is an Intel EVO certified platform.
True to its name, it has a 13.3-inch display. You can opt for a an WQXGA (2,560 x 1,600) display. The display is also a unique 16:10 ratio, which also means that it is somehow just a little more compact than before.
To make the notebook even more of a productivity beast, Lenovo packs Thunderbolt 4 so you can connect to an external display when you need to. You can also opt for a 4th Generation PCIe storage unit for a quicker workflow. Of course, it has all-day battery to keep you running through your workday.
Lenovo ThinkBook 14s Yoga Gen 2 i
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
If you need something even more flexible to work with, there is the Yoga variant of the ThinkBook series. The Lenovo ThinkBook 14s Yoga will be the perfect device for you to work with in any situation.
Of course, this 14-inch convertible packs Intel’s latest generation Core processors. It also packs Intel’s Iris Xe Graphics to boot as well. That mostly means that you can get more than just word processing or powerpoints done with the notebook.
Convertible also means that you get a nice touch display and the benefit of a stylus on the Lenovo ThinkBook 14s Yoga. The Smart Pen, as Lenovo calls it, docks with the device as well so you do not risk losing your stylus in the abyss of your bag or misplacing it in a coffee shop somewhere.
Lenovo ThinkBook 15 Gen 2 i
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
The largest ThinkBook in the series is the ThinkBook 15. The Gen 2 device packs a large 15.6-inch display as per its name. While this looks like a plain notebook, it is more than that though. It comes packing integrated wireless earbuds which can be stored within the notebook.
The notebook acts as a charging case too in this case. The moment you pull the earbuds out, the earbuds connect to the notebook instantly. This could really help when you need to take your video calls on the go.
Of course, it packs Intel’ 11th Generation Intel Core processors and Intel’s Iris Xe Graphics for all the modern power you need in a mobile platform. For more flexibility, you get to opt for a combination of an HDD and SSD, or just go with two SSDs to get the best out of the notebook. Of course, because of the larger footprint, you have a full-sized keyboard with number keys.
Price and Availability
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 i, ThinkBook 14s Yoga i, and Think Book 15 Gen 2 i will be available in Malaysia April 2021 onward at all Lenovo exclusive stores nationwide. The ThinkBook 14s Yoga i will come with a limited-edition Abyss Blue variant, while stocks last. Lenovo’s ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 i will start at MYR 3,599. The ThinkBook 14s Yoga i starts at MYR 3,819, while the ThinkBook 15 Gen 2 i starts at MYR 2,519. For more information, you can visit Lenovo’s website.
CES 2021 is well under way and every other manufacturer is kicking off the year 2021 with a bang. After a bad year in 2020, we kind of need this. CES 2021 then, is the time that we see tech giants waking up from a bad slumber in 2020. Of course, as the world’s largest PC maker, Lenovo has to be a part of the biggest electronic show in the first half of the year.
Lenovo introduces their follow up to one of their most popular notebook PC line-ups in their stables. They have updated their IdeaPad line-up. First off, they changed the naming scheme to be more in theme with the rest of their devices since the Lenovo Legion 7 and such. They now call it the IdeaPad 5 series.
IdeaPad 5G
Source: Lenovo
They kick off the year with 5G connectivity though, with a Qualcomm powered IdeaPad 5G. The new IdeaPad 5G made for 2021 packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx System on A chip (SoC) with 5G compute capabilities. Within the all-in-one chip is also a powerful Qualcomm Adreno 680 GPU for all kinds of graphical needs. You can also opt for a 4G/LTE variant powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8c, if you feel that you are not ready for 5G just yet.
The Qualcomm processor package powers a 14-inch IPS display that pushes 1080p Full HD with 100% sRGB colour gamut. You get up to 8GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage to go with the device too for good measure. It also comes with an IR sensor with its webcam to fully utilise Windows Hello’s facial recognition feature.
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
With Dolby Audio speakers, entertainment should be ideal on the IdeaPad 5G. Imagine taking Netflix with you even when there is no WiFi. Imagine also watching Netflix hours on end with 51WHr of battery. Running out of power? Maybe quickly charge it via Rapid Charge Express via the USB Type-C port.
IdeaPad 5 Pro & IdeaPad 5i Pro
But it is not all Qualcomm and 5G that Lenovo is bringing to the table. Of course, there is the regular notebook PCs that we are used to. Lenovo is also launching their AMD variant at the same time as the Intel variant. They are the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro and the Lenovo IdeaPad 5i Pro.
Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro
Source: Lenovo
We start with their AMD variant, because we honestly feel that AMD powered notebooks are getting less attention than they deserve. Still, at least this one is launched at the same time with its Intel counterpart. It is also packing quite a lot of punch.
You get to choose from AMD’s next-gen Mobile Processors. We are guessing the Ryzen 4000 series processors, but Lenovo is not telling. That kind of hints the arrival of AMD’s Ryzen 5000 series for notebooks and mobile PCs, but there has not been reports of the Ryzen 5000 series hitting notebooks just yet at this time. We could be wrong.
The new Ryzen processors will power either a 14-inch or 16-inch display with up to 1.8K (14-inch) resolution. Both displays at IPS panels that stretches 16:10 display ratio offering up to 120Hz (16-inch) in refresh rate. You get up to 400 nits (14-inch) in brightness too, from these panels.
