Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 review: Geared up for productivity

Lenovo has joined the bandwagon, introducing a new version of its ThinkPad T14s built around Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips for PC. The Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 features the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite X1E-78-100, which is a lower-spec variant, but the laptop itself is one of the more expensive options at $1,745 as tested (and that price is with Lenovo’s ever-shifting discounts that obscure the real price of products), and the price comes above competitive Intel- and AMD-powered laptops like the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 7440 (2024) and Asus Zenbook 14 OLED.

While the performance and reliability of the Snapdragon chip inside the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 still has to prove itself in the long run, what we’re seeing from the system so far is respectable in everyday operation and downright brilliant in efficiency when combined with the rest of the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6’s hardware. This is a very well rounded machine for productivity and well worth digging further into. 

Further reading: Best laptops 2024: Premium, budget, gaming, 2-in-1s, and more

Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6: Specs and features

At the time of testing, Lenovo was not offering multiple configurations of the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6. Since then, it has introduced a custom configuration option that is still built around the same Snapdragon chip and display but features Windows 11 Home and configurable storage that starts at 256GB alongside a starting price of $1,279. As it still comes with 32GB of memory, we’d expect performance in most situations to remain largely unchanged.

Lenovo offers some upgrades with the custom configuration, including 64GB of memory for $193 extra. The bump to 1TB of storage costs $490 extra, though there’s also a $180 option for 512GB, both of which seem too expensive. 

You can get a touch display for $125, but it will feature a different panel with lower color gamut and may not have the same energy savings that this model gets. A 2880×1800 OLED display is also available with a wider color gamut, 120Hz refresh rate, and anti-glare finish, but it costs $315 more and is also likely to impact battery life.

• CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite X1E-78-100
• Memory: 32GB LPDDR5X
• Graphics/GPU: Qualcomm Adreno integrated graphics
• Display: 14-inch FHD+ IPS
• Storage: 1TB PCIe Gen4 SSD
• Webcam: 1080p
• Connectivity: 2x USB4, 2x USB-A 5Gbps, 1x HDMI 2.1 (4K60Hz), 1x 3.5mm combo audio
• Networking: WiFi 7, Bluetooth 5.3
• Biometrics: Windows Hello fingerprint, facial recognition
• Battery capacity: 58 watt-hours
• Dimensions: 12.37 x 8.64 x 0.67 inches
• Weight: 2.66 pounds
• MSRP: $1,754 as-tested ($1,279 base)

Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6: Design and build quality

IDG / Mark Knapp

IDG / Mark Knapp

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    </div></figure><p class="imageCredit">IDG / Mark Knapp</p></div>

The Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 comes out looking much like just about any other ThinkPad. It’s rocking the signature black and red design that makes it a little sleeper with subtle style. Lenovo has kept embellishments to a minimum, with only a small Lenovo badge on one corner of the lid and ThinkPad engraved into the opposite corner with a small illuminated dot in the “i” of the name. 

The chassis doesn’t make a statement. It’s not obscenely thin or made out of obviously luxury materials, as Lenovo has hidden the recycled aluminum, magnesium, and CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced polymer) in a soft-touch-like black coating. But the whole system still ends up fairly svelte at just 0.67 inches. The frame feels just a little cheap because of how lightweight it is at just 2.66 pounds, but that’s further offset by the smoothness and sturdiness of it. The Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 just feels built well. There’s some keyboard deck flex, but I have to really press hard to see much. If ever there was a delightfully utilitarian laptop, this feels like it, and it’s done well. 

The frame sits on three rubber feet, with two small feet out front and one long foot spanning the width of the laptop at the back. These aren’t the grippiest, but they hold the laptop steady enough while typing and navigating.

The lid moves smoothly, but it has enough friction that it requires holding the base down while opening — no one-handed opening despite the lid having a small lip that ought to have facilitated easier one-handed operation. It also wiggles a bit after it’s been moved, but thankfully it doesn’t shake around while I’m typing.

There’s a small gap between the base of the laptop and the display hinge, and the exhaust vents live in that gap. This lets vented air go both up toward the display and get directed down by the edge of the display. Air intake is handled by a single fan visible right behind a grate on the underside of the laptop.

All put together, the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 is a nice little laptop that doesn’t get caught up in efforts to exude style but still has elegance and impressive robustness for such a lightweight system. 

Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6: Keyboard, trackpad

IDG / Mark Knapp

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    </div></figure><p class="imageCredit">IDG / Mark Knapp</p></div>

The keyboard on the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 is good, but not quite as rock-solid as I’d have hoped. The keys have a good bit of travel to them, but they don’t offer much resistance and are therefore not incredibly well stabilized or poppy to type on. This leads to more errors drifting off the edge of one key and hitting its neighbor because of their tendency to tilt, and it results in plenty of missed presses if I don’t slow down.

Rushing, I end up with low accuracy. At the best, I was able to hit 117 words per minute with 96 percent accuracy in Monkeytype, which is decent but still a ways away from my best performance. Still, the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6’s keyboard has its pluses.

For one thing, it has offset arrow keys that are easy to feel out. They also include small Page Up and Page Down keys. For writing or editing, the top-right of the keyboard also squeezes in Home, End, Insert, and Delete to provide some easier navigation, selection, and editing. 

The keyboard features white backlighting, and Lenovo claims it is spill-resistant. Like other ThinkPads, the keyboard features the classic TrackPoint nib, which provides an extra way to mouse around the computer. It’s effective and plays well with the physical left-, right-, and middle-mouse buttons above the trackpad, letting me keep my hands on the keyboard at all times.

There is also a small trackpad below the keyboard, which is wonderfully smooth with its mylar surface. Navigating with it is responsive and accurate, though it can get a little cramped for multi-finger gestures.

Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6: Display, audio