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ThinkPad X1 Nano successor: With a sub 1 kg weight, the Lenovo X1 Carbon Gen 13 is the X1 Nano replacement

ThinkPad X1 Nano successor: With a sub 1 kg weight, the Lenovo X1 Carbon Gen 13 is the X1 Nano replacement (image source: Benjamin Herzig)
ThinkPad X1 Nano successor: With a sub 1 kg weight, the Lenovo X1 Carbon Gen 13 is the X1 Nano replacement (image source: Benjamin Herzig)
When Lenovo did not announce a ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 4 this year, people wondered what would happen with the most compact and lightweight ThinkPad laptop. With the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 on the market now, it is clear that the slightly larger X1 Carbon takes over the position of the X1 Nano, as it weighs less than 1 kg as well.

The year 2021 was the peak year for the model inflation for Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 premium business laptop line. In total, there were five different ThinkPad X1 models - X1 Nano, X1 Titanium Yoga, X1 Extreme, X1 Yoga and X1 Carbon. At the end of 2024, only two of these models are still around: The X1 Carbon and the X1 Yoga, which is now named X1 2-in-1. The X1 Titanium was an expensive failure that did not really offer much over the X1 Yoga, and the X1 Extreme was replaced by the ThinkPad P1, which still continues to this day.

That leaves the X1 Nano - unlike the Titanium, the X1 Nano was not canned after one generation. Instead, it continued on for three years, with the original model being succeeded by the ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2 in 2022 and ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 3 (available over at Amazon) in 2023. The selling point of the X1 Nano was the small size and sub 1 kg weight.

When 2024 rolled around, people wondered what would happen with the X1 Nano, which was overdue for a design update. What ended up happening: Nothing. The X1 Nano did not receive a fourth generation with Meteor Lake, and by now, it is clear why. The reason is the new Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13, which we recently tested. Effectively, the X1 Carbon has replaced the X1 Nano.

The X1 Carbon offers a bigger 14-inch screen compared to the smaller 13-inch one of the X1 Nano. Naturally, this means that the X1 Carbon (312.8 x 214.75 mm) is larger than the X1 Nano (293.3 x 208.1 mm). However, in terms of weight, the newest X1 Carbon G13 (982 g) is actually more lightweight than the X1 Nano Gen 3 (989 g), while it offers a larger screen, wider keyboard and more spacious touchpad. Not just that, the X1 Carbon also has additional ports like USA-A and HDMI - the X1 Nano was limited to two USB-C ports. 

With the X1 Carbon Gen 13 now more lightweight than the X1 Nano, it is clear that there is no more room for a less capable device. The size-advantage of the X1 Nano remains, but it seems like that is not enough to justify its existence.

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2024 12 > ThinkPad X1 Nano successor: With a sub 1 kg weight, the Lenovo X1 Carbon Gen 13 is the X1 Nano replacement
Benjamin Herzig, 2024-12-19 (Update: 2024-12-21)