Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-In-1 Gen 9 Review: Light In Weight And Performance

Not all business laptops are created equal. Some are more versatile than others, while some systems are more durable and security focused. And then there’s your workhorses packed to the gills with high-powered specs. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 9 checks off a nice assortment of these boxes. It’s a convertible laptop that comes packing an Intel Core Ultra 7 U series processor with Intel integrated graphics. It also has one of Lenovo’s best-in-class keyboards and a strong pair of speakers hiding out somewhere on the laptop.

However, there are flaws here that can’t be overlooked. With a U series chip, the notebook doesn’t have the same processing power as an H series chip. The battery life could also be better, but if you’re looking for a super lightweight system that’s ideal for on-the-go professionals, the ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 9 is a solid choice.

About this review: Lenovo loaned us a ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 9 for the purposes of this review. The company had no input in this article, and did not see its contents before publishing.

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Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 9

Lightweight convertible needs more power

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 9 comes with a new design that fits a better webcam and a new optional glass touchpad, but it gets rid of the built-in pen storage. It also comes with new Intel Core Ultra processors and an upgraded 120Hz OLED display in some configurations.

Pros

• Super lightweight convertible chassis
• Powerful speakers
• Ultra comfortable typing experience

Cons

• Lacks performance power
• Battery life could be better

Pricing and availability

Lenovo gave me the $2,163 version of the ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 9 to take for a spin. It’s decked out with a 1.7-GHz Intel Core Ultra 7 155U processor with 16GB of LPDDR5X-6400MHz soldered RAM, a 1TB M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4 Performance TLC Opal SSD, Intel Graphics, and a 14-inch, 1920 x 1200, 60Hz Anti-Glare touch screen. You can double the memory and storage, as well as step up to an Intel Core Ultra 7 165U vPro processor for $2,888. But if you don’t need all the bells and whistles, you could conversely scale it back to an Intel Core Ultra 5 125U CPU, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and an anti-reflective touch panel for $1,806.

Design and ports

One of the thinnest, lightest business convertibles on the market

Outside of its Luna Grey recycled aluminum frame, the X1 2-in-1 looks like any other ThinkPad laptop. There’s a big ThinkPad X1 in the top-right corner, complete with a glowing red dot, while a shiny silver Lenovo plate sits on the bottom left. Along the top lip there’s a brushed aluminum housing for the webcam and its accompanying sensors. Flip the laptop over, and it’s a pretty straightforward affair with four screws, two air vents, and three raised rubber feet – two short ones in the front and a long foot in the back.

Open up the X1 2-in-1 and there’s your standard ThinkPad keyboard with the iconic red nub and three-buttoned touchpad. The palm rest is just large enough to support your wrists and is cool to the touch. Connecting the display to the body of the laptop are two chunky 360-degree hinges that allow the laptop to transform from its traditional clamshell form into a tablet. Or you can lay it flat or fold into tent mode to interact with the screen in tight spaces.

With such a slim form factor, there isn’t much room for ports. But Lenovo still managed room for a pair of USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI 2.1 port, a headset jack, and a Kensington nano secure lock.

At 2.97 pounds, the 12.3 x 8.6 x 0.61-inch X1 2-in-1 is one of the lightest convertible laptops on the market. Only the Acer Swift Go 14 is lighter and thinner at 2.91 pounds and 12.3 x 8.6 x 0.59 inches, but only slightly on both counts. The LG Gram Pro 2-in-1 (3.08 pounds, 14.1 x 10 x 0.49 ~ 0.51 inches) and HP Spectre x360 14 (3.19 pounds, 12.4 x 8.7 x 0.67 inches) sit in the middle of the pack while the Lenovo Yoga 7 (2024, 14-inch) (12.51 x 8.75 x 0.66 inches) tipped the scales at 3.55 pounds.

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Display, audio, and webcam

Can you find the speakers?

With its anti-glare finish, I didn’t worry about the sun too much as I worked outside in my yard. I didn’t lose any color on the 14-inch, 1920 x 1200 panel, which made for easy reading and viewing. Best of all, the color looks great despite the matte display. However, although the panel produced 100% of the sRGB gamut, it wasn’t quite as accurate with the other gamuts. It got 77% on the Adobe sRGB and DCI-P3 tests and 71% on the NTSC gamut. The screen averaged 362.6 nits on the brightness test, which isn’t too far off of the 400 nits Lenovo claims.

Toasty warm skin tones and rich jewel tones abound in the trailer for “The Supremes at Earl’s All You Can Eat.” Actors Saana Lathan, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, and Uzo Aduba’s skin looked absolutely radiant in a close-up shot. Meanwhile, their wardrobe was a sumptuous cacophony of teals, burgundies, greens, roses, and golds. And speaking of gold, I could see the delicate golden chain around Lathan’s neck which made a nice juxtaposition to the chunky brooch worn by Aduba.

