Laptops

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon review: Power from a new generation

More business-focused than ever before

Published

February 24, 2021

Gab Orlina

Young and established professionals go through a lot day in and day out. Even under work-from-home conditions, a lot of people require devices with great, long-lasting power to keep them going. Fortunately, a lot of companies tend to provide such business-centred devices to their employees unless you already have a powerful laptop to use.

For Lenovo, their ThinkPad lineup serves as that dedicated list of business-oriented products that offer long-lasting power. With every generation and iteration of this legacy sub-brand, there are more business-centered features added to enhance the work experience. This is how the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 shapes up to be, in my eyes.

So, does the new generation ThinkPad X1 Carbon stack up? Here’s what you’re getting with the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8:

It has a 14-inch FHD, anti-glare display

There are sets of USB-A, HDMI, and USB-C ports with the device

A 10th generation Intel Core i7 powers the device

It comes in a classic Black finish with a carbon fiber lid

Excellent build quality, as expected

I have to admit that it’s been a while since I’ve looked at a ThinkPad device. I’ve seen other people rock the device in most coffee shops and work areas, but never experienced using one. Still, looking at the 8th generation of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon, I’ve seen how far this legacy has come while maintaining some key features.

For instance, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 is just a kilo in weight, which is pretty damn light. It was easy to carry around, and it’s sleek in its own right with the carbon fiber lid. Now, when I had oily hands, I did get some of my fingerprints on it — relatively visible to the naked eye. It’s kind of a fingerprint magnet, but it easily blends in every time.

Apart from these, another key feature of the overall build is its retention of the red-dot mouse and mouse buttons. While I wouldn’t necessarily use it more than the precision trackpad, I found it a nice touch to keep around. As someone with an affinity towards the past, something as classic as this small red dot took me back. But, enough nostalgia and let’s focus on the now.

Superb performance for business tasks and activities

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon comes with a quad-core, Intel Core i7-10610U processor inside that powers everything underneath the hood. Despite being a quad-core CPU, it provides great performance for business-related tasks, especially on the go. Of course, it also helps that this device also comes with 16GB of RAM to manage the load, as well.

I used this machine on occasion for some of my tasks for my day job, and it held up pretty well. From handling tons of data entries in Excel to conference calls on Microsoft Teams, it showed no signs of slowing down. Also, I was working at such an efficient rate (by my standards) with my files loading up quickly thanks to the SSD inside.

I felt that a lot of thought and work was given to a business-centered device like this. In essence, it’s a device designed to reduce bottlenecks from your workflow while also giving you more features to enhance the experience. Even if you’re using this device casually, I think it holds up well. But, more on those features later on.

One long-lasting battery fit for the long work hours

This device comes with a built-in 51Wh battery inside, and such battery made this device last long without charging. While I was working on all my data reports, presentations, and even some articles, it still had about 50 to 55 percent left. To exhaust one full charge, I took around 14 hours without reaching for the charger.

Within that 14-hour span, I managed to get some work done plus watch a few videos on YouTube and Netflix. For the most part, I didn’t have to put the battery in Power Saving Mode to supposedly extend my hours by a few tick marks. I felt that you can seriously go on a full work day, and then some.

If you manage to exhaust this long-lasting battery, the 65W USB-C charging brick charges the device almost instantly. I say almost since it took an average of an hour and 45 minutes to go from zero to 100 percent. When you think about it, this device brings you back into your work without any interruption. That is, if you count reaching for the charger an interruption to your workflow.

None of that excruciating heat in the way

At first, I thought that something this thin and light meant that cooling the device was difficult. As with most business laptops, these devices tend to feel some heat every time you run complicated data queries on Excel. At least, that’s how my work laptop went every single time I open an Excel file with a size greater than 200MB.

With the ThinkPad X1 Carbon, however, I didn’t feel any heat as much as I thought I would. To its credit, it doesn’t have any fancy dedicated GPU on board, so one possible source of heat is gone. Still, even under long and intense workloads, the laptop didn’t heat up as much.

On the times it did heat up, it wasn’t as excruciating as it would be on, let’s say a gaming laptop. Every time I use this on my lap for long workloads, it feels warm around the upper portions where the battery is housed. Still, I didn’t experience as much heat on the keyboard nor on my lap, which makes this device comfortable to use.

How about those business-oriented features?

I mentioned earlier that this laptop came packed with nifty business-oriented features, and there are some I applaud Lenovo for including. For instance, I loved the addition of dedicated function keys for voice and video calls integrated for Teams and/or Zoom. If you want to avoid the hassle of dragging your mouse to answer the call, now it’s possible to do so with a simple key press!

