The Consumer Electronics Show 2017 is showcasing some real winners, including the ThinkPad X1 Carbon and ThinkPad X1 Yoga from Lenovo. The company made some very smart changes to the previous generation, without sacrificing the power and feel that has become standard with the company. Both units are sure to make waves once they hit the market in a few short weeks.
The upcoming device will be the fifth in the line of X1 Carbon units, as The Verge notes. The first thing that consumers will notice is that the company has decreased the size of the bezels. So much so that the 14-inch screen actually looks like a standard 13-inch laptop. But despite this, the webcam is still located at the middle and top of the display, unlike other models that have had to move it to the corner.
The publication also notes that the X1 Carbon has amazing battery life, no matter how many items the device is working on at a given time. Lenovo boasts of a 15.5-hour battery life. Considering the weight of the device - 1.12 kilograms or 2.5 pounds - the battery life is an exceptional surprise. The display itself has a 1080p resolution, but this can be upgraded to 2560 x 1440.
The weight, in particular, is possible because of the laptop's design. Lenovo used carbon fiber mesh for the top lid, which allows the X1 Carbon to be so light, yet so durable. The rest of the device is made of magnesium alloy, which allows the unit to be held comfortably without any glossy -- or slippery -- sides.
Microsoft is found all over the X1 Carbon, both inside and out. Aesthetically, users will see that a Windows Precision Trackpad has been installed into the unit - but the classic red TrackPoint nub is still present as well. In terms of operating system, Lenovo has fit in the Microsoft Signature Edition of Windows 10, which means that users will get zero added bloatware.
One sacrifice that Lenovo does make is that there is no SD Card slot in the X1 Carbon. Removing the same was apparently necessary to make the unit as thin and as light as it is. According to the publication, a company representative was asking CES 2017 attendees if they were willing to sacrifice thickness and weight for the SD Card port.
Another aesthetic change that Lenovo made is that the X1 Carbon is now available in silver, in addition to the standard black. However, as Trusted Reviews notes, this is also available with the X1 Yoga. But one thing that the Yoga has on the Carbon is that its keyboard retracts completely whenever the device is closed or in tablet mode. Despite this, the user will still feel comfortable pressing its keys.
Like the X1 Carbon, the Yoga is also fitted with the Windows Precision Trackpad, thereby providing a quicker and more natural response, as well as better gesture recognition. There are two USB C 3.1 ports, three USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI port, a gigabit Ethernet, a microSD slot, a 3.5mm audio jack and a micro SIM card slot. There is also WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity.
The ThinkPad X1 Yoga is lightweight and thin as well. The device measures out at just 17mm at its thickest and only weighs 1.42 kilograms. The publication points out that this does not make it the thinnest and lightest option out there, but it does make up for this in terms of hardware.
An Intel Core i7-7600U processor powers the X1 Yoga, which also provides the device with Intel's Iris Plus Graphics 640 chip. However, there is another, lower-end version of the unit available. This one is fitted with a standard HD Graphics 620 chip. 16GB of memory is available for the devices, running at 2133Mhz and 1866MHz respectively.
