Lenovo: Difference between revisions
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{{ | {{CompanyCargo | ||
| | |Description=Chinese computer manufacturer known for ThinkPad, Legion, and ThinkCentre lines of computers. | ||
|Founded=1984 | |||
| Founded = 1984 | |Industry=Electronics | ||
| Industry = Electronics | |Logo=Lenovo.png | ||
| | |ParentCompany= | ||
|Type=Public | |||
|Website=https://lenovo.com/ | |||
}} | }} | ||
'''{{wplink|Lenovo}}''' is a Chinese PC manufacturer founded originally as a state-founded branch of a research institute called Legend in 1984.<ref>[https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-9310.2004.00349.x "Sequential learning in a Chinese spin-off: the case of Lenovo Group Limited"] - onlinelibrary.wiley.com - accessed 2025-02-01 ([http://web.archive.org/web/20250211183926/https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-9310.2004.00349.x Archived])</ref> In 2005, they officially rebranded as '''Lenovo''' and bought the {{Wplink|IBM}} computer division alongside the [[Thinkpad]] brand.<ref>[https://www.strategy-business.com/article/00274 "Lenovo Goes Global"] - strategy-business.com - accessed 2025-02-01 ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260114210920/https://www.strategy-business.com/article/00274 Archived])</ref> | |||
[[ | In 2014, the company bought [[Motorola|Motorola Mobility]] from [[Google]] for around US$2.91 billion.<ref>[https://news.lenovo.com/pressroom/press-releases/lenovo-completes-full-acquisition-motorola-mobility-from-google/ "Lenovo Completes Acquisition of Motorola Mobility from Google"] - news.lenovo.com - accessed 2025-02-01 ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260124102948/https://news.lenovo.com/pressroom/press-releases/lenovo-completes-full-acquisition-motorola-mobility-from-google/ Archived])</ref> | ||
==Consumer-impact summary== | |||
{{Ph-C-CIS}} | |||
== | ==Incidents== | ||
This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]]. | |||
===Hardware Lockout for Changes=== | |||
{{Main|Thinkpad X1 Carbon}} | |||
'''Lenovo''' has, on various occasions and for various models, locked the hardware through BIOS in order to prevent unauthorized parts from being used.{{CitationNeeded}} This can prevent a user from changing to a better wireless card, using an aftermaket battery or even a battery from different model of '''Lenovo''' laptop. Hacks are available to workaround this limitation on certain models, such as the T430, but '''Lenovo''' has never offered an OEM method of removing this lock.{{CitationNeeded}} | |||
==='''AB 1043: Age verification signals''' '''- California Bill'''=== | |||
Assembly Bill 1043, known as the Digital Age Assurance Act, was supported by several technology companies, including '''Lenovo, Inc.''', which formally expressed support for the legislation on 10 September 2025. The bill establishes a framework requiring operating system providers and app stores to implement an age-verification signal during device or account setup.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-10-13 |title=AB 1043: Age verification signals: software applications and online services |url=https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab1043 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260314121357/https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab1043 |archive-date=14 Mar 2026 |access-date=2026-03-10 |website=almatters.digitaldemocracy.org}}</ref> | |||
===Suppliers accused of child labor=== | |||
In 2020, The Intercept made headlines showing how Chinese manufactures like '''Lenovo''' have suppliers accused of forced child labor in Uyghur regions of China.<ref>[https://theintercept.com/2020/08/21/school-laptops-lenovo-chromebooks-china-uyghur/ "Kids may be using laptops made with forced labor this fall"] - theintercept.com - accessed 2025-02-01 ([http://web.archive.org/web/20251205195726/https://theintercept.com/2020/08/21/school-laptops-lenovo-chromebooks-china-uyghur/ Archived])</ref> The company later said it was ending relationships with these suppliers.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/ap-exclusive-us-faces-back-to-school-laptop-shortage/2020/08/22/13281908-e4eb-11ea-82d8-5e55d47e90ca_story.html "U.S. faces back-to-school laptop shortage"] - washingtonpost.com - accessed 2025-02-01 ([http://web.archive.org/web/20230831111126/https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/ap-exclusive-us-faces-back-to-school-laptop-shortage/2020/08/22/13281908-e4eb-11ea-82d8-5e55d47e90ca_story.html Archived])</ref> | |||