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
With the 14-inch You get up to an NVIDIA GeForce MX450 GPU that should be available from NVIDIA soon. It is not a gaming notebook and you should not expect it to be one. Still, the MX450 is NVIDIA’s most powerful discreet GPU for mobile platforms to date.
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
On the 16-inch variant, you can technically kit it out as a gaming PC. Lenovo says that the new IdeaPad 5 Pro with AMD power will pack NVIDIA’s next-gen RTX 30 series GPUs to boot. That also means gaming class performance in a body that works even in the meeting rooms.
You also get up to 32GB in DDR4 RAM (16-inch) and up to 1TB of PCIe M.2 SSD storage for good measure. The notebook PC comes packing either a 56.5WHr (14-inch) or 75WHr (16-inch) in battery capacity with Rapid Charge Boost technology for a quick plug-and-dash.
Lenovo IdeaPad 5i Pro
Source: Lenovo
Then we come to the Intel variant, which we all expect. You get up to an Intel Core i7 from their 11th generation stable of capable processors. That is also paired to up to an NVIDIA GeForce MX450 GPU that should allow the PC to process 4K videos properly and even play some games.
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
You also get to choose between a 14-inch display that boasts 2.8K in resolution out of a 16:10 screen ratio. That 14-inch of IPS goodness refreshes at 90Hz and can punch your face at 400 nits in brightness. Or you can go bigger at 16-inch. The 16-inch display is also a 16:10 type display but only produces 2.5K in resolution. You get 120Hz in refresh rate though at a still impressive 350 nits in brightness.
You get up to 16GB in DDR4 RAM and up to 1TB in PCIe M.2 SSD storage too for both size variants. Like the AMD variant, the 14-inch only gets 56.5WHr in battery size with Rapid Charge Boost while the 16-inch variant gets a 75WHr battery with Rapid Charge Express via a Thunderbolt 4 port.
Lenovo Tab P11
Source: Lenovo
The Android tablet market is quite stale these days with the usual offering from the likes of Samsung. There are some other offerings from Acer as well, but they are made for a completely different purpose and sense. Until now, there is no competing tablet to the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 series.
We said until now because Lenovo has announced their Lenovo Tab P11. The Lenovo Tab P11 is an 11-inch tablet that is supposed to also come with a keyboard case and stylus pen of its own. Its 11-inch IPS panel also boasts 2K (2,000 x 1,200) in resolution. All that goodness can be pushed to 400 nits. But the 400 nits should not hurt your eyes too much with TÜV Rheinland certified Eye Care technology.
The 11-incher packs a Qualcomm’s power efficient Snapdragon 662 platform with LTE connectivity. While it does not pack as much power as Samsung’s high-end Exynos powering the Galaxy Tab S7 series, the Snapdragon 662 is still a capable enough SoC on its own. The SoC is partnered with 6GB of RAM for plenty of multitasking and smooth browsing when needed.
The Lenovo Tab P11 is made to be a family friendly tablet you can enjoy at home though. It has something called Kids Space made by Google for curated lists of apps, books, and even videos to motivate learning in kids under 9 years of age.
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
The 8MP selfie camera is also perfect for video calls. For meetings you need to take at home, you can even turn on Smart Privacy mode to blur out your background. That, or when you want to hide the mess that is behind you or mask your whereabouts. It is an entertainment powerhouse with Dolby Atmos certified quad speakers for the best possible aural experience when you want movies or videos in whichever orientation you prefer.
Price and Availability
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5g is expected to hit selected markets only. There are no mentions on its release date or even which markets will get it first. Lenovo only mentions that the Lenovo is not bringing it to the North American market currently. We are not even sure it if it is going to make it into Malaysia at all, there are no plans currently.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro (16-inch) with AMD’s latest H-Series processors and next-gen NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPUs will be available in North American markets starting May 2021. The retail price is expected to start from US$ 1,149.99 (MRY 4,650*). The 14-inch variant will not be available in the North American region but is supposed to launch in EMEA region in March 2021 with a retail price starting EU€ 799 (MYR 3,933**). Again, there are no word on its availability in Malaysia specifically.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5i Pro (16-inch) with Intel’s 11th generation Core processors will not be available in North America yet. It will be launched in the EMEA markets starting March 2021 with prices starting from EU€ 899 (MYR 4,425**). The 14-inch in variant is also supposedly launched in EMEA at around the same time with prices starting from EU€699 (MYR 3,440**). Its availability in Malaysia is also not yet confirmed by Lenovo Malaysia.
The Lenovo Tab P11 is now available in the North American region at US$ 229.99 (MYR 930*). Like the other things that has been announced, there are no confirmation on the device’s availability in Malaysia just yet. Of course, we are keeping our ears to the ground and keep you posted on any changes in any of this, keep watch of this space.
*Approximately based on Conversion Rate of US$ 1 = MYR 4.04 as of 11th January 2021 (xe.com)
**Approximately based on Conversion Rate of EU€ 1 = MYR 4.92 as of 11th January 2021 (xe.com)
The Legion Slim 7i is now in Malaysia. The new laptop has a slimmer and lighter design. Who doesn’t want a portable gaming laptop that doesn’t skimp on performance? The Legion Slim 7i comes with a large, 15.6 inches display compacted in a slim body in Slate Grey. It is made from aircraft-grade aluminum for better durability without having the added heft.
