Carbon Inspired
The T470s borrows the carbon fiber material from the X1 Carbon family, which makes it feel light and high quality without going for a metal body. It measures 0.74 inches at its thickest point and tapers down to 0.67 inches, while 13.03 inches wide and 8.93 inches deep. It weighs 3.1 pounds, not putting it among the true featherweights on the market, but still light by any standard, especially for a business laptop. For comparison, the latest X1 Carbon measures 0.6 by 12.7 by 8.5 inches (HWD) and weighs just 2.45 pounds, while the HP EliteBook 1040 G3 ( at Amazon) is 0.65 by 13.3 by 9.2 inches and 3.64 pounds. The T470s is practically identical in size and weight to the T460s, with most upgrades on the inside or with new ports and features.
That lighter carbon fiber design doesn't compromise durability: The T470s passes the same military-grade certifications (MIL-STD 810G) as the T470. As such, it's resistant to humidity, low and high temperatures, high vibrations, shocks, sand, and high altitude. That may not be applicable to many office dwellers, but it's useful to anyone taking their laptops into the field.
The top-notch ThinkPad keyboard is one of the main elements that stays the same in each iteration, and such is the case with the T470s. The keys have a good amount of bounce and travel without feeling squishy, making for a reliable and comfortable typing experience, even for long hours of use. There are two options for cursor control: The small, circular TrackPoint stick is still present in the center of the keyboard, while the touchpad looks the same as ever. Dedicated left and right click buttons are located just over the touchpad, which are starting to look a little dated, but performance is dependable.