Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Pro Reviews

Overall, while our test results show the X1 Carbon isn't the fastest machine in its class, the difference between it and its competitors is likely to be unnoticeable outside the controlled environment of synthetic benchmarks. And where it matters most for buyers of an ultraportable—battery life—the X1 does not have to make any excuses.

So, is the Lenovo X1 Carbon the ultimate Ultrabook? Not quite. Its display is merely fair, as is its battery life, and it's far from the cheapest choice out there. Those things are definite marks against, but if you can get past them this is a fundamentally impressive machine. It is properly thin and light and yet has none of the flimsy feeling that some of its competition offers. It also manages to be legitimately comfortable in the hand or on your lap, a description that similarly can't be applied to every other razor-thin machine. This makes it a very consumer-friendly machine with a decidedly professional price-point and, with HSPA+ available across almost the entire range, it offers pro-level connectivity too. If you're looking for a durable, fast Ultrabook that won't weigh down your bag -- and that won't scream "look at me!" while you're checking in from the coffee shop -- this is absolutely it.

Overall, the Lenovo X1 Carbon is an amazing work laptop. It has a very sturdy design that is also low-maintenance. It has an awesome keyboard that is unrivaled in my opinion – even my desktop keyboard is jealous of it. The ergonomics are really tuned for professional users and I really appreciate the dedicated sound controls for video conferencing or the near-180 degrees reclining capabilities of the screen. Everything is just great when your work is mainly reading/writing documents, web browsing, do email etc… for a lot of professionals, the Lenovo X1 Carbon is the Nirvana, and I’m not even talking about IT-friendly features.. However, I wish that it had a slightly better screen and a smaller power brick with cable management. This is the only crack in the X1 Carbon armor in my opinion, and I hope that Lenovo will take this into account. Both are things that people use every single day, and they should be improved upon.

Lenovo revisits its disappointing X1, and the result is the ThinkPad Ultrabook we’ve all been waiting for

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is a boardroom winner that offers great all-round performance and comfort in a lightweight package. The few niggles with the screen and connections aside, if we chose one Ultrabook to be our business companion, we'd hire the comfortable, high performance and long lasting Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon every time.

The ultimate business Ultrabook; Lenovo proves it knows what professionals want

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon is aimed at professionals (and primarily deep-pocketed ones), but this ultrabook definitely has broader appeal. It's one of the most attractive laptops I've ever used, and the combination of light, thin, and excellent materials makes for a device sure to get some jealous looks. Keyboard and trackpad make or break a laptop for me, and the X1 Carbon's combination is among the best I've ever tested on a Windows machine. In general, its performance is also really solid as long as you keep your expectations in check and don't try to play The Witcher 2 while streaming Netflix movies. The most frustrating problem is the software bloat, which is particularly odd for a supposedly business-aimed laptop, but that can be largely undone with some effort.

Lenovo put some serious thought into mobile usability with the ThinkPad X1 Carbon, including cellular broadband and the RapidCharge feature. The slightly flexible carbon-fiber chassis is an interesting departure from the rigidity of machined metal cases. Though Lnovo's failure to offer dual USB 3.0 ports and HDMI output is a little disappointing, the port selection isn't radically different from what similar superthin Ultrabooks provide. If you're a serious traveler, the X1 Carbon merits closer inspection.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon takes almost everything that was great about last year's ThinkPad X1 and combines it with the latest Ultrabook technology to deliver an outstanding business Ultrabook. While most professionals looking for a thin and light laptop will probably be happier with the ThinkPad X230, the X1 Carbon softens those rough ThinkPad edges and provides a more refined, stylish PC for salespeople and executives who don't want a boxy business laptop. If you only pay attention to one thing in this review then make sure it's the section about the new touchpad. The glass touchpad surface on the X1 Carbon is better than anything else on the market. We're saying it's better than the touchpad on a MacBook Pro and better than every notebook PC touchpad we've used to date.

