Lenovo ThinkPad T490S

Lenovo ThinkPad T490S

Lenovo ThinkPad T490s is built for business professionals who are constantly on the move, work nonstop, and need a dependable machine for every task on their list.

Powerful Performance in an Ultrabook

The laptop runs on 8th-generation Intel processors, codenamed Whiskey Lake, which bring many improvements over the previous generation. CPU options range from the Core i5 8265U to the Core i7 8665U, so there is a fit for every need and type of user.

Graphics come from the Intel UHD 620, which handles a wide range of work, especially office tasks.

A Traditional Design That Never Feels Dated

The Lenovo ThinkPad T490s is thinner than last year's T480s. The lid is made of reinforced Polymer Carbon Fiber, which is flexible yet extremely sturdy. The body is reinforced with a magnesium alloy, making it more rigid while significantly reducing weight.

The screen bezels are also thinner, clean-looking without being fragile. The laptop keeps the traditional ThinkPad dual-sided hinge design, which is small but extremely solid. The T490s truly won't disappoint anyone with its build quality.

Display

The displays on the ThinkPad Ts series have always been better than those on the standard T series, and the T495s inherits that quality. The T490s uses a Full HD IPS panel. The base display option covers 65% sRGB and 47% AdobeRGB, which suits office work and light entertainment. At this resolution there are also 2 more options, a low-power display and a privacy display. Both reach 400 nits of brightness with strong color coverage of 100% sRGB and 65% AdobeRGB.

The laptop is also available with a 2K HDR display that uses Dolby Vision technology and covers up to 100% of AdobeRGB. Images are sharp and true to life, ideal for users who work with photos or do professional graphic design.

Keyboard and Touchpad

The keyboard is the most notable change on the T490s, with higher-quality materials and better key feedback. That is because Lenovo used the keyboard from the premium X1 Carbon series for this laptop. Key travel is slightly shorter than on the previous generation, but it does not noticeably affect the typing experience. Key force remains very firm, with no flex when typing.

The touchpad is unchanged from the previous version. It runs smoothly with the Windows Precision driver for pinpoint accuracy. The buttons have a fairly premium click feel and a very quiet sound. The tracking surface sits slightly lower than the palm rest, so users can easily feel the edge of the touchpad by finger alone.

The TrackPoint is flatter but still precise. The accompanying button system responds well and clicks quietly.

Ports and Connectivity

The Lenovo ThinkPad T490s has a full set of ports: 2 USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports, 2 USB Type-C 3.1 Gen 2 ports with Thunderbolt 3 support, 1 HDMI 2.0 port, and 1 3.5mm jack.

It is a small shame that the RJ-45 Ethernet port was dropped, but with Wi-Fi now so common, it is not much of a loss.

Is the Lenovo ThinkPad T490s Worth the Money?

The Lenovo ThinkPad T490s is a business laptop whose design is not as flashy as the HP EliteBook 840 G6 and not as innovative as the Latitude 7400. In return, it offers an excellent keyboard along with stable yet very powerful performance. The one thing that may give buyers pause is that, unlike the previous version, its RAM cannot be upgraded.