Lenovo is continuing its annual upgrade of its popular ThinkPad line of notebooks, and the higher-end X1 products within that series just got a small set of improvements. The most obvious of these is a new silver color option, which makes the previously matte black laptop appear far more modern (and less dated-looking). The newly updated X1 Carbon, X1 Yoga and X1 Tablet also boast new Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports and some individual incremental tweaks each.
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For starters, the X1 Carbon (starting at $1,349) is now more compact than before, squeezing a 14-inch IPS display into a 13-inch frame. It's also 0.2 pounds lighter than its predecessor, and overall it looks sharper and cleaner. The Carbon also features a new infrared camera for facial recognition, so it can support Microsoft's Windows Hello biometric login system. Like before, the new Carbon has a fingerprint reader for secure authorizations of online transactions or protecting sensitive materials, and its. Lenovo also bumped up the Carbon's endurance, promising up to 15 hours of battery life now. I was most impressed by the new laptop's lightweight, sturdy frame, although I wish its IPS display was richer. You can get an up to WQDH (2560 x 1440) screen and an up to seventh-generation Intel Core i7 processor, too.
The X1 Yoga ($1499) features a new version of the "rise and fall" keyboard that was on its predecessor. All of the old model's keys are stuck on a tray that sinks when the display is folded all the way backwards, so that you have a flat, even surface to rest on your table when you're using the convertible with its display propped up. The new Yoga does the same, except that its individual keys sink in, instead of the entire keyboard tray. This is not only better looking than before with an island-style layout, but also more durable, according to the company. I enjoyed watching the keys sink in when I flipped the screen all the way back, and appreciated not triggering button presses when I propped the laptop up with the keyboard facing down. Along with the typical performance upgrades, such as the option to get the seventh-generation Intel Core processors, the new X1 Yoga also has a redesigned rechargeable stylus.
For now, the biggest improvements to the ThinkPad X1 line appears to be its new color option, smaller frame and performance updates. Still, if the Carbon's new battery bump delivers, the new ThinkPad could be an even better notebook for business users than it already is.
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Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.