For the original German review, see here.

The new ThinkPad 13 is the first 13-inch notebook from Lenovo since the ThinkPad Edge back in 2013. If you previously wanted a compact ThinkPad, you either had to choose the small entry-level device ThinkPad 11e or a ThinkPad from the X-series, but those are hard to get for less than 1,000 Euros (~$1119). Lenovo now uses the ThinkPad 13 to offer a less expensive model and targets students in particular. It therefore fits that our review unit with the designation ThinkPad 13 20GKS01100 is a model from the Campus program for around 850 Euros (~$951). It is about 150 Euros (~$167) less expensive than the similar model in Lenovo's online shop without the discount. Equipped with a modern Core i5 processor, Full HD IPS display, an SSD and modern ports, the compact device ticks all the right boxes at a first look. The base model with a Celeron processor, HD display, 4 GB RAM and 128 GB SSD starts at 550 Euros (~$615).

We have to differ a bit when we look at the rivals. If you can participate in Lenovo's Campus program, you get very good offers, and a slightly bigger ThinkPad T460 is already available for ~900 Euros (~$1007). We exclude the series E and L from Lenovo (both 14-inch) on purpose, because they clearly fall behind the ThinkPad 13 in terms of mobility due to their thicker and heavier constructions. Two attractively priced rivals are the Acer TravelMate P238 and the Asus Zenbook UX303UA for 750-800 Euros (~$839 - ~$895). There are even more competitors if you have to pay the full price for the ThinkPad 13. This list includes the Acer Aspire S 13 or the Dell XPS 13, for example.

We also want to use the Lenovo ThinkPad T460s for the comparison. With prices starting at 1,500 Euros, ~$1679 (Campus ~1,200 Euros, ~$1343), it is obviously not a direct rival for the ThinkPad 13. However, both the weight and the dimensions are comparable with our review unit. It is therefore interesting to see what you get for the extra money or what you lose when you get a less expensive device like the ThinkPad 13, respectively.