Lenovo’s new ThinkPad laptops get a perfect iFixit repair score

I love ThinkPads. I like the sober and pragmatic style of laptops, I like the keyboards (obviously), I like their durability. I don’t like TrackPoint buttons, and that’s why I don’t get invited to conventions. But otherwise, they’re great. And one of their best features is their repair and upgrade options. But don’t take my word for it: iFixit just gave the newest one a boost. Perfect repair score.

The laptop in question is the ThinkPad T series, the workhorse of the line for decades. The latest 14- and 16-inch laptops (given the utilitarian monikers T14 Gen 7 and T16 Gen 5, respectively) have been made with even more attention to repairability than usual, incorporating iFixit’s own advice into their designs.

iFixit, if you don’t know, sells repair tools and parts from various brands, as well as lobbying and advocating for consumers’ right to repair. Oh, and they make a really good screwdriver. The iFixit article on the ThinkPad T14 and T16 is therefore not completely objective.

But it’s worth noting that despite a business relationship with Lenovo, the company’s products don’t get a free pass. The ThinkPad T14 Gen 3, for example, has an iFixit repairability score of 7/10, lower than some Surface Pro tablet models. The 4th generation version of the T14 scored a near-perfect 9/10 after Lenovo pushed it toward more repairability, something the company highlighted earlier this year at CES.

What makes the latest T-series laptops so good in this regard? iFixit highlights an easily replaceable battery, keyboard and screen (no tools required); scalable standard parts; and modular parts like cooling fans and USB-C ports. These can be improved with just a screwdriver and tweezers, for example.

iFixit

The T series benefits from particularly remarkable memory, thanks to the new LPCAMM2 standard. This angular alternative to standard RAM not only can achieve higher speeds with lower power consumption, but it takes up significantly less volume than traditional SO-DIMMs while still being user replaceable. This won’t help you find or afford one, but at least hardware design is moving in the right direction.

The new ThinkPad T14 and T16 laptops are expected to go on sale in April, starting at around $1,500.