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Lenovo Drops Super-Light ThinkPad X1 Carbon

Lenovo announces the ThinkPad X1 Carbon, a business ultrabook with brisk performance and carbon fiber construction.

August 8, 2012

Lenovo is bringing the ultrabook to the business world in a big way with the announcement of the slim ThinkPad X1 Carbon.

Lightweight, slim, and packing third-generation Intel processors and speedy solid-state drives (SSD), the four new ThinkPad configurations promise brisk performance and industrial-grade reliability.

An update to the 2011 ThinkPad X1 ultraportable, the new ThinkPad X1 Carbon is lighter and thinner, with third-generation Intel processing providing plenty of power for on-the-go productivity. Carbon fiber construction drops the weight to 3 pounds and thickness to a mere 18mm (0.71 inch). Equipped with a 14-inch, high-resolution (1,600-by-900) display and Lenovo's Precision keyboard, the slim laptop looks and feels like a premium business laptop, and backs it up with a third-generation Intel processor, a 720p webcam for video conferencing, and mobile broadband available on most models.

While not the first ultrabook from Lenovo—the Lenovo IdeaPad U310, for example, is a highly rated ultrabook for the consumer market—it is the first to join the ranks of Lenovo's top business notebooks. PCMag got some hands-on time with the back in May when the new model was initially announced and came away impressed.

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon has four available configurations, offering a range of options in processors and pricing. The most affordable of the four is equipped with an Intel Core i5-3317U processor and 128GB SSD, and will retail for $1,399. The next configuration steps up to an Intel Core i5-3427U processor, and adds 3G mobile broadband for on-the-go connectivity, selling for $1,499. Bumping up to a 256GB SSD, with the same Intel Core i5-3427U processor and 3G mobile broadband, the next configuration sells for $1,649, while a faster Intel Core i7-3667U is available for $1,849.

All configurations of the X1 Carbon will feature a 14-inch, anti-glare display with 1,600-by-900 resolution, with ports for USB 3.0, mini-DisplayPort, and Ethernet via USB dongle. Lenovo promises up to 6.3 hours of battery life from the sealed 45Wh battery, which is decent given the slim dimensions (0.74 by 13.1 by 8.9 inches) and featherweight construction.

Watch for our upcoming review of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon.