As we alluded to previously, hardly anything has changed from last year’s ThinkPad X1 Tablet. The tablet retains the same construction materials—magnesium and PCGF hybrid (a strengthened plastic frequently used in ThinkPad construction)—and it still feels equally rigid. In other words, it’s relatively sturdy, though notably more malleable than the unibody Microsoft Surface Pro 4 or, say, recent iPads. This is partially a consequence of Lenovo’s insistence on serviceability as a cornerstone of business machine design philosophy, a decision with which we admittedly wholly agree (we’ll get deeper into that subject in our Maintenance section later on, however). The tablet should also resist display scratches (and hopefully cracks) thanks to the incorporation of Gorilla Glass 4.

Size and weight also remains predictably consistent: just 1.08 kg with a small footprint of 293 x 210 x 9 mm (obviously, larger while opened with the kickstand extended). Speaking of which, as we discussed in last year’s review, the X1’s kickstand opens somewhat backwards in comparison to a Surface Pro, which allows for more comfortable lap-based usage. A small switch on the rear of the device releases the kickstand from its holding position. One major drawback to the two-piece detachable design of the Surface-style convertibles is that they are very difficult to lift and carry one-handed—so that’s something the user will need to get used to.

The X1 Tablet is available in three colors: Black (in review), Red, and Silver.

Port selection has also not changed. Unfortunately, that means a conspicuous absence of Thunderbolt connectivity, which is quickly becoming a future must for business devices (especially those lacking a dedicated docking port). At least a mini-DisplayPort is on board, which makes connection to external video possible apart from the USB ports. On that subject, there are just two total USB ports, one of which is a conventional Type-A (USB 3.0) and the other Type-C (USB 3.1)—which also doubles as the charging port. The conclusion: connectivity is still a prevailing issue for the ThinkPad X1 Tablet, and without the addition of ThunderBolt or at least another USB Type-C port the user will almost certainly feel the need to pack a USB hub.

As far as tablets are concerned, the ThinkPad X1 features acceptable MicroSD transfer speeds. They’re average in the grand scheme of things, but with read/write measurements of 93.77 MB/s and 72.62 MB/s, it’s sufficient enough. The location of the card reader slot beneath the kickstand is either inconvenient or fortunate, depending on your perspective—although it only supports up to 64 GB in capacity, it’s most useful for backup (just plug in a card, set it up, and leave it there).

Although we didn’t receive one for review, the separately-sold Productivity Module also provides an additional USB 3.0 Type-A port, an HDMI port (full-sized), a Lenovo OneLink+ docking port, and a secondary 2-cell battery (which, as we’ll see later, would probably come in handy).

The Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265 replaces the 8260 in the older ThinkPad X1 tablet, but performance is basically identical. This adapter supports up to 867 Mbps connectivity speeds via a 2x2 antenna configuration, and reception and performance were very good overall. It also features integrated Bluetooth 4.2.

Lenovo ThinkPad products are now featuring Microsoft Signature operating system configuration, which translates to zero bloatware—whether it’s preinstalled security, trialware, or any of the other vapid software packages which never cease to annoy and very rarely provide any real value. Partially as a result of this, once the initial build upgrades and background configurations complete, the ThinkPad X1 zips between tasks with grace and fluidity, unencumbered by third-party baggage.

In terms of security, the Synaptics touch fingerprint reader remains beneath the screen, and it works quickly and reliably. There is also a discrete TPM package, and Intel vPro functionality to tie it all together.

The ThinkPad Pen Pro ($34 separately as of this writing) is included with the X1 Tablet, along with a single AAAA battery (which powers it). Many other competitors do not include the pen—or the Type Cover—with their convertibles, so the fact that the X1 packs both of these into the deal by default is appreciated. The pen features 2,048 levels of pressure sensitivity along with right- and left-click buttons (which are unfortunately flush with the device’s shaft—our only major complaint about the pen design). A separate pen holder is also included (this is in addition to the pen loop on the Type Cover), which allows the pen to be stored when the tablet is separate from the Cover; it inserts into the USB port and can store the pen either upright or parallel to the device’s edge.

