The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is the dictionary definition of a hard act to follow. Both the 2022 Gen 10 and 2023 Gen 11 models earned not only PCMag Editors’ Choice awards but even rarer five-star reviews and our pick as the world’s best laptop (at least for users who don’t need a mobile workstation or gaming rig) each time. Now, the turn of the calendar has brought another upgraded ultraportable, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 ($2,703.20 as tested). It is, again, the best work laptop on the market, making it still an Editors’ Choice honoree for which we’d gladly pay $200 or $300 more than a comparably equipped competitor. At more than a thousand dollars extra, however, we’re subtracting half a star and reminding you that we named the HP Dragonfly G4 a very able alternative.
Indeed, business laptops like ThinkPads are usually bought at volume discounts rather than singularly. It’s also true that pricing on Lenovo.com fluctuates—the X1 Carbon Gen 12’s starting price was $2,989 when it debuted in January, fell to $2,043 during this review, but again rose to $2,335.20 at press time.
The base unit combines Intel’s new Core Ultra 7 155H processor, 16GB of memory, a 512GB NVMe solid-state drive, Windows 11 Home, and a 2,880-by-1,800-pixel OLED non-touch screen. Our review unit (model 21KC0005US) doubles the RAM to 32GB and storage to 1TB for $2,703.20.
Uncharacteristically for Lenovo, at this writing the Gen 12 is available in no other configurations with different CPUs or screens—though a SIM slot promises a mobile broadband option by spring—and it hasn’t reached resellers like Best Buy, Newegg, or CDW. That brings you face to face, or punches you in the face, with the fact that the identically equipped (plus Windows 11 Pro and a touch screen) Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UX3405 we just reviewed costs $1,403 less—and, as you’ll see below, has longer battery life. If you’d like to skip to the end of this review, it repeats our recommendation of the superb X1 Carbon Gen 11.
Like past models, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 is a 14-inch business slimline crafted from magnesium, aluminum, and carbon fiber. The matte black finish is now accented by a rounded „communications bar” or notch for the webcam and mics above the 16:10 aspect ratio display. (It makes the laptop easier to open with one hand.) The system has passed MIL-STD 810H tests for travel hazards like shock, vibration, and extreme temperatures; you’ll feel only slight flex if you grasp the screen corners or press the keyboard deck.
At 0.59 by 12.3 by 8.5 inches, the Lenovo basically matches the Zenbook UX3405 but is lighter (2.47 pounds versus 2.82 pounds), while it undercuts the 13.6-inch Apple MacBook Air (2.7 pounds). The keyboard follows the latest ThinkPad Z models in correctly placing the Ctrl key to the left instead of the right of the Fn key at the lower left, as well as moving the fingerprint reader from the power button to the bottom row. But, happily, it keeps the TrackPoint cursor controller’s three mouse buttons below the space bar instead of replacing them with a haptic strip atop the touchpad as in the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and Lenovo ThinkPad Z16.