Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Pricing and Availability Revealed

August 8, 2012

For those that have been patiently awaiting the release of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon business Ultrabook, your wait is just about over and some of the suspense alleviated as pricing and availability dates have been named. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon will go on sale August 21st in the U.S. via Lenovo.com and will start at $1,399. Here’s a table that includes the configurations available and pricing for each:

List Price

Price	Processor	Storage
$1,399	Intel Core i5-3317U	128GB SSD SATA 3
$1,499	Intel Core i5-3427U	128GB SSD SATA 3
$1,649	Intel Core i5-3427U	256GB SSD SATA 3
$1,849	Intel Core i7-3667U	256GB SSD SATA 3

Processor Details

3rd Generation Intel Core i7-3667U (2.0 GHz, 4MB L3, 1333MHz FSB) VPRO
3rd Generation Intel Core i5-3427U (1.80 GHz, 3MB L3, 1333MHz FSB) VPRO
3rd Generation Intel Core i5-3317U (1.7 GHz, 3MB L3, 1333MHz FSB)

Memory

4 GB DDR 1333 MHz

Graphics

Intel HD 4000

Screen

14” HD+ Anti-glare (1600×900) (300 nits) Wide Viewing

Ports

(1) Mini DP, (1) Combo Audio, (1) USB 2.0, (1) USB 3.0, (1) 4-in-1 SD card reader,
Ethernet via USB dongle

Weight & Dimensions

Starting at 2.998 lbs (13.03” x 8.9” x 0.74”)

Battery

45 Watt-hour, Up to 6.3 hours, sealed battery with RapidCharge

Wireless

Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205S

WWAN

3G WWAN (Ericsson H5321gw) – (not available in i5-3317U)

Camera

Yes, 720P HD

Genuine Windows® 7 Professional 64

Warranty

Three (3) Years

The base price of $1,399 is before any promotion discounts so it’s possible that the MSRP isn’t what you’ll actually have to pay. For the sake of comparison we’ll mention that the Apple MacBook Air 13” starts at $1,199 with a 128GB SSD, so it’s slightly cheaper starting out with a Core i5 processor and 4GB of RAM. However, with that said, there are of course some advantages the ThinkPad X1 has over the 13” MacBook Air. For starters, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon has a higher resolution 1600 x 900 screen with a matte finish, the matte finish is anti-glare and better for the eyes when staring at the screen for long hours. The MacBook Air is made of aluminum while the X1 Carbon is made of a carbon fiber shell, so both are durable but the carbon fiber shell of the ThinkPad X1 should be more resistant to dents, dings and scratches. The starting weight of the Carbon X1 is 2.99lbs while the 13” MacBook Air is 2.96lbs, but consider the fact the X1 has a 14” screen and the engineering feat appears to be on the side of Lenovo here. And of course, as any good ThinkPad should, the X1 Carbon offers a pointing stick. What the X1 doesn’t offer that other ThinkPads do is a docking station solution or the ability to remove and replace the battery, the bottom is sealed.

Other features worth mentioning in the ThinkPad Carbon X1 include a backlit keyboard with the usability you’d expect from anything emblazoned with a ThinkPad logo. There’s a rapid charge feature that allows you to charge to 80% battery in 30 minutes, that’s 5 hours of charge. There’s an option for built-in 3G WWAN, though that’s not available in the base model with Core i5-3317U. Finally Lenovo is promising improved audio thanks to the Dolby Home Theater V4 the X1 is equipped with.

Where to Buy: Lenovo.com starting August 21st!