Table of Contents
Lenovo owns one of the most recognizable laptop brands in the ThinkPad line of business machines. ThinkPads, which are IBM holdovers, are typically recognizable from across the room due to a black-on-black aesthetic with carefully placed red accents.
There have been exceptions, such as the ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga, which has a silver chassis, but Lenovo has kept the ThinkPad brand distinct. The new ThinkPad Z laptops are a bigger step forward.
With the lid closed, the ThinkPad Z16, which we our reviewing here, resembles a Dell XPS 15 more than a ThinkPad X1 Extreme. When you open it, you’ll find a more ThinkPad-like keyboard deck.
- Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Specifications
- Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Review: Design
- Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Review: Keyboard and Touchpad
- Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Review: Display
- Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Review: Audio
- Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Review: Graphics
- Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Review: Performance
- Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Review: Battery Life and Heat
- Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Review: Configuration options
- Conclusion
- FAQS
what really stands out about the machine isn’t visible — it’s Lenovo’s emphasis on using sustainable materials. The ThinkPad Z16 manages to stay a ThinkPad in the areas that matter most while not feeling stuck in the past.
Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Specifications
CPU | AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H |
Graphics | AMD Radeon RX 6500M |
RAM | 16GB DDR5 RAM |
Storage | M.2 2280 512GB NVMe SSD |
Connectivity | Dual-Band WiFi 6 (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5.2 |
Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Review: Design

The design is the most noticeable difference between this model and the established ThinkPad X1 Extreme series: While the X1 Extreme has classic ThinkPad features, the ThinkPad Z16 looks more in line with the mainstream of the laptop market.
It appears to be a cross between an XPS or MacBook and a ThinkPad, with its large touchpad, rectangular keyboard, and silver display lid. Of course, Lenovo will include its own accents, such as the camera bulge on the display lid.
which can also be used to raise the lid. This can be done with one hand, but only up to a 135-degree opening angle. You can buy this laptop from its official website
Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Review: Keyboard and Touchpad
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16’s keyboard is spacious but lacks a numpad. This leaves plenty of room on both sides for full-sized keys, including the Backspace and Enter keys, which are often too small on laptops with a numpad.
The cheap keyboard is also centred above the touchpad, which I prefer for long typing sessions. Typing is enjoyable, if not exceptional. Key travel is adequate for a slim laptop, and the bottoms have a firm, decisive action. However, there is little tactile feel, and the keyboard is quiet.
This may disappoint ThinkPad purists, but it competes with premium alternatives such as the Apple MacBook Pro 16 and Dell XPS 15. The touchpad is a different and more complicated story.
The touchpad is excellent: smooth, responsive, and distinct from the palmrest. Multi-touch gestures work well, and the touchpad, while not large, has enough space for a five-finger pinch or quick swipes left and right. Except for the MacBook Pro 16, it outperforms every other option I’ve recently tried.
Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Review: Display

There’s a 16-inch 16:10 display, as expected, and while Lenovo sent me the 1920 x 1200 model, it’s actually quite nice. This one is matte and effective at reducing glare from direct sunlight. The model I’m reviewing is non-touch, but there is also a touch FHD+ option.
If you want the most beautiful screen, there is a 4K OLED option. As previously stated, the SD card slot makes this a great laptop for creators who edit photos and videos. If this describes you, you should look into 4K OLED. To be honest, we don’t think 1920 x 1200 is a high enough resolution for a screen this size.
Aside from some pixelation, the screen is fairly solid. Because it’s 16:10, it’s also 11% taller than older 16:9 displays, so you get a much larger screen than the 15.6-inch 16:9 laptops that were popular a few years ago.
Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Review: Audio
There’s also the IO. This laptop only has USB-C ports, which is unusual for a full-size ThinkPad. There are USB-C ports on both sides, and they all support data, video, and charging, but you’ll need adapters for some peripherals. In comparison to the Z13, the larger chassis places the audio jack towards the back of the laptop, adds an SD card reader, and a Lock. If only they had crammed in a USB-A port on this thing.
Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Review: Graphics
the AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 6850H configuration, which is an eight-core/16-thread CPU with 45 watts and a clock speed of up to 4.75GHz. Mine was limited to integrated AMD Radeon Graphics, but a faster discrete AMD Radeon RX 6500 GPU is available.
The ThinkPad Z16 outperformed the Dell XPS 15 with an Intel Core i7-12700H CPU and the Lenovo Slim 7 Pro X with an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS in our benchmark suite. Although the Radeon Graphics limit performance in creative apps that can use a discrete GPS, the laptop is capable of handling demanding productivity workflows and moderate creativity tasks.
It performed well in the 3DMark Time Spy test and achieved 30 frames per second (fps) in Fortnite at 1200p and epic graphics, outperforming Intel’s integrated Iris Xe graphics and competing with some machines equipped with Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3050. As a result, it’s a serviceable entry-level gaming laptop.
Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Review: Performance
It does not have the glossy coating of other models, but it has an excellent maximum brightness of 473 nits. That’s a very high level of brightness for any laptop, making the Z16 ideal for use in a bright, open office environment as well as for travel.
It’s also a visually appealing display with good colour performance and accuracy. On paper, the 19201200 resolution doesn’t stand out, but it works out to 141 pixels per inch, which is plenty sharp for day-to-day use.
The display’s weak point is its low contrast ratio and poor dark scene performance, which are characteristics shared by most IPS displays. Movies and video games, especially when viewed in a dark room, can appear flat and dull.
Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Review: Battery Life and Heat
As you can see, the scores between the 45W processor in the ThinkPad Z16 and the 15W processor in the Z13 aren’t all that different. The Ryzen 6000 is quite good, but it has one major flaw, as do all Ryzen mobile chips: performance is significantly throttled when running on battery life.
Using PCMark 10, the ThinkPad Z16 scored 6,328 with its 45W processor, while the ThinkPad Z13 scored 6,281 with its 15W processor. When not connected to electricity, those scores fell to 5,254 and 5,340, respectively. However, the difference in performance was palpable with the Z13. That thing was difficult to use in terms of battery life.
Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Review: Configuration options
While the 19201200 display is useful, competitors may provide a better value. Asus’ Vivobook Pro 15 and Pro 16X OLED models are frequently priced similarly to the 1200p IPS ThinkPad Z16, and Dell’s XPS 15 OLED is available for as little as $1,800. A better visual experience can be had for less money.
The audio quality is adequate but not exceptional. The maximum volume is high, and the upward-facing speakers are rarely muffled or muddy. The speakers have some bass oomph, but they are harsh when presenting a high-pitched vocalist’s melody or the jingle and sizzle of bells or cymbals. This quality can become grating at high volumes, but it is less of an issue at lower volumes.
Conclusion
Lenovo’s ThinkPad Z16 has some success in its attempt to improve on the ThinkPad formula. The laptop is appealing while remaining understated, and the material quality is on par with the best Windows competitors. We also appreciate the smooth, responsive haptic touchpad and the extensive modern connectivity options.
However, the Z16 does not address ThinkPad’s typical weakness: value. Starting around $1,550, and more commonly near $1,700, the Z16 competes with alternatives that offer better performance or a better display for the same or less price. Lenovo’s own competition emphasises this point.
The new Slim 7, Yoga 7i, and Yoga 9i from the company are more affordable (and, yes, Lenovo has a 16-inch Slim 7). Competitor laptops, such as the Asus Vivobook Pro 16X, offer significantly better performance in this price range.
Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Ratings
Pros
- AMD Ryzen powered
- Large bright display
- USB 4.0 ports
Cons
- Webcam was a major disappointment
- Battery life wasn’t anything special
FAQS
Are the Lenovo ThinkPads good?
The Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 4 (2021), which is a Windows mobile workstation, is the best Lenovo laptop we’ve tried. It has enough power to handle hard tasks and gives users a great experience overall.
Which ThinkPad is most reliable?
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 is my choice for the most rugged laptop. It can have up to a 12th-generation Intel Evo processor, 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and Intel Iris Xe graphics built in.
How many years do Lenovo ThinkPad laptops last?
The lifespan of any portable device should not exceed ten to twelve years, but industry experts believe that you should get at least four years of use out of a laptop purchase.