Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon release date, specs news: Updated version of premium laptop to arrive in January 2017?

Georgia Gana Wednesday, December 14, 2016

A promotional image for the current ThinkPad X1 Carbon. Lenovo is said to be releasing an updated version of the premium notebook early next year. | Lenovo

Lenovo will reportedly release an updated version of its ThinkPad X1 Carbon premium notebook in January 2017. This particular model is one of Lenovo's most popular devices as it comes with an ultraportable design but has business-class features. With Lenovo introducing a refreshed version of the Ultrabook, consumers can expect significant improvements.

The technical specifications of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon (2017) were seemingly revealed after its promotional materials were leaked by BenchLife.info.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is said to feature a 14-inch Wide Quad High Definition display with slim bezels. There is also a Full HD touchscreen variant. Just like previous versions of the ThinkPad flagship laptop, the updated version is expected to be thin, light and tough. It reportedly weighs 2.51 pounds and is only 15.95 mm thick. It also comes in a 13-inch form factor. The laptop's sturdiness has been ensured as the laptop has undergone over 200 durability tests.

Like most other laptops to be released next year, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon will be powered by Intel's seventh-generation Kaby Lake Core i-series processors. The leak also mentioned that the premium device will provide up to 15.5 hours of battery life. Connectivity options include two USB Type-C ports with Thunderbolt 3 support. Meanwhile, there are optional features like an IR camera and Global LTE-A.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Ultrabook is also expected to feature the latest version of the Windows 10 Pro operating system when it is launched.

Given the premium features of the updated laptop, it is also expected to carry a hefty price tag. The current ThinkPad X1 Carbon comes with a starting price of $1,142.10.

According to reports, the fifth-generation ThinkPad X1 Carbon will be unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada from Jan. 3 to Jan. 8, 2017. This release window makes sense given that the current ThinkPad X1 Carbon was introduced almost a year ago at CES 2016.