Lenovo has refreshed its ThinkPad X1 lineup ahead of CES 2017, unveiling upgraded models with sleeker designs, faster processors and improved battery life.
The lineup includes the heavy-duty Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon, the convertible ThinkPad Yoga 2-in-1 and the ThinkPad X1 Tablet, all of which are now thinner, lighter and smaller overall than their previous iterations. To further sweeten the deal, the new ThinkPad X1 devices can also last far longer on a single charge.
Most of the improvements are due to Intel's 7th Generation Core processors dubbed Kaby Lake, with faster integrated GPUs that allow for 4K video processing support. Moreover, Lenovo is also offering Qualcomm LTE-Advanced modems as an option for the new ThinkPad X1 lineup of devices.
These Qualcomm models are usually found in smartphones, but Lenovo thinks that as devices get increasingly thinner and lighter, cellular connectivity is becoming more important and LTE can be of great help in certain circumstances or areas where Wi-Fi is not available.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2017
The new ThinkPad X1 Carbon is the star of the upgraded lineup, sporting a substantially smaller design that crams a full HD IPS display with a diagonal of 14 inches into a 13-inch carbon fiber body. The smaller design is partially due to the thinner borders of the new display, which helped shrink the laptop's overall size. The X1 Carbon doesn't have an edgeless display like the Dell XPS 13, but it's still impressively thin.
The ThinkPad X1 Carbon now weighs less than 2.5 pounds and boasts a battery life of up to 15 hours. Despite the smaller form factor, Lenovo assures users that it made no compromises. Customers can choose various laptop configurations with up to 16 GB of DDR3 DRAM and up to 1 TB of SSD. Display options include full HD or a 2,560 x 1,440 resolution, but no 4K option.
When it comes to connectivity ports, Lenovo touts that new Thunderbolt 3 ports deliver up to eight times faster speeds than USB 3.0, while also allowing for 4K display connectivity. Two USB 3.0 Type-A ports are also on board, as well as an HDMI port. The company also teases more docking solutions with USB Type-C and Thunderbolt 3 docks.
The top border of the screen incorporates an IR webcam with enhanced biometric authentication, supporting face recognition logon with Windows Hello.
"ThinkPad X1 is designed with the sole purpose of offering the best possible experience, by embracing workplace transformation, supporting personal workstyles and design choices, and by balancing security and manageability needs for an agile IT infrastructure," says Lenovo.
The upgraded Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon will hit the market in February, sporting a starting price of $1,349.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga
The popular 2-in-1 ThinkPad X1 Yoga gets notable upgrades too and it's now thinner, lighter and with a longer battery life than its predecessor.
The previous X1 Yoga version offered a battery life of up to 11 hours on a single charge, but the new model can last for up to 16 hours. The ThinkPad X1 Yoga can be used as either a laptop or a tablet and when in tablet mode, the new iteration will retract the keyboard with the keys now designed to lie flat individually to enable a smoother experience when the laptop is folded. Lenovo says that the new retractable keyboard design allows for greater stability and user comfort.
The new ThinkPad X1 Yoga has a maximum storage capacity of 1 TB and it rocks a faster GPU, complete with an option to choose Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640 that support 4K video rendering. Connectivity options include a Thunderbolt 3 port, two USB 3.0 ports and an HDMI port for 4K display connectivity.
The convertible laptop further sports a pen with support for the new Windows inking features included in the Anniversary Update, making it easier to make annotations, take notes and draw.
Customers can configure the ThinkPad X1 Yoga with a full HD screen or a higher resolution 2,560 x 1,440 pixel display, but the latter version will cost more and will cap the battery life at 11 hours tops.
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga 2-in-1 will start at $1,499 and will come in black and silver color options.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet
Lastly, the ThinkPad X1 Tablet gets its fair share of upgrades too. The detachable device can turn into a laptop thanks to a keyboard dock, or serve simply as a tablet. The tablet sports a generous 12-inch display with a resolution of 2,160 x 1,440 pixels, up to 16 GB of RAM and up to 1 TB storage capacity.
The new ThinkPad X1 Tablet can now last for up to 10 hours on a single charge, and get an additional five hours with an extra module. The tablet sports a USB 3.0 port, a USB Type-C port, a Mini-DisplayPort, microSD support and a nano SIM card slot. Other specs include an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel selfie cam.
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet will become available in March at a $949 starting price.