Finally, someone bundles a pen with their convertible. Seriously, I get tired of wiping the screen down after using my fingers. The $48 Slim Pen has a nice weight at 0.4 ounces and feels good when using it to write. The peripheral offers 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity, ensuring the pen will reproduce even the lightest or heaviest strokes. The pen is magnetic and can rest either along the right side of the display or the keyboard deck. Lenovo estimates a battery life of the pen at 220 hours of continuous usage. When it’s time to recharge, just pop the bottom off and plug it into a USB-C charging cable.

Even though the computer has a 1080p webcam, the detail is lacking, as is the color. My yellow dress looked washed out as did my sapphire blue purse. Also, despite how close my puppy Natasha was in the shot, you really can’t see the detail in her fur.

I have to tell you about what mystified me the most. I flipped and turned this laptop every which way but loose, trying to ascertain where exactly the audio was coming from. It was deep, rich, and balanced. It was also loud enough to fill my medium-sized living room. But where in the world was the audio coming from? Finally, after I gave up the search and focused on the distorted ethereal instrumentals of Giveon’s “Like I Want You,” his plaintive tenor bursting with the pain of unrequited love, I realized that it’s coming from the keyboard, or rather underneath the keyboard. Lenovo placed a pair of speakers made of recycled plastic beneath the keyboard.

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Keyboard and touchpad

A world-class typing experience with a little nub

Smile-shaped keys mean a stellar typing experience, especially when it’s on a ThinkPad. Yes, Lenovo’s keyboards are good on Yoga and IdeaPads, but they’re best on a ThinkPad. With a 1.5-millimeter key travel, typing on the spill-resistant keyboard is like bouncing on a semi-firm mattress with just the right amount of give. I hit 80 words per minute on the 10fastfingers typing test, which is way above my usual 70 wpm. Something to note, instead of the Microsoft Copilot button in the bottom row (which is quickly becoming ubiquitous) there’s the fingerprint reader. My only gripe about the keyboard is the backlighting. It’s not bright enough to shine through the matte lettering.

It wouldn’t be a ThinkPad without the red nubby TrackPoint sitting in the center of the keyboard in case you want to bypass the touchpad. A series of raised bumps ensures a firm grip on your fingertip. In practice, using the TrackPoint feels like an extension of your finger. The cursor is agile and responsive.

The glass TrackPoint is silky smooth and just as responsive when performing multigestures or navigating web pages or documents. And although the bottom corners of the touchpad can be used as mouse buttons and depress with a nice click, you have a trio of buttons at the top of the TrackPoint that work just as well if not better.

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Performance

Intel U series falls short

The ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 comes outfitted with Intel Core Ultra 7 155U CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. Intel’s U series chips are made with portability and battery in mind, so you’re not going to get the performance you’d expect from the H series which is tuned for performance. If nothing else, the ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 is a capable workhorse, built to handle light to mid-level productivity tasks and some light content creation. I quickly unleashed my usual workload, which is about 65 open Google Chrome tabs with a mix of G-Suites, social media, entertainment and news sites, along with a couple of YouTube videos. The Lenovo chugged through it all smoothly.

But while it handled my workload without incident, the laptop’s Intel Core U series processor didn’t fare as well against the competition. In some tests, like the PCMark 10 and Crossmark performance tests, the gap wasn’t so big, and it seemed possible to steal a win from one of the H-series laden laptops. But Geek bench 6 multi-thread shattered that notion, as did Cinebench 2024.

With only its integrated Intel Graphics, the ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 isn’t really built for gaming unless we’re talking about older titles or less GPU-intensive indie games. The graphics testing results were similar to the overall performance benchmarks, with the Lenovo failing to match any of the competition.

But the biggest disappointment came with the battery life. Since the notebook has a U series processor, I expected at least 10 – 12 hours of power. However, the X1 2-in-1 punched out after only 8 minutes and 52 seconds of normal use.

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Should you buy the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 9?

You should buy the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 9 if:

• You want an ultralight, convertible laptop
• You want a laptop with an extremely comfortable typing experience
• You want a laptop with powerful speakers

You shouldn’t buy the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 9 if:

• You want a laptop with stronger performance
• You want a laptop with longer battery life

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 9 is made for mobile professionals. It’s extremely light and versatile, as well as durable, making it a great choice for hybrid work. The display is pretty vivid despite its matte finish, and the pen adds even more utility to the mix. And of course, there’s Lenovo’s world-class keyboard that makes typing a joy. The big surprise here is the speaker performance, which comes from beneath the keyboard. These are some of the best speakers I’ve heard on a laptop.

However, for a laptop that costs over $2,000, I think most people would prefer something that has a bit more performance and better battery life. In this instance, the HP Spectre x360 14 (2024) is a better choice as it’s cheaper, has a lovely OLED touch screen, and better performance. The only place you’re losing is the battery life, as we only got between six and seven hours on it. But if you’re looking for a durable, lightweight, convertible laptop that’s suited for working on the go, then the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 9 is a fine choice.

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Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 9

Lightweight convertible needs more power