I must admit that I personally like the Carbon. After all, I write for a living, so a great keyboard wins me over. But I have a hard time figuring out a reason why I would recommend it over the HP Envy 14 Spectre or Zenbook Prime. Neither is as suitable for travelers, but truth be told, the Carbon is also a poor choice. A serious traveler should buy a T430s or X230 and deal with the added weight. That leaves consumers, who will prefer the Envy 14 Spectre’s better display and far more attractive exterior. And while the keyboard is not as good, it’s not bad either. The high-end ultrabook you should buy will depend a lot on your needs, but I think the Carbon is the most niche of the (good) ultrabooks on the market thus far. ThinkPad fans will love this laptop. But if you’ve never understood why people spend a lot on ugly black bricks, go buy a Spectre.

Lenovo's X1 Carbon offers an understated look and exotic chassis material, but the LCD panel display quality could be better.

The changes that the X1 Carbon brings are not just skin deep. Many of these changes have addressed some of the common complaints about the original X1, but at the same have introduced new criticisms. The new 14-inch matte display, for example, is an entirely different beast compared to the glossy 13.3-inch Gorilla Glass-protected display of the older models and offers better color reproduction, higher resolutions, higher contrast and lighter weight. On the flip side, maximum brightness and durability have been reduced, while battery life has stayed relatively unchanged. The carbon fiber chassis looks more elegant and feels better on the hand compared to magnesium alloy, but this is subject to user preference. We definitely appreciate the unique change in material as it sacrifices little in terms of overall stability while weighing less. We can’t help but feel, however, that much of the weight loss was also attributed to the removal of Gorilla Glass, three physical ports (HDMI, RJ-45, eSATA/USB), and the merging of interior components that ultimately discourages simple end-user serviceability. To some users, these can be considered essentials to any notebook. The bottom line is that the glare-free X1 Carbon works great outdoors and delivers fast performance. Business workers and students alike will fall in love with its speed, portability, and appearance, but hardcore and all-day users will yearn for longer battery life, easy upgradeability, and dedicated docking port options. We can certainly recommend it over other 13.3-inch ultrabooks if professional appeal, CPU performance, display size, and WWAN take precedence over battery life and expandability.

As far as business-class Ultrabooks the X1 Carbon doesn’t have too much competition. This thing is almost as good as it gets — if an Ultrabook is what you want. If you don’t need the Ultrabook lightweight design for roughly the same price the HP Spectre 14 [see our review] is another solid option. All in all the X1 Carbon is a massive step up over the original, and beats out anything from Lenovo’s past in this size range. Yes the display, battery life, and RAM options could all be better or higher, but in general this machine will be king of the office. Add in the fact that it manages to be extremely thin, weigh less than 3 lbs, and still manages to have a 720p front camera (image sample below), and integrated HSPA+ 3G connectivity it sure is a great overall package. It might not be the cheapest around but this user friendly machine will be excellent for average users, and the business man. This portable Ultrabook should make you plenty happy, and keep you busy. Have a peek at previous reviews and all our images below, then decide if this is the Ultrabook for your business bag.

We haven't loved every Lenovo portable we've seen (one or two underwhelming tablets come to mind), but at the risk of sounding like suckups, we can't remember the last time the ThinkPad laptop team swung and whiffed—the basic-black business line consistently hits solid doubles, triples, and the occasional home run. Going by that metaphor, the X1 Carbon is a triple, if not a homer for corporate IT managers and elite executives. It's thin, light, and handsome, with a stellar screen and keen keyboard. It's also expensive, especially when $200 less will buy you the Asus Zenbook Prime UX32VD-DB71 with a faster Core i7 chip, discrete graphics, and an even more gorgeous 1,920x1,080 screen. Frankly, we'd be happy if Lenovo would offer a more economical model with a non-vPro CPU and Windows Home Premium instead of Professional, and maybe throw in a Mini DisplayPort-to-VGA (or to-HDMI) adapter, as well as the USB-to-Ethernet dongle. But that's wishful thinking. As is, as of today, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon is at the head of ultrabook shoppers' short lists—or, at the very least, their wish lists.

The Lenovo X1 Carbon is an ultrabook designed for business. It has IT-friendly vPro built in, the ThinkPad TrackPoint, weighs under three pounds, and has over seven hours of battery life. It's the ultrabook you want if you're thinking business.

The business-oriented Lenovo ThinkPad X1 has a few quirks, but is otherwise a very impressive business-oriented ultrabook with strong crossover potential.