X1 Yoga 4th gen (2019) discussion thread

Decent sale still (again?) going on: 30% off the X1Y4 with coupon THINKBIGSALE Grab it before the tariffs..

 

I've been honestly waiting for some real reviews of the X1Y gen 4, but there's almost nothing out there. It's weird. Only the Lenovo forums, where, of course all you hear about are issues. I was hoping to compare it to reviews for the Samsung Notebook 9 Pen 15", but there's also almost nothing for it either. Only for the Pro 15", and they are definitely different models.

 

I'm actually kind of heartened by the lack of pervasive issues on the Lenovo forum, at least so far. The main thing is the grumblings about bottom casing and palm rest material on (seemingly) the WWAN models. I'd say so far so good.

Edit: found an actual review on Notebookcheck

 

Yes, the casing thing is a big deal there. Sheesh. Very low on my priority list. So, yes, the "non review" is a good review. But still- it's odd. I was hoping to get some specs on the speakers and the dB level, etc. Generally, the improvements. I was curious about the same thing on the Samsung Pen 15, with its improved speakers and (supposedly) keyboard. Just no info anywhere.

 

I found one review: https://www.notebookcheck.net/Lenov...Aluminum-Unibody-Great-Speakers.428839.0.html

The reviewer makes an interesting observation: by moving the fan outlet to the right side, people who use this machine with a mouse will feel hot air on their mouse hand, at least if they’re right-handed. IMO still better than having it blow air into your lap as with Gen 3.

 

Ohh! Thanks. I like notebookcheck and hadn't found this review yet. Much appreciated. They're just the sort of data-based review I like to read.

 

@Steve B and @everybodyelse, Lisa's review of the X1Y4 is up:

 

Man, it might finally be time to upgrade. I'm still on my Thinkpad 14, so improvement is easy to come by. This ticks a lot of boxes-
-pen with tilt if you use the exterior model pen (atleast that's true as I've tested on the last gen models)
-way better speakers
-over a pound lighter
-a little thinner and smaller
-better battery life (I get around 6 hours, so even 8 or 9 would be welcome. Or if it's really 10, all the better).
-screen (even in HD model) is 100 nits brighter

And all that typical Thinkpad Yoga goodness-
-pen in silo
-trackpoint
-mil spec durability
-many ways to connect to peripherals, with old school USB and full sized HDMI

Keyboard travel dropping a bit is a bummer, but I'm sure it's still exceptional. It's the trackpoint and the silo that I really need for mobile work. I'd get the i5 HD model for sure. Battery life is way more important to me than 4k. Bummer about so much being soldered on, but atleast I can still upgrade the HDD and replace the battery for wear and tear, as I've done on my current device.

 

It does look like a nice system. Downside: no microSD card slot, not sure if you care. And note that the siloed pen is toothpick style, unlike the full-size pen in older thinkpads. I haven't read much about battery life, the 8-9 that Lisa mentions sounds a bit optimistic to me. Totally dependent on brightness and workload of course. Maybe it's possible with a 270 nits HD screen, but I'd say don't count on it until we hear more about real world results. Let us know if you end up taking the plunge, would be nice to have some first-hand impressions by 'one of us'.

 

My current Thinkpad 14 also has the toothpick silo, which is a godsend in the field when you pen runs out of power or you lose it. So what the new x1 yoga offers is right within my expectations. A micro SD slot would be nice, but not essential for my use case. A old school USB slot is way more useful to me.

The HD screen in this model is actually closer to 400 nits. It's the WQHD screen that is 270 nits one. There is a wide variety of screens, so it's hard to remember which is which with ease. The TP14 has a 300 nit screen, so anything better than that would be appreciated.