As is typically the case, Lenovo refreshed its premium ThinkPad X1 PCs at CES today. Interestingly, the X1 Tablet was left out of the mix this time around, but there's a new X1 Yoga and a new X1 Carbon.
What's particularly interesting is that the ThinkPad X1 Yoga is the first ThinkPad to come in an aluminum body. Lenovo did point out that while aluminum laptops are quite common, it doesn't think that competitors would pass the same durability tests that ThinkPads do, noting that it worked hard to engineer these to be as strong as carbon fiber while not compromising on weight and thickness.
“Creating the 2019 ThinkPad X1 Yoga required us to completely go back to the drawing board and develop all new approaches,” said Jerry Paradise, vice president, Commercial Product Portfolio. “The challenge of reimagining our engineering, design and materials while achieving the reliability, quality, and usability required of a ThinkPad was massive, but the end result will provide a delightful customer experience.”
Lenovo even says that the new X1 Yoga is 11% thinner and has a 17% smaller footprint. Of course, the X1 Carbon is still made of carbon fiber, or else it would need a new name, and that's thinner too at 14.95mm. It weighs in at 2.46 pounds, making it just a bit less than last year's model.
There's a new display option as well, as you can now have either device configured with a 4K resolution, although the 1080p and 1440p options remain. Last year, Lenovo ditched OLED in favor of Dolby Vision HDR, and this year, the firm is adding HDR400 certification.
Lenovo also solved a pain point that I noted in my reviews, putting both the ThinkShutter privacy guard and the IR camera for facial recognition on the same device. Previously, you had to choose between the two features.
The firm also introduced a monitor and some peripherals. The ThinkVision P44w has slim bezels and a 43.4-inch curved ultra-wide 32:10 display. It's meant to provide the real estate of two 24-inch 16:10 displays. It has two USB-C input ports that can work simultaneously, and it comes with smart desktop management software that allows for multiple monitor configurations, which could solve some of the pain points of Windows 10 on wide-screen monitors.
There's also the ThinkPad Thunderbolt Dock Gen 2, with support for dual UHD displays and can power ThinkPad laptops up to 65W. The Lenovo Pro Stereo USB Headset includes a noise-canceling microphone, and the VOIP 360 Camera speaker allows for 360-degree conference calls with four display options. The Lenovo 700 Ultraportable Bluetooth Speaker is the world's thinnest Bluetooth speaker at 11mm, and there's a new USB-C Hub and a new Lenovo Commuter Backpack.
Both the ThinkPad X1 Yoga and Carbon are coming in June, with the Yoga starting at $1,929.99 and the Carbon starting at $1,709.99. The ThinkVision P44w Monitor is coming in April for $1,299.99.
The Thunderbolt 3 Dock Gen 2 is available now for $319.99, and the Pro Stereo USB Headset is coming in June for $149.99. The Lenovo VOIP 360 Camera speaker is coming in March for $249.99, the 700 Ultraportable Bluetooth Speaker is coming in April for $149.99, and the USB-C Travel Hub is coming this month for $79.99.
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