Also, the Dolby Atmos speakers at the bottom and top were a nice touch. Along with an active noise-cancelling microphone during calls, it made for a great sound system every time I had an online team meeting. For everything else like music and movies, it provided deep levels of sound.

As for the HD camera, it was decent when I was using it for video calls. It’s not particularly great, however, in image quality, especially if you’re just using it to take selfies while on call. At least, you still get the privacy shutter when you’re not using it, so I give it a pass.

Is this your GadgetMatch for WFH?

Starting at PhP 129,990, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 provides the ease of a business experience. Apart from a well-built device, it comes with the hardware and the features dedicated to business professionals of all kinds. Also, it lasts long enough to get you through the entire work day, and even a little bit past that.

Sure, it’s not as versatile as ultrabooks or gaming laptops in terms of the tasks you can throw at it. It doesn’t have the flashiness of RGB, or capable graphics drivers for gaming and video rendering. For what it’s worth and for what it’s target consumer is asking, this device is more than enough.

At such a high price point, it’s not an easy investment for multiple employees in any given company (especially now while we’re still in pandemic mode). However, its power and longevity certainly make it a device worth considering for a WFH setup.

Laptops

Are you ready for a more colorful MacBook?

Apple is experimenting with quirkier colorway options for the MacBook.

Published

February 16, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

In recent years, Apple has relented on limiting the colors of its devices to only the more premium-looking options. Users can now pick quirkier colors for their iPhones, highlighted currently by the Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro Max. Soon, the same splashes of color might make its way to the MacBook lineup.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple has been testing different colorway options for its upcoming entry-level MacBook. The unannounced lineup might come in pink, light yellow, light green, and blue.

It’s a big change for MacBooks. Currently, the only “quirky” option that users can get is the MacBook Air’s Sky Blue, which honestly looks more silvery than blue. Other than that, the MacBook simply seesaws from different shades of gold, silver, and black.

To be fair, the upcoming MacBook will still have the traditional colorways of the current lineup. Additionally, it’s unclear whether Apple will ultimately include all its experimental colors into the final lineup.

Reportedly, the new lineup will cost somewhere between US$ 699 to US$ 799. Of course, the lower price tag will come at the expense of some specs. Although, it should still be good if we’re talking about an entry-level laptop.

It’s even more interesting if it’s hinting at the return of truly colorful options but for the notebook. The iMac already got a similar renaissance back in 2024, which mimics the classic computer’s colorful history.

SEE ALSO: M5 MacBook Pro review

Laptops

ASUS, Acer PCs are banned in Germany

And it’s all because of Nokia.

Published

February 16, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Brands getting banned are commonplace in today’s tech landscape. These usually happen because of geopolitical reasons, especially if it’s in the United States. In Europe, brands sometimes get banned for anticompetition reasons. Today, however, a commonly used codec, HEVC, is at the center of a controversy that has led to the banning of ASUS and Acer in Germany. Even crazier, Nokia is involved.

For context, Nokia owns several patents for video codecs. One of those codecs, HEVC (or High-Efficiency Video Coding) is ubiquitous in every PC, which means that every PC maker must purchase a license to include the codec in their machines. It’s an essential these days, so it’s unusual for ASUS and Acer to miss it.

In Germany, where licensing is stricter, both companies were found guilty of infringing the patent, as reported by German outlet Hardwareluxx. As a result, ASUS and Acer must stop selling PC and laptop sales until they obtain a license from Nokia.

To be clear, this doesn’t mean that the two brands have disappeared from the country. Third-party retailers can still sell their remaining stock. However, the companies cannot import or sell any new stock, pending a conclusion to the issue.

Naturally, the easiest fix is to just buy the license. Hisense, another company that found itself in the same mire, bought a license last month. Either ASUS and Acer are running into more technical issues, or they just didn’t feel the license was worth it for a single market.

Laptops

TECNO MEGABOOK K16s 13th review: No-frills beneath those grills

All-around laptop without messing around

Published

February 8, 2026

Vincenz

For the record, the last time I held a Windows laptop was back in 2022. It wasn’t even a conventional one. Rather, it was a gaming hybrid — or a laptop and tablet rolled into one. That was a short escape though.

After being a religious Mac user since 2016, it’s high time to re-experience Windows four years after that very limiting ROG review.

Here’s my 16-day stint with the TECNO MEGABOOK K16s 13th – Intel Edition.

All-metal clad that’s far from being bad

Gone are the days of Windows laptops that are icky plasticky.

If it is not evident enough, the TECNO MEGABOOK K16s 13th uses real metal. It looks and feels solid. And by that, it has characteristics of being decently hefty and light at the same time.

