The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium is a top-notch two-in-one laptop. It has a sleek titanium finish on the outside and a durable carbon magnesium chassis. The screen has a unique three-to-two aspect ratio, which makes it stand out. The performance is impressive, especially with its Core i7 1165 G7 processor. The display is a gorgeous QHD Plus with vivid colors.
Now, the ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 6. It has a similar premium build with an aluminum finish and an excellent ThinkPad keyboard. Unlike its predecessor, it features a 16-to-10 aspect ratio display, which is a slight improvement.
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Table of Contents
ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 6 Specifications
| Display | 14″ FHD+ (1920 x 1200) IPS, Anti-Glare, Privacy-Guard, 500nits |
| CPU | Intel Core i7-1165G7 (2.8/4.7 GHz) |
| Graphics | Intel Iris Xe Graphics |
| Memory | Up to 32GB Soldered LPDDR4x-4266 |
| Storage | Up too 1tb PCIe SSD |
| Battery | 57Wh (Supports Rapid Charge) |
| Wireless | Snapdragon X55 5G | Quectel EM120R-GL 4G LTE CAT12 Intel AX201 Wi-fi 6 802.11AX & Bluetooth 5.1 |
| Dimensions | 14.9mm x 313mm x 223mm |
| Weight | Starting 3 lbs (1.35 KG) |
| Price | $1,314.95 |
Design and Build
Inside the box, you’ll find a 65-watt USB-C power adapter along with an extension cord. There’s also some documentation and warranty information included and the ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 6 itself.
When you hold it for the first time, you’ll notice the sleek design, especially with its storm grey finish. It’s made of aluminum and weighs three pounds (1.35 kilograms), slightly heavier than the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 I just looked at. However, it’s still thin and light, easy to carry around.
To give you an idea of its size, it’s comparable to the X1 Titanium Yoga, which has a 3-to-2 aspect ratio, while the ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 6 has a 16-to-10 aspect ratio. You’ll notice the taller display on the X1 Titanium Yoga. When compared to the X1 Carbon Gen 9, they have almost the same footprint.
Ports
On the left side, there are two USB 4 Thunderbolt 4 ports. These ports have various benefits: they support data transfer, charging, and can connect to multiple 4K monitors or one 8K monitor. Additionally, there’s one USB 3.2 Gen 1 port and an HDMI 2.0 port.
On the right side, you’ll find a 3.5-millimeter headphone audio combo jack, another USB 3.2 Gen 1 port, and a Kensington lock port. There’s also a slot for a pen, but it’s missing in this model. Unfortunately, there’s no SD card reader or LAN port. If you need to use a LAN port, you’ll need an adapter. If you opt for the 5G option, you’ll also have a nano SIM slot for your nano SIM card.
Upgradeability Options
Once you open it up, you’ll see that you can replace the SSD easily, but the RAM is soldered onto the motherboard, meaning you can’t upgrade it later. My review model has 16 gigabytes of LPDDR4 XRAM, but you can order it with up to 32 gigabytes of RAM, which is pretty good.
For wireless connectivity, it has Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1. However, the Wi-Fi card is soldered onto the motherboard, so you can’t change it later. You can also get it with optional 4G LTE or 5G, which is great for business travelers. But, you need to choose this option when you buy it because you can’t add it later; there are no ports or antennas for that.
Keyboard
For those wondering, you can easily open the lid with just one finger. That’s not common for a convertible, but this one has strong hinges that make it possible.
ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 6 has classic ThinkPad keyboard known for its quality. The keys have about 1.5 millimeters of travel, which is great for typing for long periods. They feel solid and won’t bottom out easily. Plus, there’s a multi-stage backlight, handy for working in the dark. The keyboard is spill-resistant, and the touchpad works really well. Scrolling is smooth, all the Windows 10 gestures work fine, and there’s the trackpoint, which some people like and others don’t care much about. Personally, I’m neutral about it. I used to use it more, but it’s still a nice feature to have.
You may like this: Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Review
Display and Audio
It’s a 14-inch full HD+ display with anti-glare, meaning it’s matte and reduces glare and reflections. I have the touchscreen model with a privacy guard, offering 500 nits brightness. The privacy guard is handy for business users concerned about security and privacy. It may slightly affect the display’s brightness, though. You can also choose a UHD Plus display or a full HD Plus display without the privacy guard, both with 500 nits brightness. The display is color-accurate, covers the color gamut well, and has good viewing angles. Pressing Function D activates the privacy mode for added security.
