Thirteen is known to be bad lack. Superstition is not a virtue in the tech business though. For Lenovo, the 13th generation of the premium laptop is seemingly bound to be just as successful as the twelve predecessors. At IFA, the biggest PC manufacturer introduced the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition. The new model exclusively uses OLED screens, an extremely lightweight chassis made out of Carbon fiber plastics and Magnesium as well as the newest Intel Core Ultra Series 2 CPUs, also known as Lunar Lake.

X1 Carbon now almost as lightweight as the X1 Nano

The design of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition is quickly summarized: It is the same exact one Lenovo already used on the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12. Lenovo does make a few small adjustments though. For example, the right side Ctrl key makes way for the Copilot key - the X1 Carbon G12 did not have that key, as it came out at the tail end of 2023, before Microsoft pushed OEMs to include this feature.

Another change comes to the weight of the device. Lenovo makes various little changes to the chassis to lower the weight, including exchanging the aluminum base plate for magnesium. The already lightweight X1 Carbon becomes even lighter. With just 980 g (base weight), the new X1 Carbon Gen 13 is almost as lightweight as the discontinued ThinkPad X1 Nano. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Aura Edition is the lightest 14 inch ThinkPad of all time.

Intel Lunar Lake combined with OLED, 32 GB max

As the first ThinkPad, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Editionthe Lunar Lake platfrom, Core Ultra Series 2. The new, much more energy efficient CPUs from Intel are ideal for an ultrathin and lightweight model like the X1 Carbon. The new platform does have a caveat though: While the predecessor could contain up to 64 GB of RAM, Lunar Lake limits the new model to 32 GB due to the on chip memory.

One the flip side, the battery life of the new X1 Carbon is supposed to much better than before. Lenovo promises 18 hours - not that much for Core Ultra 200V, but that may be due to the screen of the ThinkPad. For the first time, Lenovo exclusivly puts OLED screens into its thin and light flagship. We do expect IPS options to appear in due time once 2025 rolls around.

Aura Edition: New usage modes

As always with the X1, Intel has helped with development. One of the results are the Smart modes that Lenovo implements with the X1 Carbon. One of the benefits: The device is supposed to help you concentrate more on your work. Also, the X1 Carbon G13 Aura Edition has a more exclusive service package from Lenovo.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition: Pricing and availability

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition will be available in Europe in November, starting at €2,700.