===Disabling third-party batteries=== | |||
A common issue where third party batteries were working perfectly fine without being allowlisted suddenly got disabled, and as a result no longer charge nor function.{{CitationNeeded}} There are no error messages and the only way to know is to install the Vantage software to see the non-genuine battery warning. {{CitationNeeded}} This is a critical issue, as perfectly working hardware that is slightly outdated by a couple of years is basically turned into e-waste, and original parts are getting harder to come by with every passing day.{{CitationNeeded}} | |||
===Misleading FAQ (''2024'')=== | |||
In a video, Louis Rossmann highlighted '''Lenovo'''<nowiki/>'s FAQ where they commented on used devices.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rossmann |first=Louis |date=2024-02-16 |title=Lenovo wants you to stop buying used PCs because they may have viruses on them 😂😂😂 |url=https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ahw1cppZi-g |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260405134823/https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ahw1cppZi-g |archive-date=2026-04-05 |access-date=2026-04-05 |website=YouTube}}</ref> A few snippets include:<blockquote>'''Is it safe to buy a used laptop or computer?''' | |||
In a word, no. Though many people have found inexpensive used computers that work just fine, the world of used laptops and computers can be a difficult one to navigate. People just looking for a good deal can often be swindled out of their money. | |||
... | |||
... | |||
Remember, it's being sold for a reason. Sometimes, that reason can be that the old owner just wanted an upgrade, but this mentality is much rarer with computers than with cars. The computer could be slow, infected with a virus, or have damaged hardware and you might not realize this until it's too late. Buying a used laptop or computer is a gamble when it comes to computer safety.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=FAQs: Used Laptops & Desktops - Are they worth it? |url=https://www.lenovo.com/ph/en/faqs/laptop-faqs/used-laptops/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230325030633/https://www.lenovo.com/ph/en/faqs/laptop-faqs/used-laptops/ |archive-date=2023-03-25 |access-date=2026-04-05 |website=Lenovo}}</ref></blockquote> | |||
<blockquote>'''Am I better off buying a new computer or laptop?''' | |||
Buying a used laptop doesn't only cause headaches. It might not even end up being financially feasible. The maintenance and repair costs that may be incurred due to viruses, malware, spyware and hardware malfunctions can add up quickly. Also, because used laptops have a shorter lifespan, you may have to pay to replace the laptop sooner.<ref name=":0" /></blockquote> | |||
In '''Lenovo'''<nowiki/>'s response to the video they state:<blockquote>Thank you for calling this out, Louis! Your feedback is greatly appreciated, and we hear you. The FAQ page in question has since been taken down and will be reviewed to ensure it correctly reflects Lenovo's views on refurbished products. We know that smarter, more sustainable technology solutions are as big of a priority for our customers as they are for us, and we want to be clear that we encourage buyers to explore refurbished options from authorized resellers. For this reason, many Lenovo computers are designed to be easily serviceable and repairable, and Lenovo has set goals to improve the serviceability and repairability of our PCs even more. We hope that you continue to be part of the Lenovo community.{{Citation needed}}</blockquote> | |||
===Broken Trackpoint=== | |||
Many Thinkpads were shipped with a buggy trackpoint driver, where the trackpoint would stop working and the only fix was restarting the system. This bug affected a wide range of products, but '''Lenovo''' ignored the issue for years and refused to help customers. In 2021, a user created [https://web.archive.org/web/20250804180148/https://broken-trackpoint.com/ broken-trackpoint.com] which offered a [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] tool that was able to effectively fix this problem. '''Lenovo''' via their lawyers forced it to be taken down.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bitblade |date=2024-03-08 |title=Trackpoint-randomly-stops-working - English Community |url=https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/ThinkPad-T400-T500-and-newer-T-series-Laptops/Trackpoint-randomly-stops-working/m-p/5062438?page=52#6280307 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260405135440/https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/ThinkPad-T400-T500-and-newer-T-series-Laptops/Trackpoint-randomly-stops-working/m-p/5062438 |archive-date=2026-04-05 |access-date=2026-04-05 |website=LENOVO COMMUNITY}}</ref> | |||
