Lenovo’s ThinkBook line has always been a go-to for budget-conscious professionals, offering reliable quality at a more accessible price point. The ThinkBook 16 Gen 7 (G7 QOY) continues this trend, delivering dependable performance, excellent battery life, a comfortable keyboard, and a surprisingly good webcam. However, it’s not without its shortcomings, particularly in the display department and its overall weight. Here’s our take after spending some time with this machine.
Design and Build Quality
The ThinkBook 16 Gen 7 sports Lenovo’s signature Luna Grey finish, with a minimalist design that blends seamlessly into any corporate environment. The contrasting matte and glossy lid adds a subtle touch of style, while the webcam notch on the lid gives it a modern edge. The keyboard deck is clean and functional, featuring a full-sized keyboard with a numpad, a large touchpad, and a fingerprint scanner integrated into the power button.
While the design is understated, it’s not without its flaws. At 14.0 x 9.8 x 0.6 inches and 4.03 pounds, this laptop is on the heavier side for a business machine. It’s not the most portable option, especially compared to lighter competitors like the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360. That said, the build quality is solid, with no noticeable flex in the keyboard tray and a sturdy hinge that allows for one-handed opening.
Durability is a strong point here, as the ThinkBook 16 Gen 7 is MIL-STD-810H certified, meaning it can withstand extreme temperatures, humidity, dust, and shocks. For professionals who need a rugged machine, this is a big plus.
Ports and Connectivity
The ThinkBook 16 Gen 7 offers a solid selection of ports, including:
- 2x USB-C (10Gbps) with DisplayPort and power delivery
- 2x USB-A (5Gbps), with one always-on
- 1x HDMI 2.1 (supports 4K at 60Hz)
- 1x 3.5mm audio jack
- 1x 4-in-1 SD card reader
While the lack of an Ethernet port might be a drawback for some, the inclusion of a Kensington Nano lock slot and a physical camera shutter adds to the laptop’s security features.
Display
The 16-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) IPS display is one of the laptop’s biggest letdowns. While the matte anti-reflective coating does a decent job of reducing glare, the screen itself is dim, with a peak brightness of just 289 nits (well below the category average of 382 nits). Colors are flat and lifeless, covering only 45.1% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, which is disappointing for a laptop in this price range.
For everyday tasks like emails and spreadsheets, the display is serviceable. However, if your work involves graphic design, photo editing, or anything requiring color accuracy, this screen won’t cut it. It’s also worth noting that the display is limited to a 60Hz refresh rate and lacks touch functionality.
Keyboard and Trackpad
The keyboard is a mixed bag. While it’s full-sized with a numpad and features white LED backlighting, the keys feel softer and less crisp than what we’re used to on Lenovo’s ThinkPad line. That said, after some adjustment, we found it comfortable for long typing sessions, averaging 93 words per minute on typing tests.
The trackpad, on the other hand, is excellent. It’s large (5.6 x 3.1 inches), smooth, and responsive, with precise gesture controls and satisfying clicks. It’s positioned slightly to the left, which feels natural when typing.
Performance
Powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Plus (XIP-42-100) processor and 32GB of RAM, the ThinkBook 16 Gen 7 handles everyday productivity tasks with ease. We were able to juggle 20+ Chrome tabs, run Photoshop, stream Spotify, and participate in video calls without any noticeable slowdowns. The laptop also stays cool under pressure, rarely exceeding 85 degrees Fahrenheit even during extended use.
However, the Snapdragon X Plus chip here is the lowest-end variant, and it shows in benchmarks. While it outperforms the mainstream laptop average in CPU tasks (scoring 10% higher on Geekbench 6), it falls behind in GPU performance. The Adreno integrated GPU is significantly slower than other Snapdragon X Plus and X Elite systems, making this laptop unsuitable for gaming or GPU-intensive tasks. In our tests, it scored 40% lower than the average on 3DMark Fire Strike and 59% lower on TimeSpy.
That said, for general office work—web browsing, document editing, and video conferencing—the ThinkBook 16 Gen 7 delivers snappy performance. It’s also part of Microsoft’s Copilot+ program, offering AI features like Live Captions and enhanced Windows Studio effects, which work seamlessly thanks to the Hexagon NPU.
Battery Life
Battery life is where the ThinkBook 16 Gen 7 truly shines. In our testing, it lasted an impressive 21 hours and 2 minutes on the Laptop Mag battery test, nearly double the mainstream laptop average of 11 hours and 18 minutes. Even in real-world use, we easily got through a full workday with heavy multitasking and still had plenty of juice left. This is thanks to the power-efficient Snapdragon X Plus chip and the large 84Wh battery.
Audio
The bottom-firing Dolby Atmos-tuned speakers are adequate for video calls and casual music listening, but they struggle at higher volumes, with noticeable distortion. For better sound quality, we recommend using headphones or external speakers.
ThinkBook 16 Gen 7 Verdict
The Lenovo ThinkBook 16 Gen 7 is a solid budget business laptop with some standout features, like its exceptional battery life, comfortable keyboard, and robust security options. However, its dim and lackluster display, heavy build, and underwhelming GPU performance hold it back from being a top-tier choice.
At $999, it’s a decent value for a 16-inch Snapdragon-powered laptop, especially if you prioritize battery life and portability isn’t a concern. However, if you need a brighter, more color-accurate display or better graphics performance, you might want to consider other options or wait for a sale on higher-end models.
For professionals who primarily need a reliable machine for office work and video conferencing, the ThinkBook 16 Gen 7 gets the job done.
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