The X1 Carbon Gen 9 has arrived: Lenovo ThinkPad flagship with new design is in review

We have tested eight generations of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon so far, from the very first model in 2012 to the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 of 2020 (available from Amazon). Now, the newest version, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9, has found its way into our hands.

We are testing a configuration with the following specifications:

• Intel Core i7-1165G7
• 32 GB LPDDR4X-4266 RAM
• 1 TB NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD
• 4K-UHD+ (3,840 x 2,400) LCD

In the direct comparison with the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7 (which was practically identical to the X1 Carbon Gen 8), the new design is immediately recognizable. The new model of course retains the black color scheme, but there are many other new design cues. Among them is the new X1 logo on the palmrest, the bar-hinge design and especially the new 16:10 aspect ration - the screen bezels especially below the LCD panel are much smaller on the new model.

Of course, these are only the outward changes. Lenovo has also messed around with the inside and introduced many changes, like the reworked cooling system with two fan (which exhaust to the back) and a bigger battery. The input devices, which are considered holy by ThinkPad fans, are also changed in a few ways. The key travel of the keyboard is still 1.5 mm, but the typing feel is slightly different.

It seems there is a lot to test - our comprehensive review will probably be finished around the weekend to early next week.