The only problem with this finish is how much of a smear magnet it is. But hey, at least it’s on par with my 2023 MacBook Pro for this smudge madness (or smudge-ness in my vocabulary).

With a laptop this size, port selection should be the least of its concerns.

It has twice the USB-C and USB-A 3.1 ports, as well as inclusions of HDMI 1.4, Ethernet / RJ45, and 3.5mm audio jack. Kensington lock is still present as well — not that it’s badly-needed.

If I were to nitpick, two things that ick me are the arrangement of ports. Look at how inconsistent they are, much like seeing your disorganized spoons, forks, and knives in a single tray.

Another would be the inclusion of a microSD card slot instead of a regular SD one. I don’t get how the latter was not chosen especially with its sheer size.

Now Playing: Can This Love Be Translated 🗣️🔥⁉️

Just like waiting to re-experience a Windows device, the same can be said when I waited for the premiere of the K-Drama “Can This Love Be Translated.”

The title was already compelling to begin with. That curiosity sparked twofold upon knowing that my two favorite stars (Kim Seonho and Go Younjung) will steer drive the whole series.

Speaking of star, the biggest star of this laptop has got to be its massive 16-inch display.

Not only I was able to reinvigorate my heart with the rom-com scene of Joo Hojin and Cha Muhee in front of that dreamy Mt. Fuji scenery.

Their Aurora Borealis scene was also breathtaking. Although not as vivid as other displays, its max brightness felt just right to make the visuals pop against that harsh sunlight.

And while we’re already at it, the matte coating of the K16s 13th has been a real savior. It’s more useful for users (like me) who work at cafés with large windows every once in a while. My MacBook Pro definitely loses this fight with its awfully reflective panel.

While it is not, in any way, greater than any other OLED display nor some panel with a 120Hz refresh rate, it still feels justified considering where the K16s 13th is positioned in this vast laptop market.

On Queue: EXO’s REVERXE, ZB1’s Running To Future,

My idol anticipation doesn’t stop there. EXO’s much-awaited comeback as a full group is another one. Then, there’s ZEROBASEONE’s release.

These comeback promotions should sound good, right? Well, not really.

EXO is coming back with three missing members, all because of a justifiable lawsuit against their agency.

On the other hand, ZB1 is coming back — but, for the last time as they will disband real soon after completing their 2.5-year contract as a project group. A real disadvantage of a group being formed during a survival show.

Just look at how cohesive the K-Pop album covers look for January 2026

Much like all that bittersweet aftertaste, I can relate the same feeling with the MEGABOOK K16’s speaker setup.

On paper, TECNO says it’s a master-level 2.5W 4013 quad-speaker setup that delivers 300% louder volume. I am not sure how it was tested nor compared.

Without much comparison, it’s adequately loud. However, it lacks the fullness and all the necessary thump and oomph to make the sound fuller than ever.

This just means a big laptop isn’t directly synonymous to having a greater audio system.

Unparalleled performance for its price

NGL, I have been spoiled by power-packed laptops especially for the creative work that I do.

That said, the MEGABOOK K16s 13th is far from being a slouch with the Intel Core i9 (specifically the 13900HK) at its core. That’s then paired by Intel’s Iris Xe graphics, alongside 32GB of memory, plus 512GB of SSD storage.

Without a hitch, I immediately installed all the essential creativity apps I use.

Lightroom is less demanding so post-processing the photos I took for the MEGABOOK K16s 13th was easy-peasy.

I then managed to make static graphics using Adobe Photoshop for another review article.

As for Premiere Pro and After Effects, you can still scrub through heaps of layers with tolerable amount of hiccup considering how packed my timeline was.

This laptop boasts a cooling fan system that kicked in heavily when the laptop was in dire need of releasing all the heat within — which went out through its four air vents.

Work-life balance achieved

My test doesn’t end just yet. I have installed both the Forza Horizon 5 and Euro Truck Simulator 2 for greater measure.

As expected, having integrated graphics (and the lack of a dedicated graphics) mean lower graphics support.

Surprisingly, both titles were playable enough. I enjoyed playing Forza Horizon 5 even in the lowest playable setting for more than 30 minutes — just with some stutters in between.

ETS2 felt smoother though. Driving the bus with the custom livery I made on Photoshop last 2019 was still working — and my pre-pandemic nostalgia kicked in.

Using the keyboard for playing isn’t the best thing in the world but it does the job — much like how I was able to write this review piece using the laptop itself.

As for the feel, the keys are more on the mushier side that felt like typing on a mashed potato. Not that I’m expecting a mechanical nor MacBook-level type of clickiness.

