Lenovo has taken their best (albeit dated) Ultrabook, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon, and ironed out the wrinkles for 2014. The end result is an all-new third-generation X1 Carbon that borrows heavily from the design of the previous model but don’t be fooled – most everything has been improved.
Billed as the world’s lightest 14-inch Ultrabook at 2.8 pounds (it’s forged from carbon fiber), it all starts with the touchscreen display that now sports a resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 – a healthy improvement over the lower resolution panel on the existing X1 Carbon. If touch isn’t for you, there are options for the same 2,560 x 1,440 resolution screen as well as a 1,690 x 900 panel.
Under the hood is Intel’s Haswell processor (up to an i7) and up to 8GB of RAM. There’s also an option for 512MB of solid state drive storage to complement the speedy fourth generation Core CPU and two USB 3.0 ports (up from just one before). There’s also a full-sized HDMI port that replaces the previous micro-HDMI connection.
Lenovo has replaced the top row of Function buttons with something they’re calling an Adaptive Keyboard. This strip is said to dynamically adjust based on the software or application being used at the time to highlight the most relevant controls. For example, volume controls might be displayed during movie playback.
We’re told the X1 Carbon’s battery is good for up to nine hours of battery life. What’s more, the company has implemented a rapid-charge battery system that can replenish drained cells to 80 percent capacity in just 50 minutes.
The Lenovo X1 Carbon Ultrabook is available as of writing starting at $1,299.
