At IFA 2024, Lenovo is bringing Intel’s Lunar Lake CPUs to its flagship ThinkPad, while chopping off a lot of the laptop’s weight. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition tips the scales at just 2.16 pounds, which is quite a bit lighter than its 2.42-pound predecessor. Available in November for a starting price of $1,999, this super-slim 14-inch laptop promises an AI-enhanced user experience, long battery life, and plenty of performance and flexibility.
Designed to compete with the best ultrabooks , the X1 Carbon (Gen 13) has the word “Aura” in its name, because Lenovo is starting its Aura program, in which the company worked with Intel to add a few extra utilities that enhance the user experience. Along with the X1 Carbon (Gen 13) Lenovo’s new Yoga Slim 7i is also an Aura Edition laptop. Both Auras have three major features:
Smart Share: Allows you to tap an Android or iOS smartphone on the edge of the screen and transfer files between devices. To determine that the phone has tapped the screen, the laptops use Elliptic Labs’ AI Visual Sensor technology, which uses machine learning in lieu of special sensors.
Smart Modes: Use AI to “adapt intuitively to user needs,” these modes are Shield Mode (detect threats to your system and privacy and warn you), Attention Mode (reduces distractions, sounds an awful lot like Windows Focus Assist), Collaboration Mode (enhances video performance and adds background blur, low-light enhancement during meetings) and Wellness Mode (gives you posture alerts).
Smart Care: Quick access to Lenovo’s online support tools, with one-click access to live support or a chatbot.
In addition to these Aura AI features, the X1 Carbon (Gen 13) will have the Copilot+ PC experiences that Microsoft has made available on Qualcomm Snapdragon-powered laptops. These include live captions, Windows Studio Effects for your webcam and Cocreator, a text-to-image feature of Windows Paint.
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The X1 Carbon comes with one of Intel’s new Intel Core Ultra (Series 2) processors, otherwise known as Lunar Lake. It will be available with up to a Core Ultra 9 CPU (no word on the bottom end, but we expect Core Ultra 7 and Ultra 5 SKUs) with up to 32GB of RAM and up to a 2TB SSD. According to the spec sheet, we saw it will only be available with a 2.8K OLED panel, but if it’s like other ThinkPad X1 Carbons, it will probably also be available with lower-end displays that use less power. As on the ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 12), there will be a haptic touchpad option.
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According to Lenovo, the X1 Carbon and its 57 Whr battery (same capacity as prior models) will last up to 18 hours on a charge. Power efficiency is a key selling point for Lunar Lake processors as is AI prowess. Lunar Lake CPUs have built-in NPUs that can go as high as 48 TOPS while their Arc graphics can achieve as much as 67 TOPS. The DDR5 RAM is built onto the package, which allows Intel to achieve greater power efficiency and performance.
The X1 Carbon (Gen 13) will come standard with Wi-Fi 7 and will have optional 5G connectivity. Like prior ThinkPad X1 Carbons, it will have two Thunderbolt 4 Type-C ports along with two USB Type-A ports and a full-size HDMI out.
Thinkpad T14s AMD
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In addition to the X1 Carbon, Lenovo took the wraps off one additional ThinkPad and a pair of ThinkBooks. Due out in October for a starting price of $1,699, the T14s Gen 6is powered by an AMD Ryzen AI chip. It has up to 64GB of RAM – Intel Lunar Lake laptops top out at 64GB – and it weighs a mere 2.86 pounds. Its 14-inch screen will be available in two varieties, both with 1920 x 1200 resolutions but with a wider sRGB color gamut on the higher-end model.
The T14s Gen 6promises 17 hours of endurance with its 58 Whr battery. It also has a full array of ports, including dual Thunderbolt 4 ports and two USB Type-A ports.
ThinkBook 16 Gen 7 and Gen 7+
For small business users who want something a little less expensive or just don’t like the ThinkPad aesthetic, Lenovo’s ThinkBooks fit the bill. The company has announced two new 16-inch models, the ThinkBook 16 Gen 7 and Gen 7+.
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Due out in October for a starting price of $749, the ThinkBook Gen 7 is powered by Qualcomm’s new 8-core Snapdragon X Plus CPU, which delivers up to 45 TOPS with its NPU. It weighs a hefty 4.02 pounds but is a modest 0.66 inches thick, which leaves plenty of room for two USB-C ports, two USB Type-A ports and HDMI out. It offers up to 32GB of RAM and screens in 1920 x 1200 or 2560 x 1600 resolutions. Lenovo claims that it will get “multi-day” battery life with its 84 WHr battery.
The ThinkBook Gen 7+ will not come out in North America, but it will have an AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 processor, up to 32GB of RAM and a 3.2K, 165 Hz screen with a wide color gamut. It tips the scales at 4.19 pounds and packs in several ports including a single USB 4 Type-C connector that’s Thunderbolt 4 certified.
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