New ThinkPad X13 packs two big upgrades I wish my MacBook Pro had

Lenovo's latest X13 ThinkPad (plus its new X13 Yoga, and T14 and T15 ThinkPads as well) all come with a pretty cool new technology that will look to improve your wellness while you work. It's called Glance, and it contains two new features that I wish I had on my own MacBook Pro.

And all that these features require is an IR webcam. The first setting, the 20/20 alert, is meant to help prevent eye strain. Once it's noticed you're looking at its screen for 20 minutes, it will give you an alert to look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

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Also included is a posture warning, which alerts you to sit up right. This isn't a new bad habit, but as we all spend more time sitting at computers during the remote work era, there's an increased risk of getting into this habit.

Most of the below models are the second generation of the ThinkPad X13 and T14, T14S and 15, and each is going to be available with either Intel or AMD processors. This way, you'll have the final word on what's inside. Not all of the configurations will have an IR webcam, so double-check when checking out.

Lenovo ThinkPad X13, X13 Yoga

One of the biggest changes in this year's ThinkPad X13 series can be found in and around the displays. Lenovo's decided that the 16:10 aspect ratio is the way forward for this model, moving away from the shorter 16:9 screen from past generations. This has also enabled Lenovo to shrink the size of its display bezels. 

In addition to the Glance features for posture and vision, Lenovo's also adding some new privacy tricks. The Human Presence Detection (found in Intel models only) will take the work out of logging in and out of a laptop. 

Available in both the X13 and X13 Yoga, these cameras notice when you leave your system, and then automatically locks the system, and even turns your system off. When the cameras notice a human is present, the system turns back on and enables automatic login via Windows Hello. Of course, this is not available if you have the ThinkShutter privacy guard activated, which blocks your webcam. 

Lenovo's also widened the touchpad and upgraded the tactile feel of how its touchpad clicks, which we look forward to seeing for ourselves. Speaking of clicks, the power button now also doubles as the fingerprint reader — freeing up room on the keyboard deck. 

The X13 will also have optional 5G connectivity (but just the sub-6 flavor). 4G is available on both the X13 and X13 Yoga. 

The ThinkPad X13 (12 x 8.6 x 0.7 inches, 2.6 pounds) is the lighter of the two, while the X13 Yoga (12 x 84 x 0.6 inches, 2.7 pounds) is thinner.

The Intel-based X13i is available in March 2021, starting at $1,299, while the AMD-based X13 is due in May 2021, starting at $1,139. The X13 Yoga (only available with Intel) is set to arrive in April 2021, starting at $1,379.

Lenovo ThinkPad T14, T14s, T15

The ThinkPad T14, T14s and T15 models now feature front-firing speakers for stronger sound. These systems also support Dolby Vision and Dolby Audio, for higher-quality streaming. There's also a display option for low-blue-light filtering that looks to protect your eyes while retaining color accuracy.

While these new T-series ThinkPads will support Glance for posture and vision alerts, only the T14s has the Human Presence Detection that the X13 and X13 Yoga have.

If you get the T14 in traditional black (as opposed to Storm Grey aluminum), you'll also have the option to get it with an anti-microbial paint treatment. It's hard to imagine any gadget you wouldn't want with such an option these days — especially one you put your hands over constantly. 

There are three new T-series models, with the 14-inch T14s (12.9 x 8.8 x 0.6 inches and 2.8 pounds) being the thinnest and lightest — which makes sense when you realize the "s" stands for "slim." The ThinkPad T14 (12.9 x 8.9 x 0.7 inches, 3.2 pounds) is thcicker and heavier, and the 15-inch ThinkPad T15 (14.4 x 9.8 x 8 inches, 3.9 pounds) is the heftiest of the bunch.

The Intel-based ThinkPad T14 laptops are coming in March 2021, with the T14 version starting at $1,379, the T14s model going for $1,499 and the T15 priced at $1,379.

The AMD-based ThinkPad T14 models come in May 2021, with the T14 starting at $1,159 and the T14s starting at $1,279. There won't be an AMD-powered T15.

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