The new lightweight gaming laptop comes with the latest 10th Gen Intel Core i7 mobile processor which is touted to be able to support Triple-A Games with 5.3GHz clock speeds and provide impressive refresh rates on Window 10. This is paired with the in NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 graphics processor with Max-Q Design to facilitate its slim form factor. Equipped with raytracing technology and DLSS, the RTX2060 enables more realistic and immersive graphics. Paired with the integrated Intel UHD Graphics, the laptop can dynamically optimise for better performance or power based on the task at hand.
The Legion Slim 7i is 17.9mm slim and weighs only 1.86kg. It comes equipped with a 71Whr battery which Lenovo claims will last for up to 7.75 hours. It is also capable of Rapid Charge Pro function which allows it to get up to 50% of charge in just 30 minutes. At the same time, Lenovo’s redesigned Legion Coldfront 2.0 air intake system is 31% larger which ensures up to 115% more airflow going to the CPU and GPU. Also, the new machine-drilled holes applied above the keyboard combined with an increased number of exhaust fan blades provide better heat management during heavy gameplay.
Together with cooling and its sleek form factor, the Legion Slim 7i comes with a Full HD display with rich color contrast and saturation. This is paired with built-in dual speakers boosted by smart amplifiers and the Dolby® Atmos Speaker System for more immersive gameplay.
Pricing & Availability
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7i is now available for preorder at Lenovo Malaysia’s Official Website with prices starting at MYR7599 (1896.78USD$). You can even customize your Lenovo Legion Slim 7i starting January 2021.
Lenovo’s Carbon line up has long been reserved for its premium ThinkPad line up which the company gears for corporations. However, this year, Lenovo is trying something new by bringing the Carbon’s signature thin and light form factor to its Yoga line up. Joining the recently announced Yoga Slim 7i and Slim 7i Duet, the Yoga Slim 7i Carbon enhances Lenovo’s portfolio with an even more premium laptop focusing on the thin and light form factor.
The new Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Carbon weighs only 966 grams but packs specifications to allow you to be productive on the go. The laptop brings the signature carbon fiber build of the ThinkPad Carbon to the Yoga line up bringing both durability and a lightweight build. The material boasts the company’s proprietary second generation Web-Core 2.0 Carbon Fiber with enhance rigidity and durability while reducing the material weight by up to 40%.
The chassis isn’t the only thing that the Yoga Slim 7i Carbon has going for it. It comes either an 11th Generation Intel Core i7-1165G7 or a Core i501135G7 bringing capable performance complemented by Intel’s new IRIS Xe graphics. There are options for either 8GB or 16GB of dual channel DDR4 RAM with options of up to 1TB PCIe M.2 SDD storage.
The Yoga Slim 7i Carbon comes with a 13-inch Quad HD display with a 16:10 aspect ratio. The display panel has 100% coverage of the sRGB gamut and has been certified by TÜV-Rheinland to be low blue light emitting. The panel also has Dolby Vision and Atmos optimisations, according to Lenovo. The display comes with super slim, 3mm bezels which allow for a more immersive experience. The hinge has 180° of rotation.
On the connectivity end, the Yoga Slim 7i Carbon comes with 2 USB Type C ports with support for Thunderbolt 4, PD 3.0, DisplayPort 1.4 and USB 4; 1 USB Type C with support for PD3.0, DisplayPort 1.4 and USB3.2 and an audio combo jack. It also supports WiFi 6 (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.0. It also supports Windows Hello with its IR camera.
Pricing & Availability
The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Carbon will be available in Moon White for MYR4,399. Release date is to be confirmed.
We have a small confession to make. We are quite big fans of a Lenovo notebook PC. We are especially excited with Lenovo’s YOGA series of products.
There are a few good reasons why we like a Lenovo YOGA product. They look stylish, for one. They are also always innovative in solving problems we never thought of before. They are also super functional and always very well built. They are made with more practicality, functionality, and durability in mind over other things.
Today then, is a special day for us, it is the launch day of two new YOGA notebooks for Malaysia. Today sees the launch of Lenovo’s YOGA Slim 7 and the YOGA Duet 7i. Today is the launch of a new sort of form factor in the YOGA series.
Lenovo YOGA Slim 7
Source: Lenovo
The Lenovo YOGA Slim 7 is not the new form factor in the Lenovo YOGA series. It is technically the more traditional one compared to the two launched today. It is the regular clamshell notebook form factor. There are two variants of the new Lenovo YOGA Slim 7, one with Intel packed in and one with AMD packed in.
According to Lenovo, this is Lenovo’s lightest notebook PC with an 8-core CPU packed in. Yes, it is a powerful Intel Core i7-1065G7 CPU clocked at 1.3GHz. Paired with 16GB of RAM and NVIDIA’s GeForce MX350 GPU, the new Slim 7i is a powerhouse on the go.
Its ample power can easily edit and work with Full HD 1080p videos on the go and you can store all of that in the provided 512GB SSD storage. Of course, you can enjoy Full HD videos too on the 14-inch Full HD 10-point multi-touch display. That and stream Netflix steadily and at a high resolution with the WiFi 6 it comes with. Security wise, you are protected via Windows Hello with an IR blaster beside the 720p webcam for facial recognition.
But it is not just all function and no form though. The Slim 7 comes with a variety of top shell to make you stand out from the crowd. You can choose between a fabric or aluminium top shell. While fabric top shells are nothing new, it does add to the premium feel of the notebook though.
