Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Compared to Dell, Apple & Microsoft

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is an excellent business notebook. It packs long battery life plus performance into a thin, light, good-looking laptop. If you or a customer are looking for a new laptop model, you are probably looking at this one and its competitors, including the Dell XPS 13 and the Microsoft Surface Book 2. It can be a hassle to compare all of the various features and specs when looking at laptops. We have made buying a business laptop much easier by conducting in-depth comparisons of some of the most popular models. Here is how the ThinkPad X1 Carbon stands up to the competition. 

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Vs. Apple MacBook Pro Vs. Microsoft Surface Book 2 Vs. the Dell XPS 13

Performance 

Both the X1 Carbon, the Dell XPS 13 and the Surface Pro 2 come with the 8th Generation Intel Core™ i7 Processor. This blazing fast processor can efficiently compress videos, calculate large spreadsheets and more. It is always fast and responsive. The Carbon, Dell XPS and the Surface Pro 2 are both more efficient than the MacBook Pro when running all kinds of tasks. Although all three of these laptops have excellent processor speeds, if you are looking for the fastest speeds, stick with the X1 Carbon, Dell XPS 13 or the Surface Pro 2. 

Design 

With its stunning, new look, the ultralight Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is ideal for business use. It is elegantly designed yet durable. Weighing in at just under 2.5 pounds, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon is one of the lightest and thinnest laptops on the market. The MacBook Pro 2 comes in two models: a 13-inch and 15-inch model. At 3 and 4-lbs, both are heavier than the Carbon. The Surface Pro 2 also comes in two sizes — a 13.5 and 15-inch. The 13.5-inch is still slightly more substantial than the Carbon at 2.82 lbs. For these reasons, we’d have to say that the ThinkPad X1 Carbon beats out both competitors when it comes to a thin, lightweight design. 

The Surface Book 2 offers a choice of four different modes —Laptop Mode, Studio Mode, View Mode and Tablet Mode. The Laptop Mode comes in handy when you want a full-sized keyboard and touchscreen while the Studio Mode is perfect for times that you need to draw or sketch plans or other things. This fact gives the Surface Pro 2 an advantage over the ThinkPad X1 Carbon, the Dell XPS 13 and the MacBook Pro. None of these machines are quite as versatile. 

Display 

The X1 Carbon features a full HD panel display that features 100 percent color gamut. This feature results in expanded contrast increased brightness and amazing bright colors. The detail is refined on this super-bright display. While this is an improvement over previous models, the Carbon cannot match the MacBook Pro’s display. Apple is known for their superior displays, and it is no different with the latest MacBook Pro. The MacBook Pro features a bright LED display that has a high contrast ratio and backlighting. It delivers bright whites and deep blacks. The pictures are true-to-life with realistically vivid details. The screen is also more power efficient than the X1 Carbon thanks to a variable refresh rate and large pixel aperture. All of these features make the MacBook Pro superior to the X1 Carbon for color editing and graphic design work. 

How does the Carbon compare to Microsoft’s latest offering when it comes to display? Well, the Surface Book 2 has a higher screen resolution than both the Carbon and the MacBook Pro. The Surface Book 2 is equipped with a PixelSense Display, which also puts it at an advantage over the X1 Carbon. This display is revolutionary and different than others on the market. Called optical glass, PixelSense allows you to interact with the Surface Book 2 in ways that you cannot with the other two laptops, which is what makes it so versatile.  

The Dell XPS 13’s display is very similar to that of the X1 Carbon. However, it does have 4K resolution, which is slightly superior to that of the Carbon. When it comes to display, both the MacBook Pro and the Surface Book 2 are the winners among these laptops. 

Battery Life

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon delivers stable battery life. You can get up to 15 hours on a single charge. It also has a unique feature called Rapid Charge. When you are running low on battery, you can use Rapid Charge to provide up to 80 percent capacity in just under an hour. This can be a lifesaver if you are on a long layover and need that extra charge. The Carbon blows the Dell XPS 13 away when looking at battery life. The Dell gets just as the average battery life of 12 hours or so.  The Surface Book 2 has the advantage over all of the other laptops in the comparison when it comes to battery life, though. According to Microsoft, the Surface Book 2 can deliver as much as 17 hours of battery life. 

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