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The Lenovo X1 Carbon is an impressively thin and light 3.1-pound machine, considering it has a 14-inch screen. But with dimensions measuring 13.03 x 8.94 x 0.73 inches, or 330 x 227 x 18 mm (W x D x H), it has a tough time of slipping into small bags designed for 13-inch laptops. Meanwhile, going with a larger carrying case designed for a 15-inch notebook will have the laptop jostling about while you carry it on your back or against your hip.
While Lenovo managed to shave down its 14-inch Ultrabook into a small frame, Dell has, by some manner of Time Lord science, fitted a 13-inch screen into 11-inch laptop with the XPS 13. Regarded as one of the lightest Ultrabooks currently in existence, the Dell XPS 13 weighs in at 2.8 pounds (1.27 kg) and measures 11.98 x 7.88 x 0.6 inches (304 x 200 x 15 mm).
The 13-inch MacBook Pro, meanwhile, sits in a happy medium between the two competitors, with a 12.35 x 8.62 x 0.71-inch (313 x 218 x 18 mm) frame. However, thanks to a completely aluminum unibody design, it's also the heaviest rig out of this grouping at 3.48 pounds (1.58kg).
Here is the Lenovo X1 Carbon configuration sent to TechRadar for this review:
Spec Sheet
- CPU: 2.6GHz Intel Core i7- 5600U (dual-core, 4MB Cache, up to 3.2GHz)
- Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 5500
- RAM: 8GB DDR3L (1,600MHz)
- Screen: 14-inch QHD 2,560 x 1,440 IPS Multi-touch with WWAN
- Storage: 512GB SSD PCIe
- Ports: 2 x USB 3.0, mini DisplayPort, HDMI, Ethernet, headphone + microphone combo jack, One Link connector
- Connectivity: Intel 7265 AC Dual Band Wireless + Bluetooth Version 4.0
- Camera: 720p HD camera
- Weight: 3.1 pounds
- Size: 13.03 x 8.94 x 0.73 inches (W x D x H)
For $2,100, you can get a fully loaded configuration of the Lenovo X1 Carbon as you see above. The bumped up price comes with some serious upgrades, including a higher-resolution 2,560 x 1,440 display, top-end processor, the maximum allotment of storage with a 512GB SSD and Windows 8.1 Pro.
Those looking to pick up the a top-end Lenovo X1 Carbon in the United Kingdom and Australia will sadly be stuck looking at SSDs with a maximum storage space of 256GB and a lower-spec 2.4GHz Intel Core i7- 5500U CPU. Meanwhile, the entry-level configuration for this 14-inch Ultrabook comes with a 2.2GHz Intel Core i5-5200U processor, 4GB of RAM and only an 128GB SSD for $1,088 (£1,199, AU$1,799).
Despite the preconceived stigma of the "Apple tax," a similarly specced 13-inch MacBook Pro is actually more affordable than the priciest X1 Carbon. For $1,799 (£1,399, AU$2,499), you could get a 13-inch Retina display (2,560 x 1,600 resolution), with a 2.9 GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 512GB SSD and superior Intel Iris 6100 graphics.
A decked out Dell XPS 13 comes at an even more affordable $1,449, plus a high-resolution, 3,200 x 1,800 screen. That said, the US model is limited to only an Intel Core i5-5200U processor, which also powers the base-model Lenovo X1 Carbon. The Dell XPS 13 is available in the UK with an Intel Core i7-5500U Processor, a 512GB SSD and all the other top-end specs for £1,299. Interested buyers in Australia have the option of going with an AU$2,498 configuration that includes an Intel Core i7-5600U chip, but is again limited to only 256GB in storage.
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