Lenovo: First pictures of the new affordable ThinkPads E480 and E580

The ThinkPad E-Series seems to be getting an update soon. The most affordable ThinkPad series with models like the Thinkpad E470 and E570 is traditionally one of the first to get the newest CPUs, which also seems to be the case with this generation. On the occasion of a ThinkPad 25 event in Austria, Lenovo showed off the newest models before their official announcement.

The newest models are the ThinkPad E480 and E580 and it seems they are more than just a simple CPU update. Both are getting a redesign with slightly smaller display-bezels, less rounded corners and also a backlit-keyboard, a feature former E-Series models lacked. Another change is the Touchpad, which now uses the same design as the ThinkPad T470. Also, the 15-inch-model now uses the same mono-hinge design as its smaller counterpart. 

Apart from these changes to the outer design, not much has been revealed about these new models. The short specs displayed on the display of the pictured demo-units are not very detailed, for example in regards to the CPU: It just says "up to Intel Core i7", though we do think that Lenovo will use the newest CPUs like the Core i7-8550U. Both models can be equipped with up to 32 GB of RAM and 1 TB of PCIe-SSD-storage. Display-wise, Lenovo will offer Full-HD-IPS-panels with optional touch-functionality. One important new feature is USB-type-C, which the older models lacked. With the E480 & E580, the universal standard replaces the proprietary charging port and it can also be used for USB-C-docking.

Without an official announcement, no prices and release-dates are public so far, though the Czech article says that both models are due for release in early 2018.

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