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
There is an AMD version of the notebook too. The AMD variant is specced with an AMD Ryzen 5 4500U, no slouch at 2.3GHz clock speed and Radeon Graphics. The CPU Is paired to an 8GB RAM as well to make quick work of all the document processing you need. You still get 512GB of SSD storage too, for quick access to your folders and documents. Load times are greatly reduced too with an SSD.
Lenovo YOGA Duet 7i
Source: Lenovo
In our opinions, this is probably one of the most exciting YOGA convertibles that we may have seen so far. It is not like a usual Lenovo YOGA convertible where you fold the keyboard away. Instead, you can now detach the keyboard to make the Duet 7i a proper 13-inch tablet with a kickstand.
This is something that graphic designers might really like. It comes with something called E-Color Pen. It is a battery powered stylus, but it is more than just a stylus. It is also a colour sensor that allows you to pick up colours of any surfaces to be used in Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, and Adobe Illustrator.
Of course, a designer needs to work with colours and good visuals. For that they get a 2K resolution IPS display with Dolby Vision to work with. But they need some working power too, to get the best out of their talents and stylus.
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
The Lenovo YOGA Duet 7i comes packing an Intel Core i5-10210U quad-core CPU cocked at 1.6GHz. The CPU is paired with an 8GB RAM and up to 256GB of SSD storage space to make quick work of any visual workload requirements too. While you would appreciate a discreet GPU, the Intel UHD Graphics GPU is powerful enough to work with the likes of Adobe’s Photoshop and Illustrator.
The Batik Boutique Collaboration
Lenovo Malaysia has collaborated with The Batik Boutique, a social enterprise empowering the art of Batik fashion in Malaysia. The Batik Boutique prides themselves as a local Batik Producer that partners with local artisans and taylors for their products. The collaboration with Batik Boutique is an interesting one that is happening during the national celebrations.
The Batik Boutique and Lenovo Malaysia collaboration does not mean that you get a new fabric pattern on the Lenovo YOGA Slim 7i unfortunately. It does mean that you can get special edition sleeves for both the YOGA Slim 7i and YOGA Duet 7i though. The special sleeves are limited edition sleeves to celebrate the Merdeka and Malaysia day celebrations.
Price and Availability
The Lenovo YOGA Slim 7 AMD (14-inch) and Lenovo YOGA Slim 7i (15-inch) is now available on Lenovo Malaysia’s official online store at MYR 3,499 and MYR 4,999 onward, respectively. The Intel variant Lenovo YOGA Slim 7i (14-inch) is now available at all Lenovo Exclusive stores and online retail partners on Shopee and Lazada for MYR 5,099 onward. The Lenovo YOGA Duet 7i (13-inch) is now available on all Lenovo exclusive stores and authorised retailers including ones on Lazada and Shopee for MYR 4,099. If you get the Lenovo YOGA Duet 7i from Lenovo Malaysia’s online store though, it is priced at MYR 4,599. For more information on these products, you can visit Lenovo’s website.
Up until the early part of this year, simple daily activities such as taking a train to work, entering a crowded elevator, and sitting down in an open workspace with colleagues were things no one would hesitate to do, and perhaps even took for granted. The appearance of the COVID-19 pandemic changed that in almost an instant. For employers and employees, the workplace experience moving forward may never be the same, ever again. Businesses are undergoing massive changes in a transformation process to meet the needs and demands of the post-pandemic world.
What does that look like for an enterprise? The answer is simple: create a new model of hybrid working where employees continue to work remotely, only coming into the office to collaborate on projects. In this scenario, the office then turns into a business center – or collaboration space – which may also indicate the end of the open office era and a shift in the purpose of a company’s headquarters as we once knew it.
We all know that this shift is here to stay. According to recent research from Gartner, 82 percent of company leaders are planning to let employees work remotely, at least some of the time. And a new global Lenovo study finds that employees expect a similar swing in employer mentality, with 52 percent of respondents noting they believe they’ll continue to work from home more than they did pre-COVID-19 – even after social distancing measures lift.
As employers realize that this distributed workforce is not going anywhere, the shift to the office as a business center will only continue to grow. This will make the need for a solid IT foundation, inclusive of dependable employee personal devices, strong cybersecurity software (and education), and remote IT support even more integral than it once was.
In looking at the role of technology and how it has evolved during this pandemic, we can take a step back to when COVID-19 first started to impact businesses globally. The number of remote employees increased at a pace more rapid than anyone expected or was even prepared to handle. As a result, collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom saw usage skyrocket, with Teams seeing an increase of users as much as 70 percent and Zoom revenue soars 169 percent ever since the pandemic first struck. In this process, as employees and consumers alike started leaning on videos to spend time with coworkers – whether for meetings or company “happy hours” – these tools evolved their functionalities to make the user experience more seamless.
Today, employers have started to realize that their employees have been just as productive from home as they would have been in the office. Lenovo’s research shows that almost two-thirds of the global workforce surveyed feel they are more productive working from home than in the office. So, the question then becomes – why bring them back to the office, and why not instead save on real estate costs and invest in stronger technology to equip a hybrid workforce?
With that mindset, technology will only continue to evolve to meet employee and employer needs. Beyond collaboration software, the other tools that remain central for employee productivity in our hybrid work environment include personal laptops, noise-canceling headsets, and large monitors.
In the office, that may mean creating a “touchless environment” where employees have their collaboration technology to minimize physical contact. Or it may mean creating smaller phone booths and huddle spaces as a move away from the open floorplan, which could be equipped with standalone video software making it easy to collaborate from one room to the next. On the go, it may be arming employees with a foldable PC that makes it easier and more convenient to transition from the office to a coffee shop to home or anywhere in between. And at home, it may require employers to invest in products employees need for their “home office,” such as standing desks or ergonomic chairs.
