Lenovo's new ThinkPad P16 (Gen 1) mobile workstation goes all-out with Intel HX-series CPUs, UHD+ OLED display, 4G LTE

Lenovo Thinkpad P16 G1 Press
Lenovo Thinkpad P16 G1 Press (Image credit: Lenovo)

What you need to know

  • Lenovo today announced the new ThinkPad P16 (Gen 1) that combines popular features from the ThinkPad P15 and P17.
  • The ThinkPad P16 comes with 12th Gen HX-series Intel processors, up to 128GB of DDR5 RAM, NVIDIA RTX A5500 GPU, 8TB of M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD storage, and plenty of ISV certifications.
  • New 16-inch displays with 16:10 aspect ratio are available, with up to UHD+ OLED and Dolby Vision.
  • Expect this laptop to launch May 2022 starting at about $1,979.

Lenovo today announced the first-generation ThinkPad P16 mobile workstation. Lenovo says it's "built to combine the best features of the ThinkPad P15 and P17 into an all new compact and improved form factor." This is a high-end Lenovo laptop that's made for professional power users on the go, from the powerful internal performance hardware to ISV certifications to optional 4G LTE connectivity. Lenovo says it offers the most performance of any P-series ThinkPad it's ever released.

That's mainly due to the inclusion of Intel's 12th Gen HX-series 55W CPUs, with up to a 16-core Core i9 chip for serious power. The CPUs are accompanied by up to a NVIDIA RTX A5500 discrete workstation GPU with 16GB of VRAM, up to 128GB of DDR5-4800MHz RAM (ECC or non-ECC) in four SODIMM slots, and up to 8TB of M.2 PCIe 4.0 storage spread out over two M.2 slots. It all runs on a 94Wh battery. Here's a full look at the specs as provided by Lenovo.

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CategoryLenovo ThinkPad P16 (Gen 1)
OSWindows 11 Pro
Windows 11 Home
Ubuntu Linux
Red Hat Enterprise Linux
Fedora Linux
Processor12th Gen Intel
HX series
Core i5, i7, i9
Up to 16 cores
RAMUp to 128GB DDR5-4800MHz
Four SODIMM slots
ECC or non-ECC
GraphicsUp to NVIDIA RTX A5500
StorageUp to 8TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD
Up to 2 drives
RAID 0/1
Display16 inches
16:10 aspect ratio
1920x1200 (FHD+)
IPS, 300 nits, anti-glare, 100% sRGB, low blue light
2560x1600 (QHD+)
IPS, 400 nits, anti-glare, 100% sRGB, low blue light
3840x2400 (UHD+)
IPS, 600 nits, anti-glare, 100% AdobeRGB, low blue light, HDR400, Dolby Vision
3840x2400 (UHD+)
OLED, touch, 400 nits, anti-reflective, 100% DCI-P3, low blue light, HDR500, Dolby Vision
PortsTwo Thunderbolt 4
Two USB-A 3.2 (Gen 1)
USB-C 3.2 (Gen 2)
HDMI 2.1
3.5mm audio
SD card reader
WirelessIntel Wi-Fi 6E AX211
Bluetooth 5.2 vPro
4G LTE
NFC
CameraFront-facing FHD
Hybrid IR
Camera shutter
SecuritydTPM 2.0
Fingerprint reader
IR camera
Camera shutter
Lock slot
Battery94W
Dimensions14.3 x 10.5 x 1.2 inches
(364mm x 266mm x 30.23mm)
WeightFrom 6.5 pounds (2.95kg)
ColorStorm Grey
AvailabilityMay 2022
PriceFrom $1,979

The hardware is kept cool thanks to a redesigned thermal system with two fans, two vapor chambers, air intake through the keyboard, more heat pipes, and a dual bypass design that keeps temperatures cool on the outside as well. The P16's tweaked design features a new exhaust and port bank along the back edge, with a red highlight for the otherwise Storm Grey color scheme. The ThinkPad P16 has also undergone MIL-SPEC durability testing and comes with plenty of ISV certifications to ensure design and development software runs optimally on the system.

There are four new 16-inch displays with a taller 16:10 aspect ratio and low blue light. The most basic has a 1920x1200 (FHD+) resolution, along with 100% sRGB color, 300 nits brightness, and an anti-glare finish. Next is a 2560x1600 (QHD+) resolution with 400 nits brightness, anti-glare finish, and 100% sRGB color. There are also two UHD+ screens to choose from. One is IPS with 600 nits, 100% AdobeRGB color, HDR500, and Dolby Vision, while the other is OLED touch with 100% DCI-P3 color, HDR500, and Dolby Vision.

Above the display is a front-facing FHD webcam with shutter, available as a hybrid with IR facial recognition. Otherwise, you get a fingerprint reader, dTPM 2.0 chip, and lock slot for added security. The ThinkPad P16 (Gen 1) is expected to launch later this month, with a starting price of about $1,979.

Cale Hunt
Senior Editor, Laptop Reviews

Cale Hunt is formerly a Senior Editor at Windows Central. He focuses mainly on laptop reviews, news, and accessory coverage. He's been reviewing laptops and accessories full-time since 2016, with hundreds of reviews published for Windows Central. He is an avid PC gamer and multi-platform user, and spends most of his time either tinkering with or writing about tech.