In review: Lenovo ThinkPad T590 & T490 size-comparison

Lenovo ThinkPad T490 and Lenovo ThinkPad T590 are closely related. At the moment, we are testing the 15.6 inch model ThinkPad T590, after we already tested the 14 inch model Lenovo ThinkPad T490 with the Nvidia GeForce MX250 as well as the model with the Intel UHD Graphics 620. Since we still had the T490 in-house, we had the chance to compare both directly.

T490 aand T590 are not only like one the other in terms of specs, both also look extremely similar. In fact, they are more similar to each other than the preceding models ThinkPad T480 and ThinkPad T580 were. Of the two 2018 ThinkPads, the T480 had a more blocky-design, while the T580 had a slight wedge-design with rounded corners at the bottom of the system. In contrast, T490 and T590 both have a wedge-design, which seems to be a bit more pronounced on the T590.

T490 and ThinkPad T590 are also almost exactly the same in terms of materials. The chassis of both 2019 ThinkPads mostly consists of Glass-Fiber reinforced plastic, which is further reinforced by a Magnesium frame in the base unit. On the outside, both are completely covered by a rubbery black coating – this was not the case with their predecessors. The T480 had a rubberized lid and base, while the ThinkPad T580 only had a coated screen lid. Its base and palmrest consisted of rough plastic. Thanks to the rubbery surface, the ThinkPad T590 has a more premium feel to it, although the rubberized surface does seem to pick up grease and dirt fairly quickly.

In terms of size, the difference between the 14 inch T-series ThinkPad and the 15.6 inch model has grown. While the ThinkPad T590 has roughly the same footprint as its predecessor, the T490 is more compact than the T480. Both have made progress in terms of weight, with the ThinkPad T590 being roughly 200 g lighter than the ThinkPad T580, making it almost as light as the ThinkPad T480. The ThinkPad T490 is roughly 200 to 300 g lighter than the T590 still. Both have roughly the same thickness.

A full review of the Lenovo ThinkPad T590 will probably be released within the next two weeks.