For IT departments, this makes it integral to invest in the infrastructure that enables IT to manage a large remote workforce. This can include increasing cloud storage for more remote storage, doubling down on security solutions to manage the increase in cyber threats, and remote IT solutions to help troubleshoot employee tech issues from afar.
While the new “business center” model may not be a fit for all organizations, one thing we know is that office as we know it will be different in the coming years. Work from anywhere will become a norm, company real estate footprints may shrink, and employees will expect much more of their employers than ever before.
Lenovo’s laptops have long powered the productivity of small and medium businesses. In fact, their ThinkPad brand has been in the business for more than two decades now! The series has become synonymous with sturdy, well built, purpose built laptops which Lenovo has taken to the next level with models such as the ThinkPad X1 Carbon. However, the company didn’t announce another top of the link ThinkPad this time. Instead, they’ve shifted their focus to their affordable, durable, and purpose built line up: the ThinkPad E series.
They’ve partnered with AMD this round to bring even more efficient but powerful performance with AMD’s Ryzen 4000 series. The Ryzen 4000 series has been touted to bring better power efficiency and double digit performance gains over the previous generation of Ryzen processors. In fact, it’s boasting more than 30% increases in performance.
The two new entries: the ThinkPad E14 and ThinkPad E15 come equipped with the AMD Ryzen processors ranging from the Ryzen 3 to the Ryzen 7. These processors come with an integrated AMD Radeon graphics processor which provides enough power for regular day to day graphics and data processing. The processors are complemented with support for up to 24GB of RAM. 8GB of the RAM is soldered with an extra slot for users to add up to 16GB of RAM. On the memory side of things, the ThinkPad E14 and E15 both are able to support a dual SSD setup with up to 1.5TB of combined space. By default, the laptops come with up to 512GB of memory. The second SSD is an optional add on with support for up to 1TB of memory.
When it comes to display, the ThinkPad E14 comes with a 14-inch, Full HD screen; users have the option of a higher contrast IPS display or a TN display. Similarly, the ThinkPad E15 comes with a 15.6-inch display with the same options. Both laptops come with dual 2W Harman speakers with Dolby Atmos certification and a dual array microphone for conference calls. In fact, the laptops are optimised for conference calls with quick shortcut functions for answering and hanging up on con-calls directly on the keyboard. To complement this, the laptops come equipped with a 720p webcam with an optional Infrared function.
If privacy is a concern with the 720p webcam, Lenovo has got you covered with Lenovo’s built-in ThinkShutter allows you to cover the webcam when it’s not in use. However, the webcam is also used to keep your data secure by locking your laptop when you walk away and unlocking when you return. This, of course, works with Windows Hello and will require the IR sensor to work.
Other than that, the laptop comes with a few Lenovo staples including the spill-resistant keyboard and also the slim form factor that has now become ubiquitous with the ThinkPad brand. Both also support WiFi 6 connectivity.
Pricing and Availability
The ThinkPad E14 and ThinkPad E15 are already available in Malaysia with prices starting at MYR3,499 and MYR3,449 respectively.
The laptops are available via their official partner, SNS Network (M) Sdn Bhd. Customers can make their order in one of three ways:
Head to their head office in Petaling Jaya at C-11-2, Block C, 3 Two Square, Jalan 19/1, 46300 Petaling Jaya.
Lenovo Legion should not be an unfamiliar name for gamers by now. Personally, the Lenovo Legion Notebook PCs that came out last year are some of the ones that stand out most in the gaming notebook PC market. They are also some of the most well-built notebook gaming PCs in the market in our humble opinions.
The design language of the 2019 line-up of Lenovo Legion products hits the spot, we feel in balancing the powerful look of a gaming notebook and a sleek looking mobile productivity machine. They look industrial, durable, and clean. So we are quite glad to see that design language continue in the 2020 line-up of Lenovo Legion products.
Lenovo Legion 7i
We start with the most powerful notebook PC in their line-up for 2020, the Lenovo Legion 7i. Not the Y700 series anymore this time, just a simple number and letter marking its CPU variant according to Lenovo. The good part is that it simplifies naming and recognition of the notebooks. To be fair though, Lenovo’s line-up is not as extensive as the likes of ASUS, so confusion should be limited in the first place.
Still, the Lenovo Legion 7i is the brand’s flagship portable gaming rig that packs the power of Intel’s most powerful mobile CPU, the 10th Generation Intel Core i9 (up to). That is paired to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super GPU for a maxed out performance while gaming. While the hardware you can find within the all-aluminium body is testament enough that this is a serious piece of kit for both LAN parties and any CPU and GPU intensive work conditions, it does not stop here.
Source: Lenovo
The Lenovo Legion 7i also has an impressive array of RGB lights on the keyboard and around the outer shell to let anyone else in the room know that you are running a serious rig. You control the lighting effects via Corsair’s trusty iCUE RGB software built into the Lenovo Legion 7i. It is individual LED lights on the keyboard too, so you can have different colours on each keys if you want. Or, if you are like me, keep everything lighted to a single colour (a waste of good RGB I know).
