Lenovo Debuts New ThinkVision Displays At CES 2016
A 24-inch IPS display may not be ground-breaking but one that integrates an Intel RealSense 3D camera and USB Type-C certainly is. Lenovo is presenting a unique product in the ThinkVision X24.
Cutting-edge connectivity is the focus here with Mini-DisplayPort and USB-C (which can carry video signals). The 3D camera is an Intel SR300 RealSense unit with an integrated dual-array microphone. It’s attached to a flexible arm that can be rotated fore and aft or angled away from the panel’s top edge like a clock hand. The panel is IPS at Full HD (1920x1080) resolution with a claimed brightness of 250 nits.
You can also go wireless with an add-on accessory called the WiGig Bar.
Once attached to the monitor’s bottom edge, the WiGig Bar adds two USB 3.0 ports plus a connection for a wireless charge pad. Inputs are in the disc-shaped base so you won’t see any cables dangling beneath the nearly borderless panel. The OSD control buttons are hidden around back, as is a convenient headphone jack.
The ThinkVision X24 ships in May for $399. The WiGig Bar is $250, and the wireless charge stand adds $150.
ThinkVision X1 And A 2D Camera
Lenovo is also introducing a brand-new Ultra HD monitor, the ThinkVision X1. It’s a 27-inch IPS screen with an all-aluminum chassis that’s only 11mm thick.
We already wrote about this monitor, but after some in-person time with Lenovo, we realized that although both the ThinkVision X1 and the ThinkVision X24 have those mounted cameras that swing out and rotate, the actual models are different. Unlike the RealSense camera on the X24, the X1 has a regular 2D cam with Full HD resolution and a dual-array microphone.
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Further, note that although on first glance the ThinkVision X1 looks identical to the X24 monitor pictured above, the stands are different, and of course the X1 has a 27-inch screen.
Monitor resolution is 3840x2160, with an IPS pixel structure and a claimed brightness of 300 nits. Contrast is rated at 1300:1, which is slightly higher than other 27-inch UHD panels we’ve tested.
Like the X24, the X1 features a USB-C connection, which can carry a video signal along with power to charge connected sources like phones or laptops. Additional inputs include DisplayPort 1.2 and HDMI 2.0. You also get four USB 3.0 downstream ports. Audio comes from two three-watt speakers. The chassis and stand are all-metal -- black chrome for the base, and aluminum for the panel. If style is important to you, either the X24 or the X1 will certainly satisfy.
The ThinkVision X1 ships in March at an MSRP of $799.
Christian Eberle is a Contributing Editor for Tom's Hardware US. He's a veteran reviewer of A/V equipment, specializing in monitors. Christian began his obsession with tech when he built his first PC in 1991, a 286 running DOS 3.0 at a blazing 12MHz. In 2006, he undertook training from the Imaging Science Foundation in video calibration and testing and thus started a passion for precise imaging that persists to this day. He is also a professional musician with a degree from the New England Conservatory as a classical bassoonist which he used to good effect as a performer with the West Point Army Band from 1987 to 2013. He enjoys watching movies and listening to high-end audio in his custom-built home theater and can be seen riding trails near his home on a race-ready ICE VTX recumbent trike. Christian enjoys the endless summer in Florida where he lives with his wife and Chihuahua and plays with orchestras around the state.