What are "modern" Thinkpads like?

By "modern" I mean every model made after the T480 and T580 (which is what I have!). The reason why I'm asking is because I'm thinking about buying a laptop for my younger brother for his birthday in a couple of months. The idea is that he'll use it for school work and browsing. He'll be entering high school soon so I want to buy him a laptop that last him a good while. I feel the newer models suit this criteria a bit better since I don't expect to tinker around with it though I do intend to introduce him to Linux with it.

From what I've observed is that the newer Thinkpads are still well regarded from a general consumer perspective but disregarded by enthusiasts. What do you guys think of the newer models?