===ThinkPad Thunderbolt firmware fiasco=== | |||
Certain ThinkPad models released between 2017 and 2019 experienced a flaw in the Thunderbolt firmware.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-09-08 |title=Critical Intel Thunderbolt Software and Firmware Updates - ThinkPad |url=https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/ht508988-critical-intel-thunderbolt-software-and-firmware-updates-thinkpad |url-status=live |access-date=2025-08-31 |website=Lenovo Support |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251128112929/https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/ht508988-critical-intel-thunderbolt-software-and-firmware-updates-thinkpad |archive-date=28 Nov 2025}}</ref> Over time, this firmware version can cause irreversible damage to the SPI-ROM<ref>{{Cite web |last=Herzig |first=Benjamin |date=2020-01-25 |title=Lenovo statement: Thunderbolt firmware responsible for ThinkPad USB C failures |url=https://www.notebookcheck.net/Lenovo-statement-Thunderbolt-firmware-responsible-for-ThinkPad-USB-C-failures.451307.0.html |url-status=live |access-date=2025-08-31 |website=Notebookcheck |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250918034238/https://www.notebookcheck.net/Lenovo-statement-Thunderbolt-firmware-responsible-for-ThinkPad-USB-C-failures.451307.0.html |archive-date=18 Sep 2025}}</ref> of the Thunderbolt controller, leading to the failure of Thunderbolt functionality and, in some cases, USB-C features. | |||
List of the affected devices can be found [https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/ht508988-critical-intel-thunderbolt-software-and-firmware-updates-thinkpad here] | |||
[[File:Lenovo underfill.jpg|thumb|Example of the black underfill being used on a Lenovo ThinkPad laptop]] | |||
===Black underfill around BGA components=== | |||
'''Lenovo''' uses a strong black underfill material, often referred to as "glue"<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-03-29 |title=Remove Lenovo black Glue under the chipset? |url=https://www.badcaps.net/forum/troubleshooting-hardware-devices-and-electronics-theory/troubleshooting-laptops-tablets-and-mobile-devices/68715-remove-lenovo-black-glue-under-the-chipset |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260405163041/https://www.badcaps.net/forum/troubleshooting-hardware-devices-and-electronics-theory/troubleshooting-laptops-tablets-and-mobile-devices/68715-remove-lenovo-black-glue-under-the-chipset |archive-date=5 Apr 2026 |access-date=2025-08-31 |website=Badcaps}}</ref> around the corners of some {{Wplink|ball grid array}} (BGA) components. The underfill adds strength and helps protect the chips from physical stress<ref>{{Cite web |title=Underfills |url=https://www.henkel-adhesives.com/ch/en/products/encapsulants/underfills.html |url-status=live |access-date=2025-08-31 |website=Henkel |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250803185652/https://www.henkel-adhesives.com/ch/en/products/encapsulants/underfills.html |archive-date=3 Aug 2025}}</ref>. | |||
Users have noted, however, that the material is very difficult to remove. In some cases, attempts to take out these components can result in the pads being ripped from the board, making repairs more challenging.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-11-16 |title=how to remove black glue in edges of chips in Lenovo laptops? |url=https://www.badcaps.net/forum/troubleshooting-hardware-devices-and-electronics-theory/troubleshooting-laptops-tablets-and-mobile-devices/110425-how-to-remove-black-glue-in-edges-of-chips-in-lenovo-laptops |url-status=live |access-date=2025-08-31 |website=Badcaps |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250326202959/https://www.badcaps.net/forum/troubleshooting-hardware-devices-and-electronics-theory/troubleshooting-laptops-tablets-and-mobile-devices/110425-how-to-remove-black-glue-in-edges-of-chips-in-lenovo-laptops |archive-date=26 Mar 2025}}</ref> | |||
==Products== | |||
==='''Thinkpad'''=== | |||
*[[Thinkpad X1 Carbon]] | |||
==See also== | |||
*[[Dell]] | |||
*[[HP]] | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
<references /> | <references /> | ||
[[Category:Lenovo]] | |||
[[Category: | |||