Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 13, Aura Edition) review: ultralight

Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Carbon is laptop line which needs no introduction – it dates back to 2012. – but even those loyal to the most ultrabooks may do a double take when presented with this, the 13th edition of the laptop and “Aura Edition” determine.

Just unboxing the new laptop made me double check that I got the right computer. You can thank the new Carbon’s insanely light weight for that: At just 2.2 pounds, it’s the lightest ThinkPad X1 Carbon yet—by a significant margin. (Gen 12, launched in early 2024it weighed 2.4 pounds.) It’s the lightest 14-inch laptop I’ve ever tested. Variously made from recycled aluminium, magnesium, carbon fiber and plastic, the machine feels almost like a toy, although at 20 millimeters thick there’s at least something to hold on to when you pick it up.

The effects of his semaglutide diet are not the only part of this story. The latest X1 Carbon has also been upgraded to an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V (Series 2) processor, which now qualifies the laptop as a Copilot+ computer. It’s also, and more prominently, branded as an Aura Edition PC, featuring the addition of “Smart Modes” that allow the user to launch pre-configured settings that optimize eye health, improve privacy, limit distractions and more. These are accessed by tapping the F8 key, which doubles as a mode key.

But the big question is, how did Lenovo reduce the weight of this laptop by nearly 10 percent? Although there is chintzy 512-GB SSD on the device, the rest of the specs are solid, including 32GB of RAM (not upgradeable) and plenty of ports – two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 porttwo USB-A 3.2 ports and a full-size HDMI port. There is also a nano-SIM slot. So far, there are no obvious signs of corners being cut.

Photo: Christopher Null

The design is for the most part top shelf. The renowned ThinkPad keyboard quality remains; I don’t think you’ll find a better typing experience on a laptop today, especially one this small. Lenovo continues to provide an optional compact trackpad with three separate buttons along with the pointer. Individual buttons make things easier; I never realize how much I like having them until I use a laptop that includes them. And while the arrow keys are oddly small and unevenly sized, they’re easier to use than some keyboards that use half-height versions of those keys.

The Carbon doesn’t have a touchscreen, but the 2880 x 1800-pixel display is sharp and very bright, and the webcam (a crappy 1080p model) sits in a small notch on top. It includes a physical on/off switch right next to it – the switch is convenient, but a bit difficult to manipulate. This small notch provides one of the few parts of the chassis – a raised strip on the lid that gives you something to grab onto when opening the laptop with one hand. And as usual, the dot on the “i” in ThinkPad on the lid also glows red.