Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon review - A powerful business partner - Android

Lenovo churns out waves of notebooks every year, ranging from the entry-level IdeaPad line to the powerhouse ThinkPad series. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon sits at the top of the roster where it goes toe-to-toe with the best business laptops in the world. If you need a competitive machine to keep you productive you can’t do much better than the X1 Carbon (7th Gen). This notebook’s strengths abound, and the few weaknesses are hardly worth bringing up.

Find out what these pros and cons are in the Android Authority Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon review.

What is the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (7th Gen)?

The seventh-generation Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is the company’s premiere work machine. It’s a powerful, durable notebook that is packed with the latest silicon from Intel and others. This year’s edition sees Lenovo refine its winning formula with just the right nips and tucks.

Configurations range in price from about $1,450 to $2,500 depending on a host of processor, memory, and display options. Whatever you choose to put inside the X1 Carbon, the rugged, no-nonsense chassis remains the same.

While the ThinkPad line may come across as understated, don’t mistake the X1 Carbon for any old boring business book.

What are the ThinkPad X1 Carbon’s main features?

You’ll find the seventh-gen X1 Carbon to be a light, thin, and tough-as-nails laptop. At 2.4 pounds and 14.9mm thick, Lenovo claims it’s easier to carry about than the previous generation. I certainly had no complaints toting it around town.

Lenovo takes durability seriously. That’s why it puts the ThinkPad through vigorous testing and certified it MIL-SPEC810G. The company doesn’t spell out just what sort of abuse it can take, but the X1 Carbon is certainly tough enough to survive the daily bumps and jolts we experience when on the go.

There’s no metal. Lenovo relies on heavy-duty plastics to protect its hardware. While the design is nothing to set your heart ablaze, the optional carbon fiber weave finish gives it subtle panache. This is not a showy gaming rig, nor is it dainty, executive jewelry. It’s an in-the-trenches foot soldier.

Similar to the Lenovo Chromebook C340, which we recently reviewed, the front edge has a bit of an angled overbite. I wish the laptop were a bit easier to pry open; a notch of some sort would go a long way here. The bottom surface is angled up near the front corners, which makes the laptop more comfortable to use on your actual lap.

Ticking off the rest of the features, you’ll find a fingerprint reader, HD camera with privacy shade, four-speaker Dolby Atmos system, facial recognition (optional), and ports galore.

How’s the screen?

In a word, phenomenal. Lenovo sent us the top-spec’d version for review, and it includes a 14-inch 4K display that pushes out 500nits. It puts nearly every other display I’ve seen to shame. My only complaint is that the glossy glass can be too reflective in some settings.

Dolby Vision is aboard and, well, wow. I watched some Dolby Vision Netflix shows and the ThinkPad X1 Carbon delivered a one-two-three punch with resolution, color, and brightness.

Believe it or not, there are four other display options available: Full HD at 300nits, Full HD at 400nits, Full HD at 400nits with Privacy Guard, and WQHD at 300nits. That’s a lot from which to choose.

Lenovo didn’t bother to minimize the bezels around the screen. They aren’t Chromebook C340 bad, but I feel the side and top bezels could have been a hair thinner.

How’s the battery?

In a word, complicated. The laptop ships with a 51Wh four-cell lithium polymer battery. Lenovo claims the X1 Carbon 7th Gen lasts close to 11 hours per charge — but that’s with the 300nit Full HD screen. Since our review unit came with the power-sucking 4K screen, battery life was half that. On days that I tracked battery life, it often reached just 5.5 hours per charge. That’s … not great.

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon often reached just 5.5 hours of battery life per charge. That's ... not great.

There’s not much you can do to extend battery life. As always, you can futz with display brightness and other under-the-hood processes to conserve battery. A simple power/performance slider lets you choose if you want the device to run longer or perform better. I found the X1 Carbon still performed admirably when put on the low-performance setting.

The silver lining here is that the laptop recharges rapidly. The included charging brick can deliver an 80% charge in 60 minutes. I’d rather be able to leave the brick at home, but when you have a 4K screen the piper needs to be paid.

See also: Best portable battery chargers

How is the keyboard? What about the touchpad?