As previously mentioned, there are also two other accessories sold separately from the X1 Tablet. The first is the Productivity Module ($149), which adds a few ports and a secondary battery (as described above in the Connectivity section). The second is the Presenter module ($299), which allows for projection of an image (it works like a secondary display within Windows) onto a wall up to five feet. The projection resolution of 854 x 480 should be sufficient for most needs. We did not review either of these two modules, however, so we cannot comment on their real-world functionality.

Maintenance was once again a primary focus of the ThinkPad X1 Tablet’s design, and although we regret that more improvements were not made elsewhere, we still very much appreciate the foresight with which Lenovo designed the machine in this regard. Disassembly and maintenance/upgrades are not possible on the Microsoft Surface Pro, for instance, which must instead be shipped into Microsoft for service should a problem arise—hardly a convenient proposition for a business.

By contrast, the X1 Tablet is relatively easy to disassemble. There are three screws beneath the kickstand (one hidden by a plastic tab), followed by a switch on the bottom of the tablet which removes the bottom cover. Underneath that are two additional screws, after which the user can pry around the edges of the device (carefully!) to separate the back from the display. Once inside, the M.2 NVMe SSD can be easily replaced, as well as the battery, WLAN adapter, and CMOS battery. Since the tablet is passively-cooled, there are no fans to clean or replace (and, in fact, no mechanical parts at all). This should hypothetically result in a more reliable device overall, and certainly one which ought to be easier to maintain than, say, an actively-cooled Surface Pro 4 (there is a passively-cooled Core m3 model of the SP4, but even it still provides no access to the internal components in the event of an upgrade/parts replacement situation).

The ThinkPad X1 Tablet comes with a 1-year standard depot warranty. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

The ThinkPad X1 Tablet is available in a number of configurations with CPUs ranging from Core m3 up to Core i7 models (all Y-series 4.5 W TDP models), RAM amounts up to 16 GB LPDDR3, and M.2 solid-state drives spanning 128 GB to 1 TB in capacity. Our particular review unit features a Core i5 CPU with 8 GB of LPDDR3 RAM and a 256 GB NVMe SSD, which places it near the middle of the pack. Bear in mind that, unlike the SSD, the RAM cannot be upgraded later, so be sure to choose a configuration sufficient to meet your needs.

LatencyMon reports no issues with streaming real-time audio or video.

The X1 Tablet’s GPU performance is essentially on par with that of its m7-equipped 2016 predecessor. Scores of 44515 in 3DMark Ice Storm and 1274 in 3DMark 11 aren’t going to win any awards, but it’s more than sufficient for lightweight business use—and honestly still fairly impressive given the absence of active cooling.

The X1 Tablet is passively-cooled, and as such, is completely silent. Moreover, we could detect no intrusive coil whine or electrical noise from the device during operation.

The X1’s speakers unfortunately remain as lifeless and devoid of low-frequency response as those from last year; the Surface Pro 4 and competing models from Dell and especially HP (the EliteBook x360 1030 G2) manage much better results here. Volume is at least acceptable at 74.02 dB; it’s able to fill a small to medium-sized room without too much trouble.

Thanks to the enhanced efficiency of the Kaby Lake chipset, the ThinkPad X1 Tablet is the most frugal device in today’s lineup, besting last year’s X1 by around 4% total (a whopping 18% under max load) and, of course, posting load values which are lower by double- and triple-digit percentage margins than its 15 W TDP-equipped rivals. Idle advantages, meanwhile, are much harder to quantify, with most devices—such as last year’s X1, the HP EliteBook, and even the Dell Latitude 12—posting similar or even better results than the 4.5 W TDP Kaby Lake X1.