The laptop has thin bezels, giving it a modern look, and a 16:10 aspect ratio, which is better for productivity. It means less scrolling when browsing the web.
There are two bottom-facing speakers with Dolby Atmos. They’re decent, getting loud with okay mids and a bit of bass. Overall, not bad for a business-focused laptop.
Webcam and Fingerprint Reader
The front-facing camera on the new ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 6 2021 is a 720p 30 frames per second webcam. It also has infrared capability, so you can use face recognition with Windows Hello for logging in.
The power button also works as a fingerprint scanner, adding an extra layer of security. Setting it up was easy, and it recognized my fingerprint every time I used it.
The Modes and The Pen
Since ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 6 is a two-in-one convertible, you can use it in different ways. Tent mode is good for watching movies or videos on Netflix, Amazon, or YouTube. Stand mode is also great for media consumption or reading recipes in the kitchen. You can also switch it to tablet mode, which is handy if you want to use the pen.
The pen comes with the laptop at no extra cost and can be stored and charged within the device itself. It uses Wacom AES technology and is useful for taking notes, sketching, or any other tasks you need. It’s convenient to have the pen stored and charged in the device.
Performance
| Platforms | Scores |
|---|---|
| PCMARK 10 | 5456 |
| GEEKBENCH 5.1 (Single-Core) | 1512 |
| GEEKBENCH 5.1 (Multi-Core) | 5800 |
| CINEBENCH R20 | 2176 |
| CINEBENCH R15 | 912 cb | 103 fps |
| 3DMARK Time Spy | 1791 |
| 3DMAARK Fire Strike | 4915 |
| Games | Scores |
|---|---|
| The Witcher 3 (1080p, Low | 83 FPS |
| Far cry5 (1080p, low) | 50 FPS |
| X-Plane 11,11 (1080p, Low) | 43 FPS |
When it comes to performance, it’s powered by the Intel Core i7 1165 G7, an 11th gen Tiger Lake processor. It also has integrated Iris XE graphics, which provide decent performance. It’s similar to what we saw with the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9. It’s great for everyday tasks like Microsoft Office, email, and web browsing for business. While it’s not designed for gaming, you can play some popular titles at lower settings. You can also connect an external GPU via one of its two Thunderbolt 4 ports, offering options for casual gamers.
Battery Life
The battery performed well during my continuous web surfing test over Wi-Fi, lasting for 12 hours and 46 minutes. It’s not quite as good as the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9, but still pretty solid. In real-world use, you can expect around 9 to 10 hours of battery life depending on your activities. If you need to recharge, the included 65-watt power adapter takes less than two hours for a full charge, and it’ll give you 50 percent in about 35 minutes.
Conclusion
I really like the ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 6 2021. The move to the 16:10 aspect ratio and Thunderbolt 4 ports are great. I appreciate the included active pen that charges within the device. The optional wireless WAN 5G/4G LTE is a nice addition. The legendary ThinkPad keyboard is spill-proof and excellent for typing. The speakers are impressive, and the performance from the 11th generation Tiger Lake processor is good.
However, there are some downsides. The 720p webcam is outdated for 2021, and the lack of an SD card reader is disappointing. It’s not wireless modem-ready, so you can’t add it later; you have to choose the 5G LTE option when purchasing. Also, the RAM isn’t user-upgradable, although the SSD is. Overall, I’m really pleased with the ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 6 2021.
What my thoughts?
I think it’s fantastic. It’s a significant upgrade from Gen 5, with the new 11th gen Tiger Lake processors and integrated XD graphics, as well as the shift to a 16:10 aspect ratio. If you prefer a 3:2 aspect ratio, check out my video on the X1 Titanium Yoga—it’s similar in some ways but different in others. So far, the performance has been great, and I’m impressed with the battery life.
Overall, the X1 Yoga Gen 6 impresses with its performance and features, but it has some notable drawbacks to consider.
Pros
- Excellent performance
- ThinkPad keyboard
- optional 5G/4G LTE
- spill-proof keyboard
- impressive speakers
Cons
- Outdated 720p webcam
- no SD card reader
- non-upgradable RAM
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Design10
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Display10
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Hardware10
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Keyboard10
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TouchPad9
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Ports9
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Audio8
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Webcam7
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Performance9
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Battery10
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Thermals and fan Noise8