Good thing is, its trackpad supports gestures I’ve been heavily using since transitioning to a Mac.

Security-wise, the TECNO MEGABOOK K16s 13th can be unlocked with your fingerprint button using the power button as the reader.

That 1MP webcam also has a sliding cover for that extra level of protection against privy hackers.

Enduring that endurance

For the most part, the 70Wh battery of the MEGABOOK K16s 13th delivers a satisfactory endurance.

You will not feel its gradual decrease for the most basic of tasks — writing notes, being in a call meeting, even juggling through tens and hundreds of webpages for your write-ups.

Even between consuming several hours of entertainment, the MEGABOOK K16s 13th can still manage just like any other modern-day laptop would.

With the excellency and efficiency of hardware components in this digital age, it’s hard to kill a laptop with these day-to-day habits.

That said, the MEGABOOK K16s 13th isn’t totally meant for anything graphics-heavy.

As one would (and should) expect, the battery level instantly descends the moment you enter the start screen of a game or export a 10-second motion graphic in After Effects.

For instance, after running Forza Horizon 5 for 20 minutes, it depleted significantly from 51% all the way down to 27%.

Fortunately, the MEGABOOK K16s 13th packs a 65W GaN charger out of the box.

Charging speeds isn’t all that great, though, as it will take a long time filling the battery from zero to the brim.

I have honestly given up my GadgetMatch Charge Test upon realizing that in the 45-minute mark, it was only able to fill it at 27%.

This just means that in order to enjoy your me time, you have to sit very near a plug outlet. Moreover, expect severe battery health degradation in the long run if you intend to use it for casual gaming.

“Win”dows is far from winning

Before being a Mac user last 2016, I have been a long-time Windows user. My youthful years made me experience Windows 98, XP, Vista, 7, and even as far as Windows 8.1. My university years in 2015? Relying on Windows 10.

Now that we’re in the era of Windows 11, it’s still far from being flawless.

Even before Fruitiger Aero aesthetics of Windows Vista, Apple was already way ahead of its time with the first iteration of the OS X dubbed “Cheetah” and its translucent UI elements along a cleaner overall look.

2.5 decades after, Windows is as cluttered as it was in its prime days. Settings are for one, file system for another.

Task Manager, Explorer, and even Recycle Bin still crash like crazy — even if the MEGABOOK K16s 13th is already equipped with a pro-grade processor in its core.

The lack of fluidity is also for another. It will really make any Mac user justify the “once you go Mac, you can never go back” saying. Reality speaking, Windows is far from winning over.

This isn’t a TECNO problem per se. It’s always been about Microsoft not fully immersing and polishing their software for the longest of time.

If you happen to own other TECNO devices, TECNO’s PC Manager saves the day.

That so-called “OneLeap Collaboration” not only enables seamless data sharing and file transfers between all your TECNO devices, it also has support for Multi-Screen or Remote PC.

PC cloning, laptop optimizations, even troubleshooting, can also be done in this one-stop app.

Is the TECNO MEGABOOK K16s 13th your GadgetMatch?

The TECNO MEGABOOK K16s 13th in the Philippines retails for PhP 46,999 — and I am not even surprised by this.

I have known TECNO as a brand for quite a while now. The MEGABOOK K16s 13th is another testament to the brand’s vision of bringing devices within the reach of consumers at the middle to the lower-end of the working class.

For those who need better performance, especially those who need intensive graphics power (emphasis on intensive), this is obviously a Swipe Left.

However, it’s a no-brainer Swipe Right for buyers who want a shiny new all-rounder laptop without spending a fortune.

Even with the similar price as the ASUS Vivobook S16, the TECNO MEGABOOK K16s 13th has the upper-hand with its more powerful 13th-Gen Intel Core i9 chipset plus Iris Xe graphics (versus the Core 5 + UHD Graphics pairing).

That’s if you don’t care about the latter’s smoother 144Hz IPS display.

Being “basic” is neither a bad thing

The TECNO MEGABOOK K16s 13th is as “basic” as a Windows laptop can get — at least compared to a swarm of 2-in-1s, ultrabooks, creative powerhouses, and gaming machineries.

I am not saying this is a letdown. In fact, I have to commend the K16s 13th for being a simple yet straightforward laptop that delivers all the necessities without frills.

Although it’s the core definition of a “basic” Windows laptop, it’s still a powerful one — way beyond its price point. It should serve as an example of how “basic” Windows laptops should be in the first place.

The TECNO MEGABOOK K16s 13th is simply an all-around laptop that delivers without messing around.