It’s not clear whether Lenovo actually meant to reveal its next-generation ThinkPad X1 Carbon ahead of CES. But they did.

So let’s take a look.

At first glance, the new X1 seems a lot like it predecessors. But there are some important differences.

First, this new X1 Carbon can be had in two colors: the traditional black that has graced most ThinkPads, and all X1s, and a new “modern” silver color. Frankly, I think black is the way to go, but this is an interesting development.

Second, Lenovo is advertising that the X1 Carbon comes with something called Microsoft Windows 10 Pro Signature Edition. What they really mean is that this is a Signature PC, meaning no more crapware. (Not that ThinkPads were ever drowning in crapware, but this is a very positive development.)

Next up is the new USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 connectivity, which Lenovo is now using for docking as well. That means no more OneLink+, and better bandwidth across the board. But not only does the X1 have two of these ports, it somehow fits two full-sized USB 3.0 ports in there too.

The rated battery life is truly impressive at 15.5 hours. Obviously, the real world results will likely be less than that, but it also features rapid charging capabilities, another big plus: According to Lenovo, you can achieve 80 percent battery life in just 60 minutes.

It includes built-in LTE-A cellular data capabilities, thanks to a new Qualcomm Snapdragon X7 cellular modem.

And best of all, it’s incredibly light at just 2.5 pounds. This is for a 14-inch Ultrabook with WQHD IPS (2560 x 1440) and Full HD (1920 x 1080) choices. That’s really impressive. (Like other PC makers, Lenovo is putting bigger displays in smaller chassis, so this is like a 13-inch Ultrabook body with a 14-inch screen.)

Beyond that, the specs are what you should expect: 7th generation Intel Core processors, up to a Core vPro i7-7600U, up to 16 GB of RAM, 128 GB SSD up to 1 TB SSD with PCIe TLC OPAL2, Windows Hello touch fingerprint reader and web cam, dual-band Wi-Fi, tri-band WiGig, Bluetooth 4.2, and optional NFC.

I cannot wait to test this one.

Tagged with ThinkPad, ThinkPad X1 Carrbon