Lenovo announces ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch for Windows 8

Lenovo today announced the new ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch, a notebook optimised for Windows 8 that now adds the touch experience to the ThinkPad Carbon X1 Ultrabook. Lenovo claims that the X1 Carbon and X1 Carbon Touch are developed from superior grade carbon fibre and deliver durability that the ThinkPad series is known for. The brand also claims that it features the highest levels of performance. The new X1 Carbon Touch is designed for mobile professionals who demand the best in mobility and entertainment and want to experience the touch gesture control.
 
“Bringing touch gesture control to our best ThinkPad ever is a natural evolution of the portfolio and a big step towards fulfilling our promise to bring computers into a new PC+ era,” said Peter Hortensius, President, Lenovo Product Group. “We are excited to be able to offer customers the best experience in a thin and light business class Ultrabook. The X1 Carbon Touch is the Ultrabook to beat.”

The new ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch

Weighing in at 3.4 pounds, the 20.8mm thin ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch is constructed with carbon fibre material that provides strength and durability beyond traditional notebook materials. Lenovo claims that a user can interact naturally with smooth 10-finger touch on the 14-inch HD+ display and further optimise the Windows 8 experience using the large multi-gesture glass touchpad.
 
Lenovo states that even with its thin and light design, the X1 Carbon Touch packs a punch as it comes equipped with either Intel Core i5 or i7 processors and Dolby Home Theater v4. Certified as the first Ultrabook optimised for Microsoft Lync, it features an HD face tracking camera and dual array microphones with video and voice track capability without the need to use USB peripherals.
 
A new optional slim 65W AC adapter is now offered for the new X1 Carbon Touch. At just 17mm thin, and weighing 53 percent less (235g) than the standard AC adapter, it fits neatly into a user’s bag, thereby giving users maximum portability as they travel with the 14-inch Ultrabook.
 
For the business user, the X1 Carbon Touch features security and manageability capabilities including vPro, Integrated Fingerprint Reader, Trusted Platform Module and BIOS encryption. Lenovo’s RapidCharge technology provides the industry’s fastest charge times while the 8 hours of battery life and optional 3G connectivity ensures productivity anywhere.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch is priced at $1,499, which roughly translates to Rs 81,414. As of now, the official pricing and availability of this Lenovo Ultrabook is not yet available in India. But at soon as more information regarding the same is available, we will inform you about it.

Here's a look at the specifications and features of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Ultrabook:
Portability:

• 14-inch Ultrabook, weighing less than 1.36kg
• Measures 8mm at the thinnest point
• Up to 6.3 hours of battery life
• RapidCharge delivers 80 percent charge (5 hours of battery) in 30 minutes
• EE 3 with RapidDrive (up to 256GB SSD) boots 40 percent faster than non-optimised Windows 7 PCs
• RapidConnect allows users to go from zero to connected by maintaining wireless connections even when the laptop is closed

Ergonomics:

• Carbon fibre-reinforced material provides a durable construction
• 6-row precision ThinkPad keyboard with backlit option offers improved ergonomics and 30 percent larger surface area of keys
• Multi-gesture glass touchpad is 37 percent larger than previous-generation ThinkPad X1

Security:

• Business class protection with available Accidental Damage Protection, international warranty service and optional battery warranty upgrades
• Enterprise level Lenovo Transition Services automate time-consuming deployment tasks
• Carbon fibre roll cage provides strength, stiffness and protection from accidents

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon is available in India from Rs 85,000 onwards.

Read our review of the non touchscreen X1 Carbon Ultrabook here.