To keep things cool, Lenovo developed something they call Coldfront 2.0. While that sounds like a bunch of gimmicks, it is actually a very clever solution to cool the CPU and GPU for optimised performance. Heat is the enemy, here, you get the idea. There is no way around the fact that the space on a notebook PC is very limited and therefore airflow is highly restricted in these conditions. Lenovo’s way of managing this is a combination of clever fan management from the software and designing more efficient heat sinks and pipes in optimised locations within the aluminium body.
Source: Lenovo
It sounds plenty easier said that done though. The new Vapor Chamber (heat pipes) that Lenovo developed for the Lenovo Legion 7i is supposedly larger than before, which is a challenge around the restricted space of the notebook PC. Still, they managed it so that there is more efficient heat transfer from the CPU and GPU to the cooling fans and ducts. All this while managing to keep two NVMe M.2 slots for two ultra-fast SSD and one SATA slot for maximum storage.
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
All these is nothing though if you are seeing everything through a terrible display. Some of the previous Lenovo Legion notebook PCs have gotten a few negative comments when it comes to the display because plenty of them use TN (Twisted Nematic) panel displays. Those panels are known for horrible colour accuracy, washed out images, and even worse colour contrast. They are very fast though, pushing 300Hz in refresh rates in some cases and easily push 1ms in response time.
The progression in IPS (In-Plane Switching) technology though has allowed Lenovo to take advantage of the more colour accurate displays on the Lenovo Legion 7i with Full HD resolution with up to 240Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time (unreal, we know). Those, along with 1000% of sRGB colour gamut for super accurate colours when you need to do all your Adobe Photoshop work or Adobe Premiere Pro colour grading work.
Smarter Gaming
Lenovo has always looked for ways to innovate in the PC market. After all, it is a very saturated market with too many players to name in the first place. Staying at the front of the market with new innovations then is very important.
For the Lenovo Legion gaming line-up they have developed a new Lenovo Vantage software that allows users to have full control over each aspect of Lenovo’s gaming rigs. You can change the fan behaviour from the software itself. You can technically set maximum fan speed, and even more overclocking or undervolting settings within the software. Of course, if you know what you are doing with a PC, you might get more out of this than Lenovo’s own default settings for yourself.
With the Vantage also comes Lenovo’s new Q-Control 3.0. This is to control both the fan speed and overclocking on the Legion notebook PCs. It is designed to quickly switch between different thermal profiles to either keep the PC quiet, or to maximise cooling efforts.
Ther have also tuned the displays on the new Lenovo Legion notebook PC line-up. The new IPS panels means better colour accuracy. Lenovo’s very own Legion Visual software optimises the graphics and colours even more by tuning the colours for optimum usage in different brightness settings and use cases.
They even made the new Legion products last even longer than before with 80Wh of battery pack now. That means that Lenovo’s Legion gaming rigs can last up to 8 hours on a single charge or more, depending on hardware power requirements and others. 8 hours is a long time for any gaming PC though.
Lenovo Legion 5Pi
There is a few variants of the Lenovo Legion 5 series that is coming into Malaysia and we, of course, start with the most powerful one. This is also Lenovo’s second most powerful Notebook PC that is coming to Malaysia. As the ‘i’ in the naming scheme suggests, this is an Intel powered gaming Notebook PC. It has a 10th Generation Intel Core i7 (up to) paired to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Super (up to).
While not as powerful as the super powerful Lenovo Legion 7i, the Lenovo Legion 5Pi is more powerful than plenty of gaming notebooks of its class. You get some really nice features on the Lenovo Legion 5Pi still too. There is a 4-zone RGB still on the keyboard of the Legion 5Pi notebook PC to show that this is not just a normal Lenovo Legion 5 series. Even the top clam housing the display has a slightly different design with the Legion ‘Y’ Logo front and center of the clam.
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
The display is also a Full HD IPS panel with 100% sRGB colour gamut to make short work of Adobe Photoshop. Along with 144Hz refresh rate and up to 1ms response time, this could be the perfect rig if you are on a slightly lower budget but still need a primary notebook PC to work with in LAN parties or at work. Again, I would tone down the RGB for myself, a matter of preference.
Lenovo Legion 5i
The Lenovo Legion 5i is technically the Lenovo Legion 5Pi, but a little toned down. As the naming moniker suggests too, it is an Intel device. Powered by Intel’s 10th Generation 10nm Core i7 (up to), this thing is still no slouch. In place of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Super though is a slightly less powerful NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660Ti. The GTX 1660Ti is still powerful stuff to work with though. It is more than enough in most cases to deal with AAA games, Adobe Photoshop and 1080p video editing on Adobe Premiere Pro.
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
For better colour accuracy for those software too, the Lenovo Legion 5i gets a nice IPS panel with 100% sRGB colour gamut like its more powerful and premium Legion 5Pi at 144Hz and up to 1ms response time. This is the perfect balance between raw power and budget. It does not feature the same front and center logo design like the 5Pi, but you still get an all-aluminium body build and the same Legion design of the Legion 7i
Lenovo Legion 5
And then there is the AMD offering that we also saw from AMD’s presentation for the APAC region yesterday. The Lenovo Legion 5. Yes, just the number ‘5’ without any thing like an ‘a’ or ‘R’. There is a small caveat with the AMD version for now though. The Lenovo Legion 5 only comes with up to an AMD Ryzen 5-4500H CPU.
