Lenovo has opted not to wait for CES 2019 next month to introduce the first ThinkPads with Intel’s Whiskey Lake Core I5-8265U and Core i7-8565U processors. They will arrive onboard the new ThinkPad L390 and L390 Yoga, new business-focused devices that are set to become available later in December, with prices starting at $659 and $889, respectively.
Relatively unchanged on the outside from last year’s L380, the new ThinkPads both feature 13.3-inch FHD touch displays and come in black and silver color options. The L390 Yoga is still the more premium of the two models, and at $889 comes with features like a garaged Active Pen and a world-facing webcam. Both of the devices pack options for up to 32 GB DDR4 RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a modern selection of ports. Those include two USB Type C ports, two USB 3.1 ports, an HDMI port, micro SD Card reader, and Mini RJ-45 jack.
Lenovo is promising up to 14 hours of battery on the ThinkPad L390, and 12 hours on the L390 Yoga. In terms of weight, the L390 starts at 3.2 pounds, and the L390 Yoga at 3.5 pounds. Some security features are also included, with options for a fingerprint reader and Windows Hello IR camera. Other improvements for the new devices include Intel’s 9560 Wi-Fi module and support for Bluetooth 5.0.
Though these are the first ThinkPads with Whiskey Lake processors, Lenovo is still including configuration options for Intel Celeron processors, according to Toms Hardware. That makes the devices versatile for consumers looking for something with extra quad-core processing power, or just a budget-friendly laptop.
“Positioned with price-sensitive business customers and professional consumers in mind, the L series maintains the ThinkPad reputation for ruggedness and durability. Sitting below our ThinkPad X1 premium laptops and the mainstream corporate workhorse T and X series, the updated L390 and L390 are designed to provide end-users with mainstream performance and value,” said Lenovo.
A jump to Whiskey Lake is exciting for ThinkPad fans, but there could be bigger news on the horizon at CES 2019. A previous leak of a Lenovo data sheet for the IdeaPad S530 indicated that Intel’s 9th-generation laptop processors could be coming soon.
