In all my years of reviewing laptops, this is only the second time a Lenovo ThinkPad has made its way to my desk. (Wild, right?) I reviewed the X1 Fold soon after it was released in March 2024, but five years before that was when I last touched a ThinkPad. What I remember most about it was its thickness and heaviness — nothing like the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition. It’s as light as a feather and thin as a number two pencil. If not for the ThinkPad’s iconic features, I might have mistaken it for a Yoga or IdeaPad.
But as much as I adore this modern ThinkPad, it’s outfitted with a processor that doesn’t have the best multitasking performance available. Its battery life, though good, is bested by many of its competitors. Even with robust security features, the X1 Carbon Gen 13’s $2,000 starting price is probably too steep for most people who want one of the best business laptops.
