Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 It’s carbon laptop line which needs no introduction-it started in 2012-but even those loyal to the most ultrabooks can do a double-take when it presents, the 13th edition of the laptop and a “Aura Edition” will be pointed out.

Just unboxing the new laptop, I double checked that I received the right computer. You can thank the new Carbon’s insanely low heft for that: At just 2.2 pounds, it’s the lightest ThinkPad X1 Carbon ever—by a considerable margin. (Gen 12, launched in early 2024weighs 2.4 pounds.) It’s the lightest 14-inch laptop I’ve ever tested. Differently made from recycled aluminum, magnesium, carbon fiber, and plastic, the machine looks like a toy, despite being 20 millimeters thick, it has at least something to hold on to when you pick it up.

Its effects semaglutide diet not the only part of this story. The latest X1 Carbon has also been upgraded to an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V (Series 2) CPU, which now the laptop qualifies as a Copilot+ PC. It is also, and more prominently, marked as an Aura Edition PC, which is distinguished by the addition of “Smart Modes” that allow the user to launch preconfigured settings that optimize eye health, improve privacy, limit the interruptions, etc. It can be accessed by tapping the F8 key, which doubles as a Mode button.

But the big question is, how did Lenovo cut almost 10 percent off the weight of this laptop? Although there is a chintzy 512-GB SSD of the device, other specs are solid, including 32 GB of RAM (non-upgradable) and multiple ports—two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 portstwo USB-A 3.2 ports, and a full-size HDMI port. There is a nano-SIM slot as well. There are no obvious signs of corners being cut so far.

Photo: Christopher Null

The design is top-shelf, for the most part. The famous ThinkPad keyboard quality remains effective; I don’t think you’ll find a better typing experience on a laptop today, especially a small one. Lenovo continues to provide a compact trackpad with three separate buttons along with the pointing stick nubbin as an option. Separate buttons make things easier; I never realized how much I liked having them until I used a laptop that included them. And while the arrow keys are small and unevenly sized, they’re easier to use than some keyboards that use half-height versions of these buttons.

The Carbon doesn’t have a touchscreen, but the 2,880 x 1,800-pixel display is sharp and bright, and the webcam (a crummy 1,080p model) is housed in a small notch at the top. It includes a physical on/off switch next to it—the switch is easy but difficult to manipulate. That little notch provides one of the few bits of flair in the chassis—a raised lid strip that gives you something to hold on to when opening the laptop alone. And, as usual, the ThinkPad’s “i” dot on the lid also lights up red.