The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga at a glance
A Lenovo ThinkPad might be very different from an IBM ThinkPad ages ago, but the look and feel of the two devices will be surprisingly similar despite the age difference.
It's the core of building a successful brand: it has to be consistent, and it has to be recognizable.
But every brand - even the most successful ones - need some fresh blood every now and then. This is what the Titanium line of the ThinkPad family attempts to do. It's not just the actual use of Titanium in the making of these machines' body, but also a very characteristic, unique touch to their look. Due to the durability of the material, the X1 Titanium Yoga is easily the thinnest ThinkPad out there - and there are other unique features, too, like the IR webcam with human presence detection, the two Thunderbolt 4 ports, and the new gen fingerprint reader.
Remixing the right ingredients
The uniqueness of this device is a successful remix of existing features topped with a touch of magic. And it is, indeed, magical.
All the more so, as it's just the first of its kind, so inevitably, there is some room for improvement. But even those considered, the X1 Titanium Yoga will be a massive competitor for other premium business laptops, and not only because of its Intel 11th Gen processor.
It's as different from any other ThinkPad as it can possibly be while still remaining true to the line's core values.
And yes, this includes the relatively high price tag, too.
The base model is currently listed for $1,769.40, but on the long run it will cost you around $2,949.
This is, of course, if you pay full price for it, which most consumers won't. And considering the discounted price, it's not too bad, after all.
Unlike other ThinkPads, you won't get lost among the many options with the X1 Titanium Yoga. Four processors to choose from (8GB or 16GB RAM), all of which are compatible with the vPro platform optimized for being managed remotely.
You can then have 512GB of storage, and with the Core i5 processor, you get the human presence detection webcam - a handy feature for corporate, or heavy work-related use.
Built to be carried around
Since it's a ThinkPad Yoga, it has a touch display (2256x1504 in resolution), and ships with a Lenovo Precision Pen.
Needless to say that the device is mostly built around portability and mobility. As the thinnest ThinkPad on the market (0.45 inches), it will slide into any briefcase or backpack. It will also endure the transportation thanks to its Titanium built.
It's pretty light, too, although there are competitors who will beat the Titanium Yoga on this front. Long story short: you can carry this device around without actually noticing. And this becomes really impressive, when you think about how strong a computer it is under the hood.
Lab tests show the Titanium Yoga is extremely durable - what I can say is that it easily withstood my average use for a couple of days, without any visible scratches, or even fingerprints. And the great thing is that there are no spectacular compromises to be made in return for the extremely small size or light weight. Maybe the touchpad is not the best out there, not being fully accurate, and especially due to its artificial, simulated click (there are no moving parts to maximize portability and durability).
But come on, everybody can live with that!
And even if you hate it - I'm sure the next gen Titanium Yoga will have this annoyance fixed. And you are left with other options, too: you can use the bright red keyboard nub (that is characteristic to every ThinkPad), or you can opt for the Precision Pen.
Yes, another tradeoff is the port selection. There are two Thunderbolt 4 ports, one of which will be taken up by the charger - and both are on the left side. You will have to think about accessories, like docks, if you are about to live with a laptop its size.
And please, please, let's not forget that we do have an audio jack.
Some tradeoffs and compromises
Speaking of which: the audio quality of the laptop is not top-notch. But then again, the Titanium Yoga has two upward-firing speakers, which is customary for a device this small, and it cannot compete with more robust sound systems of bigger computers.
You cannot expect solid bass or real depth from this configuration - and you won't get it either.
The volume is also not great, which can be disturbing (think mobility), if you are having a zoom meeting in a crowded, noisy place like an airport or a train.
But even in these circumstances, the mics will do just fine.
Performance, however, is exquisite. There are no compromises in that arena. You can have dozens of browser tabs open, stream audio, edit documents and manage back to back video conferences all at once.
The heat management of the machine is also impressive: the fan will never be loud or obtrusive, nor will the gear heat up too much.
The battery strength, while it perhaps it's not extreme, is still okay. With our average productivity workload, the Titanium Yoga just about managed to last through an 8-hour workday.
Again, there are better competitors in the business category, but it will do just fine for most users.
A bold statement (and a promising start)
The ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga is a novelty but with very limited risks. It has some of the shiny features of the modern day technical requirements, but focuses mostly on the three pillars of portability, durability, and the security (represented by the vPro platform).
If you have a specific specification in mind you want your purchase optimize for, you will find better choices, but for a generic use, the Titanium Yoga will do surprisingly great. Especially as - being the first of its kind - new iterations of the machine will likely improve on this one, and pretty soon, too.
Yes, there are cons, like the touchpad or the audio quality, but none of these are deal-breakers for me. They are more like compromises that are easy to accept or understand. So with all that said, the X1 Yoga is a great engineering accomplishment, and also a great product to use.