I’m a fan of the build and the form factor but the CPU needs to do much more.
Lenovo’s ThinkPad series is meant for serious business. They’re not as flashy and pretty as its Yoga line or as heavy and gaming-focused as its Legion line. ThinkPads are hardcore in terms of specs and quite boring regarding aesthetics. They’re made for professionals and are best known for their portability.
The ThinkPad X1 series is famous for its slim form factor, like the ThinkPad X1 Nano, and a durable but lightweight build. Lenovo sent us their latest ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12, released in December 2023. The configuration sent to us retails for a whopping $2700.
The design and build are all great, and the battery life is impressive, too, but I obviously can’t skip past how little we’re getting in terms of power. You would expect an expensive laptop to be a total powerhouse, but not here.
Don’t expect an aesthetically pleasing body on the X1. It’s fully matte, and the no-frills build may underwhelm you, but that’s just a ThinkPad thing. The build’s great because it’s incredibly light and slim. Weighing just 2.8 lbs and measuring around 0.6 inches, the X1 is pretty portable. I carried it to and from work in my small tote bag for a few days and didn’t feel it weighing me down.
The ports attest to how this laptop is designed with business in mind. There’s a pretty generous set of ports on both sides, with even a SIM card slot being offered from Spring 2024. Though we didn’t get to test it out, our review unit sported a sim slot, too. You also get a nice old Kensington lock slot, which a lot of laptops don’t feature anymore, an HDMI port, one Type-A and two Type-C ports, and a power port. The power button is also found on the side with all the ports. I guess the keyboard didn’t have enough room for it because it does seem a bit cramped.
