Latest ThinkPad X1 Carbon packs big features in under 1kg

I tried the new ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 laptop for a week. Its superpower isn't what you might expect.

I've previously shared my initial experience with Lenovo's latest ThinkPad X1 Carbon. So I was excited when I had the chance to use it for a week.

How did it fare for real-life use?

Newest ThinkPad X1 on the block

For ThinkPad fans, there's a lot to like about the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13.

• ThinkPad build and quality.
• Latest Intel Core Ultra Series 2 CPU.
• Features you'll expect in a business laptop.
• Thinnest and lightest 14-inch ThinkPad yet.

And oh, there's also its customer-replaceable battery - a rarity nowadays. However, I'll focus on a couple of features that I particularly liked.

Bring-it-everywhere light

There's something about carrying a laptop that's lighter than 1kg - and built without any compromise.

• Fingerprint reader, check.
• Windows Hello face recognition, check.
• USB-C, USB-A and HDMI ports, check.

At almost 25% less than the weight of a typical 1.25kg laptop, it didn't feel heavy at all.

Stepping out on an errand? I found myself throwing the X1 Carbon Gen 13 into the bag "just in case". To me, its superpower is surely its weight.

Excellent for work

I also liked that the ThinkPad was squarely made for work.

• Beautiful matte OLED screen.
• Comfortable keyboard.
• Great battery life.

I'll admit that I use a desktop PC at my desk, which is connected to a trio of large screens and premium mechanical keyboards.

I only use laptops when I need to work on the go, or when I'm at a conference or event. Overall, I did find its display, keyboard and battery life to be exceptional.

There's something to be said about Intel's latest CPU - when I left it on for 5 hours with the screen at 50%, the battery gauge showed I had another 10 hours left.

Would I buy it?

The downer here is surely the price. In Singapore, the only variants available are priced over SG$3K.

I would still have purchased it in a heartbeat if it's my primary work machine that I use daily. As it is, the price is a tad too high for the occasional use in my case.

But now that I've tasted what a sub-kg laptop feels like, I'm now on the hunt for other lightweight laptops.