Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12
Portability is impressive, but power is lacking.
At $2,700, the X1 severely lacks performance. Unfortunately, the Ultra 7 chip really hasn’t kept up with the completion schedule. You might be surprised by its portability and gorgeous display, but it’s also hard to ignore the power you get for such a high price.
advantage
long battery life
Large number of ports
Bright, sharp display with tons of detail
Excellent appearance
shortcoming
Performance is disappointing for the price
The keyboard feels a bit cramped
Lenovo’s ThinkPad series is designed for serious business. They’re not as flashy and pretty as the Yoga series, nor are they as bulky and gaming-focused as the Legion series. The ThinkPad is hardcore in terms of specs, but pretty bland in terms of aesthetics. They are built for professionals and are known for their portability.
this ThinkPad X1 The series is known for its slim profile, e.g. ThinkPad X1 Nano, and a durable yet lightweight construction. Lenovo sent us their latest ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12, which was released in December 2023. The configuration sent to us retails for a whopping $2,700.
The design and build are great, and the battery life is impressive, but I obviously can’t get over where we fell short on power. You might expect a lot of power from an expensive laptop, but not here.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 design
You can tell it’s just made for work.
Don’t expect the X1 to have a beautiful body. It’s completely matte, and you might be impressed by its clean construction, but that’s just a ThinkPad thing. The construction is great because it’s very light and slim. The X1 weighs only 2.8 pounds and measures approximately 0.6 inches, making it very portable. I carried it in my small handbag commuting for a few days and didn’t feel like it was weighing me down.
These ports prove how this laptop was designed with business needs in mind. There are quite a few ports on both sides, and there will even be a SIM card slot from spring 2024. Although we didn’t test it, our review unit also came with a SIM slot. You also get a nice old Kensington lock slot (which many laptops no longer have), an HDMI port, a Type A and two Type C ports, and a power port. The power button is also located on the side of all ports. I’m guessing there isn’t enough space for the keyboard as it does look a bit cramped.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 keyboard and trackpad
The keyboard feels a little cramped in places
The X1’s keyboard is very responsive and has a decent level of sound and travel feedback that feels great. The bright red pointing stick stands out in a sea of matte black keys, and while some may find it dated, I believe this is as “Core ThinkPad” as it gets. The only problem is that the D-pad feels cramped. I wouldn’t say the keyboard is stuffy enough to be a deal breaker, but I’d still have a little extra criticism of it since this is a productivity-focused machine.
Another feature that I found a bit underwhelming was the keyboard backlighting. It has two brightness settings, and even on the brighter one, it’s quite dim. I tried it with the room lights off, it was after sunset so it was completely dark. While I could make out the key, it wasn’t bright enough for my needs. If my work environment was like this one day, I might have to turn on a little light, too.
I like the solid feel of the trackpad and the ample space. But it’s too matte and uncomfortable. Rolling it up with two fingers (since fingernails are usually involved) feels like I’m scratching a blackboard, and we all know what that feels like. I didn’t have to look closely to see that even the slightest fingernail use left noticeable scratches on the trackpad. I had to rub them with my index finger for a few seconds to get rid of them.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 Performance
Mediocre performance, especially for the price
The X1 is available in two configurations: 32GB and 1TB are priced at $2,700 and were sent to us, and 16GB and 512GB are priced at $2,300.
Considering its high price, I expected more features from this laptop. But unfortunately, Intel Core Ultra 7 failed to live up to expectations. I ran Geekbench 6 on it and the results were surprisingly low. I had to run it multiple times to make sure what I was seeing was accurate. I got 1511 on the single core CPU test. Compare that to the M3 MacBook Pro’s score of 3129; that’s a shame considering the MacBook Pro is much cheaper ($1,600).
The only good thing about the X1’s performance is its battery life. Lenovo promises “all-day battery life,” and it delivers. I’ve been using this laptop for several hours over the past four days and haven’t even used the charger once.
While the fingerprint reader is uncomfortable and so crammed that I barely noticed it at first, I’m glad it’s there. There is also a privacy blind so you are very organized in terms of security.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 display
Excellent detail and contrast
The device’s 14-inch OLED display is one of the best I’ve ever seen. It has the blackest of black colors and the whitest of white colors, creating a striking contrast that is pleasing to the eye. You get 120 Hz 2.8K (2880 x 1800) resolution and incredible detail. I was almost distracted by the intricate details and noticed things I wouldn’t normally see in a video. Colors look vibrant, with 100% DCI-P3 coverage.
You also get all the features you’d expect from a $2,000+ laptop display. There are anti-glare, anti-reflective and anti-smudge technologies. There’s also low blue light technology for eye safety. The screen has a maximum brightness of 400 nits, which was enough for me to fully appreciate the content next to my large bright bedroom window.
judgment
The price seriously confuses me.
I don’t think it’s possible to buy a mediocre laptop for two bucks. While I love the build and look, the battery life is also excellent, as are the port specs. What’s the point if it lacks strength? A more reasonable price tag might have convinced me, but for the X1’s current price, there are cheaper, more capable options on the market.