There is no mention anywhere yet on whether or not we will see an AMD Ryzen 7 or even the Ryzen 9 variant pop up in either the Legion 5i or the Legion 7i, but we remain hopeful. Still, the Ryzen 5-4500H is AMD’s latest 4000 series CPUs that has proven in value and power. Paired to an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650, the AMD powerhouse should still impress in games and even for workflow, especially when it comes to CPU intensive software like Adobe’s Premiere Pro.
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
At the same time you only get 8GB in RAM, but you can always add another one RAM stick into the notebook PC or upgrade the one that is already in the PC. Lenovo encourages you to do that apparently. They even have a guide to help you do that on your own on their website.
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i
A top-end and a mid-range has to be competed with an entry-level. After all, accessibility to the products becomes a concern sometimes when it comes to gaming. That is the idea of the IdeaPad Gaming 3i (no pun intended).
The Lenovo IdeaPad does not have the Legion branding moniker. It is still no slouch though. You still get Intel’s latest 10th Generation Core i7 (up to). You also can spec it with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 if you want and it will be the perfect companion for both work and play on a budget.
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
The 15-inch display is still a Full HD resolution display and fast enough for plenty of games. You get up to 120Hz in refresh rate, which is more than enough for most use case and games. It also comes with some Lenovo Legion design work within the body. That means bigger thermal pipes for better thermal performance under load too.
Lenovo Legion Tower 5i
Their product range is not just limited to notebook PCs though. Although that is the current most popular platform, nothing beats the power of a desktop tower set up. Lenovo has that answer too with the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i that is set to launch in Malaysia later in the year.
They did mention a more powerful Lenovo Legion Tower 7i too, but unfortunately that is not coming to Malaysia. Still, the Legion Tower 5i is a powerful gaming PC tower than anyone can appreciate. You get two variants of the Lenovo Legion Tower 5 series technically. You can spec your’s with either an AMD Ryzen 3000 series CPU or a 10th Generation Intel Core CPU. You can also pick from a variety of GPUs up to an NVIDIA GeForce 2070 Super if you want.
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
While it is a tower, it is not that big of a thing and is designed to be something that is small enough and light enough to be as portable as possible. In this case, you can even take it out to a LAN party alongside a small monitor and keyboard and still get the benefit of gaming on a proper desktop rig.
Lenovo Legion Phone – the Future of Gaming Smartphones
Lenovo has not been in the smartphone game for a while. That is since they took over with Motorola. They did make some compelling smartphones and tablets in the past though.
Earlier in the year there are rumours surrounding Lenovo jumping back into the smartphone scene with a gaming focused smartphone. They dub it the Lenovo Legion Phone. There are no confirmation of specifications or renders yet about the anticipated device. We do have confirmation from Lenovo’s executives regarding the existence of the device and that we will see it somewhere in the late 2020.
There are still no confirmed dates on the device so far. The only thing we got from them is; “Lenovo will launch a Legion gaming phone in 2020. Please stay tuned for more information”. Which is not too much to work with. We are excited to see ROG Phone II, Black Shark II, and Razer Phone rival though.
Price and Availability
The Lenovo Legion 7i, Lenovo Legion Tower 5i, and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i will be coming later in 2020. There are no confirmed prices for the three models mentioned yet too. We are expecting the Lenovo IdeaPad 3i to hover somewhere between MYR 2,500 and MYR 3,500 price point though.
The Lenovo Legion 5, Lenovo Legion 5i, and Lenovo Legion 5Pi will be available in Malaysia June 2020 onward. The AMD based Lenovo Legion 5 will be the most affordable option with prices starting from MYR 3,599. The Lenovo Legion 5 with Intel’s Core i5 will start from MYR 4,199. Of course, you can get that with an Intel Core i7 too. The top-of-the-line Lenovo Legion 5Pi will set you back at least MYR 6,399.
It’s been a while since there was any news on a Motorola flagship. It’s last big flagship was the MotoMods touting Moto Z4. Since then, the company has been invested in their mid-range offerings with the Moto G series, which got a stylus in one of the more recent releases; and it’s Motorola One series. The last Motorola branded smartphone to reach Malaysia was the Motorola One Power which was sold through online shopping platform, Shopee.
This year, the now Lenovo owned Motorola Mobility looks to be reentering the flagship race with a new contender: the Motorola Edge+. If you’re asking where’s the “Moto” brand, it seems like the new flagship will be leaving the moniker behind. However, it’s also taking specs and features more seriously than any other Motorola flagship in recent years.
Built to Impress: The Motorola Edge+
The new Motorola Edge+ doesn’t hold back when it comes to specifications. It packs the cutting edge Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor with 12GB of DDR5 RAM and 256GB of internal storage. They’re using the UFS3.0 for internal memory. The combination makes the Motorola Edge one of the most powerful flagship devices on the market. Coming equipped with 5G connectivity, the Edge+ is Motorola’s first 5G smartphone.
The display on the Edge+ comes with a curved, 6.77-inch AMOLED display with a Full HD+ resolution of 2340×1080 pixels. It has a 21:9 aspect ratio and a refresh rate of 90Hz. The display is also HDR10+ certified. Their Endless Edge display wraps nearly 90-degrees around the long sides of the device. Their display is also one of the cornerstones of the their new MyUX experience which allows users to customize how they are able to interact with their phones. From gestures to pull down the notification shade by swiping and even lighting up for notifications, Motorola is looking to make a large device more functional with one hand.
