Lenovo's newest ThinkPad laptop reminds you to sit up straight

Today at IFA in Berlin, Lenovo announced the newest iteration of its tried-and-tested ThinkPad X1 Carbon laptop. Not only does it sport the latest Lunar Lake processor from Intel, but it also boasts a bunch of interesting AI features, including posture alerts and attention timers.

In addition to the Carbon, Lenovo introduced an AutoTwist design that allows you to swivel the laptop display back and forth. It’s still in its proof-of-concept phase, so it won’t be available to purchase anytime soon.

The takeaway here, though, is that Lenovo has some intriguing ideas up its sleeve. Keep reading to learn more about them.

Related: The best laptops for every budget

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition

Lenovo

Lenovo

Lenovo

Much like its predecessors, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 is designed for serious productivity. It boasts a lightweight form factor at just 2.20 pounds, loads of connectivity options (including two Thunderbolt 4 ports), and 18 long hours of battery life on a single charge. On top of that, you can also personalize your experience with AI features. Is that cool? Sure! Is it necessary? Depends.

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition has various “Smart Modes” that are accessible via a simple widget. The Shield mode, for example, has Privacy Guard, which protects the content on your screen by limiting visibility. The Attention mode limits outside distractions and the Wellness mode reminds you to adjust your posture and take time away from the screen to reduce eye fatigue. (As someone who stares at a screen for hours on end, I could use this reminder myself!)

Under its hood, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 comes armed with an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor (aka Lunar Lake), up to 32GB of RAM, and up to 2TB of SSD storage. Given the hardware, I expect performance to be both fast and reliable. The 13-inch 2.8K resolution display has a 120Hz refresh rate, a 16:10 aspect ratio, and 100 percent DCI-P3. (The taller aspect ratio makes multitasking a heck of a lot easier, let me tell you.)

The ThinkPad Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition will be available to purchase in November 2024 with a starting price of $1,999.

Lenovo AutoTwist AI PC (proof of concept)

Lenovo

Lenovo

Lenovo

Lenovo’s AutoTwist AI PC design is an absolute trip. The display (pictured above) automatically swivels back and forth, tracking your movements and keeping you front and center during meetings or presentations. (It sounds kind of nightmarish, to be honest. You can thank AI for that one.)

The AutoTwist has a smart lid that automatically closes when the laptop isn’t being used, and the laptop can also respond to voice commands such as “close laptop,” “laptop mode,” and “tablet mode.” Is it useful? Maybe for the right person. Is it kind of unnerving? Uh, yeah.

The Lenovo AutoTwist AI PC is just a proof of concept right now, so it may not even see the light of day at this point. Still, although it’s a very niche product, I applaud Lenovo for trying something new.

Further reading: What’s an AI PC? Essential terms to know

Author: Ashley Biancuzzo, Associate Editor, PCWorld

Ashley Biancuzzo manages all laptop and Chromebook coverage for PCWorld. She’s been covering consumer tech since 2016, and her work has appeared on USA Today, Reviewed, Polygon, Kotaku, StarWars.com, and Nerdist. In her spare time, she enjoys playing video games, reading science fiction, and hanging out with her rescue greyhound.

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