The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 laptop belongs to a relatively new series introduced by Lenovo just about a year ago. It’s important to note right away that this first-generation Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is a perfectly crafted business-class laptop, so one shouldn’t expect a low price.
Build and Design
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 (Gen 1) is crafted using so-called vegan leather (from recycled PET bottles) and also features recycled aluminum. Notably, the packaging is 100% quickly renewable and compostable, even the laptop box handle is made from reinforced cardboard.
Availability and Lineage
The product line also includes the larger sibling, the ThinkPad Z16, which holds a significant position among other modern 16-inch laptops. Lenovo informs that laptops with Z13 and Z16 names were released and showcased in January 2022 during the CES event.
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New Generations and Availability
In late February at the Mobile World Congress 2023, Lenovo announced the new second-generation Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 and ThinkPad Z16 Gen 2 models. These will be available in Latvia by the end of this summer, and we will strive to get the devices for testing.
Technical Specifications of Lenovo ThinkPad Z13
| Details | Specification |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6860Z (8C / 16T, 2.7 – 4.7 GHz) |
| Graphics Card | GAMD Radeon 680M Graphics |
| RAM | 32 GB LPDDR5 6400 (soldered to the motherboard) |
| Screen | 13.3″ 2.8K (2880 x 1800) OLED 400 cd/m², anti-reflective coating, 100% DCI-P3, Dolby Vision, touchscreen, support for stylus (not included) |
| SSD | 512 GB SSD M.2 PCIe 4.0×4 NVMe Opal 2.0 |
| Ports | 2x USB4 40 Gbit/s (with Power Delivery 3.0 and DisplayPort 1.4a) and 3.5mm headphone jack |
| Wireless Connections | Wi-Fi 6E 802.11ax (2×2) + Bluetooth v5.2 |
| Dimensions | 294.4 x 199.6 x 13.99 mm |
| Weight | 1.26 kg |
| Battery | 51.5 Wh, 65 W USB Type-C charging Device, up to 7 hours of operation in OLED version |
| Additional Features | Backlit keys in white, Windows Hello webcam (1080p + IR Discrete with E-shutter), fingerprint reader, Nano-SIM |
| Software | None |
| Price | $1129.99 |
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Look and Build Quality
Having reviewed several high-end business laptops, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 stands out as one of the best in terms of build quality and materials. While vegan leather might not appeal to everyone, overall, this laptop feels impeccably crafted, sturdy, and of high quality.
Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Keyboard and Trackpad
The ThinkPad Z13 features Lenovo’s well-known keyboard design with the iconic red TrackPoint, backlit keys, and the keyboard itself operates flawlessly. There are no complaints here; everything is designed to the highest standards of Lenovo keyboards.
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Display
The tested Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is equipped with a 13.3″ 2.8K (2880 x 1800) OLED touchscreen. Unfortunately, OLED ThinkPad Z13 models are not widely distributed in Latvia, as they make the laptop prohibitively expensive.
Battery Life
With an IPS screen, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is expected to operate for about 10 hours or slightly longer, but with an OLED screen, the laptop will last about 7, maybe just under 8 hours on a single charge, which isn’t much. Exact numbers are difficult to state as our used PCMark 10 Modern Office battery test resulted in the laptop shutting down with around 15% or 20% battery left.
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Performance of Lenovo ThinkPad Z13
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is available with either an AMD Ryzen 5 or AMD Ryzen 7 PRO, but there are still known heat issues. After just a couple of performance tests, the keyboard area of the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 reached about 43°C, while the bottom approached 48°C, which is not comfortable if you want to hold the laptop on your lap.
Storage and Processor
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 uses a UMIS SSD-type memory, which, as far as one can tell, is a brand owned by Lenovo. In technical data, it was promised to be a 512 GB M.2 PCIe 4.0×4 NVMe SSD, but in reality, it falls behind in performance compared to previously seen drives.
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Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Review Conclusion
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is undoubtedly one of the coolest and highest-quality business-class laptops seen, but at the same time, it is one of the most expensive, especially when you consider the OLED screen and 32 GB RAM.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has a great keyboard with short but precise and enjoyable key travel. However, those with larger palms may find it more comfortable to rest something underneath to prevent the front edge from digging into their hands. The OLED screen is touch-sensitive, bright, and colorful. Many nature enthusiasts will appreciate the packaging of the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13, but at least for me, I wished that at this price, it would include at least a USB adapter and maybe even a digital stylus.
At this price, a more compact power block could certainly have been expected. In terms of design, vegan leather won’t appeal to everyone, but it’s at least something different, and the creation of the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 hasn’t harmed any cows. Overall – I really liked the ThinkPad Z13, but the price will significantly limit the number of buyers for this model with better equipment.
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