The ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 10 works best in laptop mode, offering a keyboard with a delightfully tactile feel that rewards long typing sessions. Longtime ThinkPad users will appreciate the ability to swap the functionality of the Fn and Ctrl keys in the lower-left corner, as well as the retention of the iconic red pointing nub and dedicated buttons, including center-click. The touchpad, while not oversized, delivers a smooth gliding experience and quiet, responsive clicks. Lenovo even includes decent speakers—I could hear ample detail and bass in the music and movies I sampled.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
The ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 10’s display is a different story. The 1,920-by-1,200 resolution delivers enough oomph for productivity purposes, offering a 16:10 aspect ratio, and the anti-glare surface helps minimize reflections in bright environments. The machine also gives you solid touch responsiveness, and the included pen—roughly the size of a standard ink pen—magnetically attaches to the side of the laptop for convenient storage.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
Unfortunately, these strengths do little to compensate for some major shortcomings. Again, the screen has some redeeming qualities, but as a high-end 2-in-1 laptop, it ultimately disappoints. While the picture quality isn’t outright bad, nothing about it feels premium. Brightness is the biggest issue. I constantly found myself needing to increase the setting in well-lit rooms, but it didn’t get bright enough to suit my needs. Moreover, while colors aren’t washed out, they lack vibrancy and fail to pop. Lenovo started offering a 2,880-by-1,800-pixel OLED screen during our review period, which would likely eliminate all our picture-quality complaints, though the upgrade option makes an expensive laptop even pricier.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
The Aura Edition reviewed here includes Lenovo’s AI software suite, offering various modes accessible via the F8 key. Attention mode silences notifications and restricts access to distracting websites like social media for a set period, defaulting to 30 minutes. Shield mode leverages the laptop’s camera to detect unwanted onlookers, with options to either alert you or automatically blur the screen. It also triggers any installed VPN for added security. Collaboration mode activates when the camera is turned on, which adds video effects and improvements to web video calls, like low-light enhancement. Wellness mode encourages healthy screen habits by reminding users to rest their eyes for 20 seconds every 20 minutes and alerting them to poor posture. Finally, Power mode allows users to toggle among efficient, balanced, and high-performance power plans.
While these features aren’t revolutionary or essential, they do add some value to the premium price that an Intel Lunar Lake CPU commands.
