Lenovo ThinkPad T490S

Lenovo ThinkPad T490S

Lenovo ThinkPad T490s is aimed at business professionals who travel frequently, work continuously, and need a stable machine for all work tasks.

Powerful performance in an Ultrabook

The machine uses 8th Gen Intel processors with the Whiskey Lake architecture, bringing many improvements over the previous generation. The laptop offers various CPU options, from Core i5 8265U to Core i7 8665U, catering to different needs and user profiles.

The machine uses Intel UHD 620 graphics options, suitable for many types of work, especially for office professionals.

Traditional design, yet far from outdated

The Lenovo ThinkPad T490s is thinner than the previous T480s version. The lid uses reinforced Carbon Fiber Polymer, providing flexibility while remaining extremely sturdy. The chassis is reinforced with magnesium alloy, making the machine more robust while significantly reducing weight.

The bezels are also thinner, looking sleek without being fragile. The machine still uses the traditional dual-hinge design of the ThinkPad, which is compact yet incredibly solid. Truly, the T490s does not disappoint users with its build quality.

Display

The displays on the ThinkPad Ts series have always been of higher quality compared to the standard T series, and the T490s inherits this characteristic. The T490s features a Full HD display with an IPS panel. The color gamut for the base display option is 65% sRGB and 47% AdobeRGB, suitable for office work as well as light entertainment. Additionally, there are two other options for this resolution: a low-power display and an anti-glare display; both options feature 400 nits of brightness and excellent color coverage at 100% sRGB and 65% AdobeRGB.

Furthermore, the machine offers a 2K HDR display option using Dolby Vision technology with up to 100% AdobeRGB color gamut, providing sharp and realistic images, perfect for users specializing in photo editing or professional graphic design.

Keyboard and Touchpad

The keyboard is a significant upgrade for the T490s, featuring higher-quality materials and better key feedback. This is because Lenovo has utilized the premium X1 Carbon series keyboard for this machine. The key travel is slightly reduced compared to the previous generation, but it does not significantly impact the typing experience. The tactile feedback remains very solid, with no flex when typing.

The touchpad remains the same as the previous version. The touchpad operates smoothly in combination with Windows Precision Drivers, providing absolute precision. The click feel is quite premium and very quiet. The touchpad area is positioned slightly lower than the palm rest, helping users easily locate the touchpad area with just their fingers.

The Trackpoint is flatter but still provides precision during use. The auxiliary mouse system responds well with quiet operation.

Connectivity

The Lenovo ThinkPad T490s features a complete set of connectivity ports. The machine has 2 USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports, 2 USB Type C 3.1 Gen 2 ports supporting Thunderbolt 3, 1 HDMI 2.0 port, and 1 3.5mm jack.

It is a bit regrettable that the RJ-45 network port has been removed, but with Wi-Fi connectivity becoming so common, this is not a major drawback.

Is the Lenovo ThinkPad T490s worth your money?

The Lenovo ThinkPad T490s is a business laptop with a design that isn’t as flashy as the HP Elitebook 840 G6, nor as innovative as the Latitude 7400, but in return, the machine possesses an excellent keyboard along with stable yet incredibly powerful performance. Perhaps the point that makes users hesitate when choosing this machine is that the RAM cannot be upgraded like the previous version.