Comment by Descensus

What about getting a T480 and replacing the screen itself? You can find a decent one for ~$400 USD, and a 1080p or WQHD screen for another $100.

As for screen availability, I think it's more to do with the fact that these are business computers. Lenovo only recently started blurring the line between their premium and business class devices.

I think every post-Haswell ThinkPad comes with a 720p screen in it's default configuration. At least up until Tx90/5 series.