The Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable is a great detachable tablet that took the top spot on our list of the best 2-in-1s. It beat out the Microsoft Surface Pro 7, which had a great ride but lacked a little teeth.
Enter the Surface Pro 8, which was released in early October 2021 and brings some significant and long-lasting improvements to the Surface Pro line. Can the ThinkPad X12 Detachable keep its top spot against the new and improved Surface Pro 8?
Glasses
| Detachable Lenovo ThinkPad X12 | Microsoft Surface Pro 8 | |
| Dimensions | 11.15 inches x 8.01 inches x 0.34 inches | 11.3 inches x 8.2 inches x 0.37 inches |
| Weight | 1.67 pounds | 1.96 pounds |
| Processor | Intel Core i3-1110G4Intel Core i5-1130G7Intel Core i5-1140G7 with vProIntel Core i7-1160G7Intel Core i7-1180G7 with vPro | Intel Core i5-1135G7Intel Core i7-1185G7 |
| Graphics | Intel UHD graphicsIntel Iris Xe graphics | Intel Iris Xe graphics |
| working memory | Up to 16 GB | Up to 32 GB |
| Display | 12.3-inch 16:10 Full HD+ (1920 x 1280) IPS 60Hz | 13-inch 3:2 2880 x 1920 IPS 120Hz |
| Storage | Up to 1 TB solid-state disk (SSD) | Up to 1TB |
| Contact | That | That |
| port | 1 x USB-C 3.2 Gen 21 x USB-C 4 with Thunderbolt 41 x 3.5 mm audio jack 1 x Nano SIM slot (optional) | 2 x USB-C with Thunderbolt 41 x Surface Connect 1 x 3.5 mm audio jack |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 | Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 |
| Webcam | 720p | 1080 p |
| Operation system | Windows 10 Home or Pro | Windows 11 Home |
| Battery | 42 watt-hours | 51.5 watt-hours |
| Price | 2016 USD+ | 1399 dollars |
| Evaluation | 3.5 out of 5 stars | 4 out of 5 stars |
To shape
The Surface Pro 8 retains the same basic shape and excellent integrated stand as the Surface Pro 7, only with more rounded corners and smaller display bezels. The latter allowed Microsoft to squeeze in a larger display, 13 inches versus 12.3 inches, while requiring the least increase in size and thickness. Additionally, Microsoft has switched from magnesium to recycled aluminum, adding just a tiny bit of weight. As before, the Surface Pro 8 is available in platinum and graphite.
Image of Microsoft Surface Pro 8 used with permission of the copyright holder
The ThinkPad X12 Detachable also takes on the iconic look of its line, with the usual ThinkPad all-black chassis with just a few red accents like the LED dot above the “i” on the front logo and the red TrackPoint bump and red key stripes on the detachable keyboard. Lenovo has borrowed Microsoft’s stand that extends from the center of the back of tablets like the Surface Pro 8 and allows the tablet to lie almost flat on a surface. The ThinkPad X12 Detachable also has the same soft-touch coating over its magnesium body as other ThinkPads, making it very comfortable in the hand.
The two tablets are close in width and depth, with the Surface Pro 8 just slightly thicker than the ThinkPad X12 Detachable at 0.37 inches versus 0.34 inches. It’s also heavier at 1.96 pounds versus 1.67 pounds. As mentioned above, the Surface Pro 8 benefits from its smaller screen bezels as it manages to fit a larger screen into a similarly sized body.
Detachable Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Mark Coppock/Digital Trends
Both tablets are incredibly well made. You won’t find any flexing, bending, or twisting with either the Surface Pro 8 or the ThinkPad X12 Detachable — both feel like solid metal and glass. Lenovo subjects its ThinkPads to military-grade durability testing, but that doesn’t really give it an edge over the Surface Pro 8. They’re top-of-the-line machines all the way.
Connectivity is similar between the two tablets. The Surface Pro 8 (finally) includes two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 support, a proprietary Surface Connect port, and a 3.5mm audio jack. The ThinkPad X12 Detachable offers one USB-C port, one USB-C port with Thunderbolt 4, a 3.5mm audio jack and a nano-SIM slot for additional WWAN support. Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 handle wireless duties on both, while the ThinkPad X12 Detachable supports optional 4G LTE WWAN.
Keyboard and pen
Image used with permission of the copyright holder
The Surface Pro 8’s detachable keyboard is optional and costs extra, either the $179 Signature Type Cover or the $179 Surface Pro X Type cover, both of which are similar. They are covered in Alcantara fabric for extra comfort, and the keyboards enjoy a deep movement with fast and precise switches. There is a bit of bounce when you have the keyboard magnetically attached at an angle, but it’s not incredible. The ThinkPad X12 Detachable keyboard is included and uses a smaller version of the regular ThinkPad keyboard with its contoured keys and excellent ThinkPad mechanism with its own deep travel and precise (though firmer) switches. The ThinkPad’s keyboard is also firmer, with less bounce than Microsoft’s version — though that extra solidity makes for a thicker package when the keyboard is attached. At the same time, Surface Pro 8 keyboards include a dock for the Surface Slim Pen that charges it and provides convenient storage. You are limited to a simple loop on the ThinkPad to hold the rechargeable pen.
Mark Coppock/Digital Trends
Both detachable keyboards include touchpads and both are excellent. They support Microsoft’s Precision Touchpad drivers and are a decent size, although Lenovo loses a bit of space to accommodate the TrackPoint nubbin buttons built into the middle of the keyboard. You get an extra way to control the pointer with the ThinkPad X12 Detachable if you like TrackPoint, but that probably won’t affect all but the most ardent ThinkPad fans.
