Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon

Understated good looks; solid build quality; nice keyboard/touchpad

Pricey; 128GB SSD; average battery life

Unlike many an Ultrabook, there’s no mistaking this one for a MacBook Air, or even an Air wannabe. Staying true to the venerable ThinkPad brand, the X1 Carbon is matte-black through and through, and clad in that distinct rubberized coating that feels...

The hinge doesn’t seem too strong, and there’s some wobbling noticeable when you push down on it. Unlike some sturdy laptops from the ThinkPad series and the Latitude series from Dell, it can’t hold the weight of the laptop on the hinge either.

Incredibly fast CPU and application performance for the size ; Very lightweight, yet strong shell ; Extremely quiet ; Matte display ; Large touchpad ; Improved gamut range ; WWAN options ; Mini DisplayPort ; Backlit keyboard

Surface temperatures can become very warm ; No Gorilla Glass, ThinkLight, HDMI, integrated RJ-45, or dedicated docking ports ; Plastic display bezel feels out of place ; Mediocre battery life ; Mushy left- and right-click buttons ; Overall fingerprint...

The low fan noise given the fast CPU is a double-edged sword. Surface temperatures can get quite warm, but the notebook is hardly audible when in use

Fast SSD ; Strong performance CPU ; Thin but well-designed case ; Bright display ; High-quality input devices ; Extensive connectivity

Expensive ; Weak contrast and limited viewing angles ; Battery life needs to be improved ; Temperatures emissions are high under load

Which ThinkPad buyer wants a glare display? We want a matt and high-quality panel for the successor

Good keyboard and choice of pointing options ; Integrated 3G cellular broadband

LCD panel seems dim and a little washed out ; Limited port selection

Lenovo's X1 Carbon offers an understated look and exotic chassis material, but the LCD panel display quality could be better.

Add in the fact that it manages to be extremely thin, weigh less than 3 lbs, and still manages to have a 720p front camera (image sample below), and integrated HSPA+ 3G connectivity it sure is a great overall package. It might not be the cheapest...

Gorgeous design ; Thin and light ; Excellent keyboard and trackpad ; Solid overall performance

Way too much bloatware ; Gets hot easily ; Terrible for gaming

1,399 is a steep price, even for such beauty

Excellent battery life. Under 3 pounds. Dual pointing devices. Speedy SSD and day to day performance. Backlit keyboard. Good volume on speakers. Matte display

Uses new AC adapter format. Only 54GB free space left on SSD. Only one USB 3.0 port, No HDMI

The Lenovo X1 Carbon is an ultrabook designed for business. It has IT-friendly vPro built in, the ThinkPad TrackPoint, weighs under three pounds, and has over seven hours of battery life. It's the ultrabook you want if you're thinking business.

Lightweight and durable design; High-res screen with wide viewing angles; Long battery life; Great webcam; Fast charging time

Slower SSD than other Ultrabooks; No Ethernet or VGA; A little pricey

Click to EnlargeWith its lightweight, durable design, fantastic display and long battery life, Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Carbon sets a new standard for business ultraportables. A few sacrifices--namely Ethernet and VGA--had to be made in the name of...