Dripping with features that professionals will love, but the steep price is hard to justify
The ThinkPad Carbon is this month’s most business-like laptop, offering enterprise-grade features that even Apple’s “Pro”-branded laptop lacks. For one, it’s the only laptop here with an integrated 4G adapter,so you won’t be left scouting for a Wi-Fi hotspot or faffing with smartphone tethering.
Then there’s the fingerprint reader, now tucked to the right of the keyboard rather than on the palm rest as on previous Carbons. Intel’s vPro technology lets IT departments remotely secure a stolen laptop, and unlike Apple’s highly nickable MacBook Pro, the X1 Carbon conies with a security lock slot, so you can bind it to your desk or a sales stand.
With a top-end Coreprocessor and 8GB of RAM to play with, we had high expectations of the X1 Carbon - but in our benchmarks it achieved only the same overall score as the Asus Zenbook. Evidently thermal throttling holds back the processor during sustained periods of peak load - so save yourself £150 and don’t bother with the upgrade from the Core i7-5500U to the i7-5600U.
It was a shame that the ThinkPad’s battery ran dry almost two hours sooner than the MacBook Pro’s in our video-rundown test - but it was no surprise since its battery is 50Wh, compared to the MacBook’s 74.9Wh.
The laptop has a reassuring solidity, yet, despite boasting a bigger screen than both the MacBook Pro and the Asus Zenbook, it’s at least toog lighter than both. The relatively lightweight power brick doesn’t add undue bulk. The rubberised lid of previous Carbons was easily scuffed, so we’re glad to see a full-metal shell on this third-generation model.
There’s little to fault on the inside. The keyboard is well spaced, with plenty of cushioned travel under each of the keys and a lovely big Enter key. Slap bang between the G, H and B keys you’ll find the trademark Lenovo TrackPoint -but those who prefer the touchpad will find it flawless, with a delicate clunk to confirm that a click has been registered. While it’s not as sizeable as the MacBook Pro’s touchpad, there’s not a great deal in it.
It’s also less of an issue, because this high-end variant of the X1 comes with a Quad HD touchscreen. It works perfectly - flicking through the Start screen or a web page is beautifully smooth - but the touchscreen coating visibly mars the display; as with previous Carbons, the screen looks like it’s been sprayed with a fine mist, almost as if you’re looking through a sheet of cling film.
Colour is another issue. Photos don’t look bad in isolation, but they’re slightly duller than on either of the MacBooks. The maximum measured brightness of 304 cd/m2 is dim in comparison to Apple’s displays, and colour accuracy was wayward, with an average Delta E of 2.98. For all those reasons, the X1 Carbon wouldn’t be our choice for photography or video work.
The big issue with the X1 Carbon is its staggering price. Features such as 4G, a fingerprint reader and a three-year on-site warranty are significant add-ons that shouldn’t be discounted, but when the MacBook Pro offers more power, a vastly better screen and longer battery life for around half the price, we can’t endorse spending this much on the ThinkPad. If you’re prepared to sacrifice power, screen resolution and the touchscreen, you can buy the entry-level ThinkPad for £1,200 - but in comparison to our Labs winner, that model looks even less alluring.