Finally, both tablets have responsive touchpads that support their active pens. The $130 Surface Slim Pen 2 is also optional and great with 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity, tilt control, and a new haptic motor that simulates the actual feeling of writing and drawing on a piece of paper. The ThinkPad X12 Detachable includes a Lenovo Active Pen with 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity, but you need to spend $60 to upgrade to the next level of tilt control pen. The Microsoft pen is unique in its haptic motor and has a convenient storage and charging station, which makes it more functional and practical.
Performance
Mark Coppock/Digital Trends
The ThinkPad X12 Detachable uses a range of lower-powered 11th-generation Intel Core processors that run slower and have lower thermal power (TDP). Our review unit was equipped with a Core i5-1130G7 version and delivered decent productivity performance. The Surface Pro 8 uses full-powered 11th-generation Core processors, and our review unit was equipped with a Core i7-1185G7. It also provides good productivity performance.
Looking at our benchmarks, there isn’t much difference in most tests between the two tablets. In Geekbench 5, the ThinkPad X12 Detachable scored 1325 in the single-core test and 4796 in the multi-core test, compared to the Surface Pro 8’s 1296 and 5041. In our Handbrake test encoding a 420MB video to H.265, the Lenovo- u took 188 seconds, and Microsoft took 185 seconds. Looking at the PCMark 10 Complete test, the ThinkPad X12 Detachable was faster with 4443, while the Surface Pro 8 scored 4169. The ThinkPad was faster in the Essentials and Productivity portions of the benchmark, but lagged in the Content Creation portion. The only notable CPU difference was in Cinebench R23, where the Surface Pro 8 scored 1,287 in the single-core test and 5,431 in the multi-core test, compared to 1,125 and 3,663.
The Surface Pro 8’s version of Intel Iris Xe graphics was faster than the ThinkPad X12 Detachable, doubling the 3DMark Time Spy test to 1,828 compared to 926. That means you’ll be able to play modern games on the Surface at higher frames per second. than on a ThinkPad, although neither will suffice as a gaming device.
Overall, the Surface Pro 8 is slightly faster than the ThinkPad X12 Detachable, but most users probably won’t notice the difference in common productivity tasks. If your workflow doesn’t involve heavy content creation tasks, either of these tablets will do just fine.
Display
Image used with permission of the copyright holder
One area where the Surface Pro 8 excels over the ThinkPad X12 Detachable is its display. As mentioned above, Microsoft increased the size of the Surface Pro 8’s 3:2 aspect ratio screen from 12.3 inches to 13 inches while giving it a resolution of 2880 x 1920. That’s good for 267 pixels per inch (PPI ), much sharper than the ThinkPad X12 Detachable 12.3-inch Full HD+ (1920 x 1280) display that comes in at 188 PPI.
The Surface Pro 8’s display was also slightly better according to our colorimeters. In its “Vivid” setting, it hit 406 nits of brightness, beating our 300-nit threshold for good displays, and a 1010:1 contrast ratio that’s just above our preferred 1000:1. Its colors were slightly above average for high-end notebooks at 79% AdobeRGB and 99% sRGB, with a color accuracy of DeltaE 1.4 (less than 1.0 is considered excellent). The ThinkPad X12 Detachable’s display outputted 364 nits, had a contrast ratio of 940:1, a color gamut of 77% AdobeRGB and 99% sRGB, and a color accuracy of DeltaE 1.59.
However, the most notable feature of the Surface Pro 8 display is its ability to run at 120Hz (although 60Hz is configured by default). This makes every movement on the screen smoother and faster, with better animations, scrolling and writing.
Both tablets are great for productivity work and neither will deliver the colors that creative types demand. Still, users will appreciate the Surface Pro 8’s larger screen, extra sharpness, and smoother response.
Portability
Mark Coppock/Digital Trends
Both tablets are small and light enough that you will barely notice them in your backpack. This is true even with their attached keyboards. And both are great to use as actual tablets, including for writing, although the extra weight of the Surface Pro 8 is noticeable.
In terms of battery life, the Surface Pro 8 uses a larger 51.5 watt-hour battery compared to the ThinkPad X12 Detachable’s 42 watt-hours. Of course, the Surface Pro 8 also has a larger, higher-resolution display and a full-powered CPU. Looking at our battery tests, these tablets are evenly matched when it comes to longevity.
The Surface Pro 8 lasted 8.5 hours in our web browsing test, compared to the ThinkPad X12 Detachable’s eight hours. In our video test that repeats Full HD the Avengers trailer, both laptops were close to 11 hours. Those tests are close enough to call this one a tie, and both tablets can get you through the workday as long as your tasks aren’t too intense.
Conclusion
When we reviewed the ThinkPad X12 Detachable, it started at $1,100 for a Core i3-1110G4 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and a 128GB SSD. Lenovo’s site currently lists that configuration at $2016 without the usual discounts you’ll find in their configurator. Clearly, this is an extremely high price and I assume that the discount will appear again and the price will return to the “normal” level. At the high end, you’ll currently spend $3,140 for a Core i7-1180G7 with vPro, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and WWAN support.
Pricing for the Surface Pro 8 is simpler, with a starting price of $1,100 for a Core i5, 8GB of RAM, and a 128GB SSD. At the high end, you’ll spend $2,600 for a Core i7, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. The Surface Pro 8 starts at a reasonable price, but it gets pretty expensive.
The ThinkPad X12 Detachable enjoyed its day in the sun, beating the Surface Pro 7. But the Surface Pro 8 changes the game, providing a better screen with premium ink and an overall design that makes it the best detachable tablet you can buy.
Editor’s recommendations
Categories: GAMING
Source: newstars.edu.vn