Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Carbon Ultrabook gets official: on sale August 21st for $1,399 and up
Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Carbon has been a known entity since May, when the company gave us a look at the 14-inch, Ivy Bridge-packing Ultrabook. Up until now, though, the successor to the ThinkPad X1 remained somewhat shrouded in mystery, with no pricing or specific availability information to its name. But no more -- Lenovo's just raised the official curtain on the Carbon, announcing a pricing scheme of $1,399 and up and targeting an on-sale date of August 21st at Lenovo.com. The entry-level model will run a 1.7GHz Core i5-3317U CPU with 4GB, and it includes a 128GB SSD and Intel's HD integrated graphics. Like on the ThinkPad X1, 3G connectivity will be an optional feature. Head past the break for more info on the business-centric Ultrabook.%Gallery-161909%
A $1,499 configuration has 1.8GHz Core i5 CPU and a 128GB SSD, while the $1,649 model includes the same processor but 256GB of solid-state storage. The top-of-the-line configuration offers a 2GHz Core i7 chipset for $1,849.
In addition to getting Ivy Bridge processors, the laptop steps up from the ThinkPad X1 with a higher-res 1,600 x 900 display (versus 1,366 x 768), and though its panel is an inch larger, the Carbon still weighs 0.7 pounds less and is 0.13 inches thinner than the original X1 (3 pounds and 0.71 inches versus 3.7 pounds and 0.84 inches). And if the name isn't a giveaway, Lenovo crafted this Ultrabook with a carbon fiber shell.
The company is marketing the ThinkPad X1 Carbon as the lightest business Ultrabook, and it included Intel's vPro management technology and BIOS locker to give the machine some corporate cred. Lenovo also stocked the Carbon with its RapidCharge utility, which can juice up the laptop's 45Wh battery to 80-percent capacity in 30 minutes. Speaking of the battery, Lenovo rates the system for up to 6.3 hours of runtime.
