Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Version Evaluation: Featherweight Class

	Extremely skinny and light-weight Beneficiant port choice regardless of small dimension Wonderful OLED show Greatest keyboard in its class Trackpoint lives on	Excessive worth Collects fingerprints Performs barely beneath equally priced machines

Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Carbon household has lengthy supplied laptops with enterprise smarts, a contact of class and a glossy, minimalist design language. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 machines are available in varied styles and sizes, together with foldables, convertibles, and good old style laptops. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon is the latter, a standard clamshell laptop computer kind issue with concentrate on an ultra-premium configuration and expertise. When it comes to enterprise class laptops, the brand new Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Version we’re evaluating right here at present units a brand new customary for ultra-portable computing.

The newest ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Version (sure, that is a mouthful) is the lightest but, weighing in at lower than one kilogram (about 2.1 kilos). No matter its ultra-svelte design, on board the machine we have examined is the most recent Intel Core Extremely 7 Lunar Lake processor platform with an beneficiant 32GB of RAM. And regardless of its stable specs, there are some caveats to think about, one in every of which is its comparatively excessive price ticket. Nonetheless, this laptop computer stands alone within the realm of ultraportable, premium enterprise machines, so let’s dig in with a full evaluate of what makes this ThinkPad sing.

ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Version: Specs, Design, Construct High quality & Options

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Version has a little bit of a clunky identify, however the laptop computer itself is something however. Even after acclimating to this machine, you will in all probability nonetheless be shocked by how alarmingly mild it’s if you choose it up.  Thus, this featherweight laptop could be very simple to hold in a bag or stability in your lap. Lenovo managed to shave substantial weight off off its earlier twelfth Gen ThinkPad X1 Carbon, bringing its mass down from 2.42 kilos to only 2.1 kilos. For reference, Apple’s lightest laptop computer, the 13-inch MacBook Air, suggestions the scales at 2.7 kilos, so what Lenovo has achieved isn’t any small feat.

Despite its mild weight, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 would not really feel or look low-cost—there’s a good looking utilitarian class to this machine. It is produced from premium supplies like magnesium and carbon fiber, along with the aluminum body you see in most laptops. This offers the ThinkPad X1 Carbon structural resilience whereas maintaining its weight down. One notable disadvantage of all that carbon fiber and this machine’s smooth contact end (which feels nice by the way in which) is that it’s going to accumulate fingerprints fairly readily, sadly.

Lenovo clearly paid consideration to the little issues with this high-end enterprise laptop computer. The lid has Lenovo’s extra recently-added lip across the digicam that makes it simpler to open, and it is extremely clean. You possibly can simply carry the lid with one finger, and the hinge is sturdy when open; there is not any wobble, even if you transfer the machine round. That is doubly spectacular contemplating how feather-light this factor is.

And if you pry open the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Version, you are handled to a stunning 2880×1800 OLED panel. It has punchy saturation, a 120Hz refresh charge, and a peak brightness of 400 nits—its matte end helps cut back reflections, so whereas we might desire a bit extra brightness, this machine must be readable in most lighting situations.

This show doesn’t have contact help, which is more and more unusual for client machines, but it surely’s nonetheless the way in which for many enterprise laptops. We’re not so certain you’d wish to muck up this stunning show with extra fingerprints, anyway.

The bezel across the display screen could be very slim, contributing to the compact footprint of this machine. On the high, subsequent to the 1080p webcam, you will discover a bodily privateness shutter, which is a a lot appreciated characteristic on a high-end laptop computer. The digicam helps IR for Home windows Hi there, and there is additionally a fingerprint sensor. The sensor will be simple to overlook at first; it appears like a key on the keyboard, but it surely’s a stationary raised block between the arrows and the Copilot key. It’s extremely correct and quick for a Home windows laptop computer, which is to say it is nonetheless slower than the fingerprint sensors on trendy telephones.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 has however not nice collection of ports. There are two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 on the left aspect, together with a USB-A. The opposite USB-A is on the appropriate aspect with the three.5mm jack, a full-sized HDMI 2.1, and a Kensington lock. It is good to see two legacy USBs, even when they’re restricted to 5Gbps. We might additionally desire to have the USB-C ports cut up as much as enable charging on both aspect.

Enter is the place the brand new ThinkPad X1 actually shines. It comes with the standard trackpad/trackpoint combo, which will not be lengthy for this world. Lenovo lately introduced the primary ThinkPad with out trackpoint, which isn’t stunning. Lenovo is the one OEM nonetheless dedicated to the keyboard nub, however we stay followers. It is a very snug, exact option to management the mouse that does not pressure you to maneuver your palms away from the keyboard. Alternatively, trackpoint’s buttons eat into out there trackpad actual property.

You may should pry my trackpoint from my chilly, useless palms.

The trackpad, small although it’s, affords glorious responsiveness and a clean texture. The clicking mechanism of the trackpoint buttons and the trackpad’s decrease part are quiet and require simply the correct quantity of strain to set off.

The keyboard on the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 is excellent, (as traditional for ThinkPads) providing extra key journey than you’d anticipate for a thin-and-light machine, and the keys really feel nice. There isn’t any undue flexing or mushiness on the backside of the keystroke. We additionally love the structure, which options offset arrow keys with web page up and web page down keys.

Bundled Lenovo Software program And The Aura Version Expertise

As this can be a enterprise machine, you will not should wade by the bloatware that infests most Home windows laptops. The machine’s settings and providers are centralized in an app referred to as Lenovo Business Vantage. There isn’t any AI schlock, no pre-loaded “free” video games, and no McAfee software program. In truth, you could possibly argue the best supply of undesirable software program on the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 is Microsoft itself.

Vantage is a clear, environment friendly option to tweak the pc’s settings. It affords choices for the keyboard, digicam, energy settings, audio, and extra. The place it would not have totally built-in settings, it will probably hyperlink you to the Home windows settings web page that does. Vantage additionally handles core firmware updates that do not seem in Home windows Replace.

The “Aura Version” moniker right here signifies that Lenovo labored with Intel to optimize the machine’s efficiency profile and options. In consequence, there are a number of particular modes accessible from a keyboard shortcut. Hit the “Mode” button on the keyboard, and you will get a small management panel that permits you to change efficiency profiles and allow the particular modes: Protect, Collaboration, Consideration, and Wellness.

The Aura Modes are fascinating, however they’ve slim usefulness. For instance, Protect mode prompts you to hook up with a VPN and makes use of the digicam to maintain a watch out for somebody peeking over your shoulder. Consideration, in the meantime, silences notifications and blocks time-wasting web sites of your selecting. We did not discover a lot motive to activate any of those modes, however having energy management on the widget is sweet, because it saves you from digging round in convoluted Home windows settings.