Reception of 2018 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon & Yoga

The 2018 models of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon and the ThinkPad Yoga have hit the market and it seems that reviewers have thoroughly enjoyed their experience while testing the machines.

The X1 Carbon is hailed an impressive ultraportable built with business users in mind, much like its predecessors. The Yoga too will impress its users, particularly as the first laptop to feature an HDR display. Here are some of the highlights by online reviewers:

Solid performance

With both flagship models running on Core i7 with 16 GB memory, you can multi-task like no one’s business on either machine. On the X1 Carbon, reviewers streamed music and video with word processors, email and dozens of open Chrome tabs without any glitches.

On the Yoga, even dense spreadsheets will pose no challenge while letting the user maintain exceptional levels of productivity. Tests of 3D image rendering and video encoding showed this year’s model to be twice as fast as the 2017 X1 Carbon and its competitors from Dell and HP (Latitude 7389 and EliteBook x360, respectively). For your day-to-day computing, however, the machine performs on par with the rest.

Impressive display

This year’s model of the X1 fits a 14-inch display into a 13-inch form factor which reviewers loved. The image quality was noted as “crisp” and “sharp.”

As we mentioned previously, the 2018 Yoga is the first laptop to feature a high dynamic range (HDR) display.

As PC Mag explains, HDR increases how vivid the colors are by widening the gap between the “darkest dark and the lightest light.” If the video you are watching supports HDR, the results are pretty incredible. Many of the Dolby Vision HDR films compatible with this Lenovo display can be found on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video or Vudu.

If you prefer to use a stylus with your touchscreen display, you’ll be happy to know that this Yoga model features convenient storage, similar to what you see on the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.

Solid build

Reviewers’ unscientific tests of ruggedness for the X1 Carbon (by pulling and twisting on the machine) proved the design to be sturdy and not likely to be easily damaged.

While the Yoga chassis is slim, it is reinforced with carbon fiber and glass to increase durability while remaining lightweight. The whole machine weights just 2.49 pounds (compare this to the T470 which weighs in at 3.74 pounds). The 2-in-1 convertible also features a 360-degree hinge that lets you choose which way to work – laptop, tablet or easel.

Legendary keyboard

One of the reasons so many business users love the ThinkPad is because of its keyboards. It is one of the standout features of the ThinkPad line. Reviewers time and again have noted how it is comfortable to use and easy to type with accuracy. These machines feature no exception with great keyboards favored among all reviewers. What’s more, the Yoga keyboard automatically retracts when the machine is being used in tablet mode.

Your X1 Carbon and Yoga will of course feature the famous TrackPoint which is a mixed bag – people seem to either love them or hate them with no in between. The Track Pad of the 2018 X1 Carbon also fared favorably with reviewers who enjoyed its large size, its accuracy and responsiveness.

Great battery life

Much like previous models, the battery is exceptional on the 2018 X1 Carbon. One reviewer worked all day and streamed a movie in the evening without having to charge up.

The Yoga’s battery life was not quite as long, but considering its HDR display and processing power, is still formidable. It charges very quickly, going from single digitals to 100% charged in about an hour.

Price tag is high

This goes for both machines. If you prefer to have the latest and greatest, you won’t be disappointed with the performance of either of these machines. As more than one reviewer remarked: if you’re looking for a status symbol – look no further. Depending on your (or your customers’) work needs, you may favor the X1 Carbon over the Yoga or vice versa. The X1 Carbon is your more standard, top-of-the-line business PC. The Yoga has some added flare that make convertible laptops preferable in some lines of work, such as graphic artists.

On the other hand, if you’re on a budget like many businesses, then the 2018 models probably aren’t for you. At least not right now. Previous generations offer much of the same computing power and the end users will still have a quality experience with their machines while also saving (or making) you some money. Opting for discontinued or refurbished models may be the best route for you in this case.

IT Xchange is a Lenovo business partner with an extensive selection of ThinkPad products from the secondary market, providing VARs with greater margins as well as huge savings for end users around the globe.