A Camera Experience That Makes Sense
The Motorola Edge+ comes with the same camera 108-megapixel module that we’ve seen in recent flagships including the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra and the Xiaomi Mi 10. It has the quad pixel technology that we’ve been hearing about. In essence, this technology combines 4 pixels to increase the amount of light being captured. This is complemented with an 8-megapixel sensor with a telephoto lens capable of 3x optical zoom; a 16-megapixel sensor with an ultra-wide lens with a 117° field of view; and a time of flight sensor.
Cameras on the Motorola Edge+ will be able to shoot 6K video video footage. Users will also be able to take 20-megapixel pictures while shooting video. The camera array also has dual OIS on the main and telephoto lenses to minimise shaking. Motorola is touting that the Edge+ comes with the most advanced stabilisation which combines OIS and EIS for superior video stabilization. The front camera is a 25-megapixel sensor with an aperture of f/2.0.
Motorola is looking to give one of the most well rounded experiences on a smartphone with the Edge+. To that end, the company has said that it has equipped the smartphone with the loudest, most powerful dual speaker setup and a 3.5mm jack. The sound experience on the Edge+ also calibrated by GRAMMY Award winning company, Waves.
The Edge+ comes with Bluetooth 5.1 LE, NFC and WiFi 6 connectivity. Also along for the ride is a USB Type C (3.1) connection. It is equipped with an on-screen fingerprint sensor. It is also touting a 5000mAh battery which has support for 18W fast charging, 15W wireless charging and 5W reverse charging. The Edge+ is also rated IP68 for dust and water resistance.
Scaled Back for Affordability: the Motorola Edge
Along with the Motorola Edge+, the company announced a scaled back version called the Motorola Edge. While the phone keeps the ethos of the new flagship device, the company has scaled specifications back a little bit to keep the price more affordable.
The Motorola Edge will be coming with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor paired with 6GB of DDR4X RAM and 128GB of UFS2.1 on-board storage. It also has a smaller battery at 4,500mAh which has support for 15W fast charging. However, it will not support wireless and reverse charging.
The camera module on the Edge is a triple sensor setup with a smaller 64-megapixel sensor. It also lacks the time of flight sensor from the Edge+. The phone also doesn’t support WiFi 6. Instead, it supports WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac. It also comes with a USB Type C (2.0) instead and is only rated IP54 for dust and water resistance.
However, both versions will be coming equipped with Android 10 with Motorola’s near stock experience.
Pricing & Availability
The Motorola Edge will be available in Europe starting in May, 2020 for €699 (USD$767/MYR3,298). It will be making its way to markets in Latin America, Asia Pacific and the United States shortly after. It will be available in Solar Black and Midnight Magenta.
The Motorola Edge+ will be heading to the U.S. on May 14, 2020. It will be retailing at USD$999 (MYR4,354). The Edge+ will be available in Thunder Grey and Smoky Sangria. It is confirmed to be heading to India and select Latin American markets.
No news just yet on the Edge and Edge+ coming to Malaysia.
If you look into the PC market these days, you see nearly the same things from every other manufacturer. It has been that way for a while now actually. Every mainstream brand goes with their usual line-up, then there is the high-end professional line-up, a mainstream and high-end gaming line-up, and now, they have the high-end creative industry line-up. There is one segment that many manufacturers are not taking enough advantage of though. That is the student market.
It is a completely different market compared to what the other markets are serving you see. In this segment, consumers are looking to buy value-for-money portable set-up that they are comfortable to work with. Preferably you have something at 14-inch to 15-inch of display, large enough to easily browse through documents and rifle through research papers. It is also large enough to enjoy YouTube and Netflix when they need to relax. Of course, the main aim is to get work done on it. It has to be able to comfortably run excel files, easily create attractive and purposeful PowerPoints, and write long essays away from the charging port preferably.
Lenovo has a number of things that they are already doing to make their Notebook PCs more appealing to students. One of which is to bundle Microsoft’s whole office offering for students into their value Notebook PC line-ups. Their new strategy is to find a completely new kind of brand ambassador.
Source: Lenovo
Their new IdeaPad Slim 1, IdeaPad S145, and ThinkBook 14 Notebook PCs are included under their “Learn From Home” package. The Notebook PCs prices starts from MYR 999, MYR 2,049, and MYR 3,399 respectively. Selected devices will get the Students package with Microsoft Office 365 Student access.
They are looking for a full-time student to be their new ambassador this time. Of course, there are some criteria other than being a full-time student and being able to verify that status. The candidate has to also be active in their campus activities as a student. Interested participants also have to be active on social media and be a registered Member of Lenovo’s Education Store
If selected, the ambassadors will be exclusively invited to watch Lenovo Tech Talks. The Tech Talks are kind of product launch events or even concept show cases. Selected students will also get to participate in the Q&A sessions that happens within the events.
They also get direct access to Lenovo team members as part of a sort of a mentorship program. Students can speak to Lenovo team members in virtual office hours to gain skills that may be essential to their career path or as entrepreneurs. All this, on top of a 15% discount referral code they can use and share with friends or family members to purchase selected Lenovo devices listed under the “Learn From Home” program.
Eligible students may apply for Lenovo Malaysia’s Student Ambassador program or find out more about the program on Lenovo Malaysia’s website. All participants will be awarded with a certificate of participation to be added to their portfolio. At least you tried, you know. If you are selected though, you might be featured in one of Lenovo’s Quarterly Student Ambassador newsletter. For more information on Lenovo’s “Learn From Home” offers, head over to their website too.
