If you thought you couldn't get more extreme than the ThinkPad X1 Extreme, think again. Lenovo is launching the second generation of the ThinkPad X1 Extreme laptop and it's packed full of new goodies, including an optional 4K OLED display as well as a 9th Gen Intel Core i9 processor and a GTX 1650 Max-Q GPU. Lenovo plans on launching its latest Extreme laptop sometime in July 2019 and it will start at $1,499, which is a cheaper starting price than the previous model. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 2 Price and Specs: ThinkPad X1 Extreme Starting Price $1,499 Display 15.6-inch, 1920 x 1080: HDR (500 nits) or non-HDR (300 nits) 4K: OLED HDR (500 nits) or non-OLED HDR (500 nits) CPU 9th Gen Intel Core i9 H-series RAM Up to 64GB Graphics GTX 1650 Max-Q Storage Up to 4TB SSD Ports Two Thunderbolt 3, two USB 3.1, HDMI, SD Card Reader, Smart Card Reader, 3.5mm headphone jack, Kensington lock slot, Lenovo Ethernet port Size 14.2 x 9.67 x 0.72 inches Weight 3.76 pounds All we know so far is that you can configure the X1 Extreme with up to a 9th Gen Core i9 H-series CPU, a GTX 1650 Max-Q GPU with 4GB of VRAM, 64GB of RAM and a 4TB PCIe SSD. The ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 2 sports the same black, business-like design as its predecessor, so if you're a fan of the classic ThinkPad look, it's not going away anytime soon. It's also basically the same size and weight, at 3.76 pounds and 14.2 x 9.67 x 0.72 inches. This generation will also feature the same ports as the last one, with two Thunderbolt 3 ports, two USB 3.1 Type-A ports, an HDMI port, an SD card reader, an optional Smart Card reader, a Kensington lock, a headphone/mic jack and Lenovo's propriety Ethernet port. The most exciting feature is the X1 Extreme's 15.6-inch 4K OLED HDR touchscreen display, which looked ridiculously vivid albeit somewhat saturated in person. However, there are a few other options, like a non-OLED 4K HDR version (500 nits) as well as a 1920 x 1080 HDR panel (500 nits) and a non-HDR 1920 x 1080 (300 nits) panel. When we tested the keyboard in person, the keys had deep travel and felt pretty clicky, remaining consistent with Lenovo's last X1 Extreme. This system is also military-durable and has the same security features as well, including a Match-on-Chip fingerprint reader, an optional Smart Card reader, an IR camera with a privacy shutter, a dTPM 2.0 encryption chip and Intel vPro for remote management. In regards to audio, Lenovo is boasting that the X1 Extreme has a Dolby Atmos Speaker System. We thought that its predecessor's speakers were average, so we're hoping this is delivers that much needed oomph. Lenovo rates the latest X1 Extreme for 14 hours of battery life, which is wild, especially for a system with a discrete GPU. Also, the previous generation only lasted 6 hours and 7 minutes in our tests. If Lenovo's rating holds up on our test, we'll be incredibly impressed. We're excited to get Lenovo's latest Extreme machine through our lab and see how it performs under pressure, so stay tuned for the full review and benchmarks of the ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 2.<doc-sep>Why it matters: Lenovo’s annual Accelerate conference kicked off this morning, and they’ve wasted no time in revealing a slew of new devices; three laptops including a powerhouse designed for intensive workloads, their first enterprise-oriented augmented reality headset, and two tiny PCs built for emerging Internet of Things (IoT) deployment cases. The line-up is surprisingly interesting and indicates Lenovo is exploring new product avenues away from the traditional PC market. Cutting to the chase, Lenovo’s most exciting product on the table is the ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 2 (pictured below), landing in July with a starting price of $1,499.99. It’s a high-performance 15” laptop with a stealthy business-black finish, up to a Core i9 processor, a GTX 1650 Max-Q, 4TB of SSD storage and 64 GB of RAM. What makes it unique, however, is a 4K HDR OLED screen option and WiFi 6 support, all contained in a slim 18.4 mm, 2.35 lb chassis. The specs position the X1 Gen 2 close to the flagship Razer Blade, though the X1 is more productivity-focused letting users pick up the OLED screen without investing in RTX GPUs. While Lenovo hasn’t revealed the prices of the high-spec’ed models, they won’t come cheap – upgrading to OLED on the Razer Blade costs an extra $300, and Lenovo seems to be using the same panel. Lenovo’s two other new laptops are the ThinkBook 14s and ThinkBook 13s, both arriving later this month for $749 and $729, respectively. The idea behind the laptops is to combine the reliability and customer support that businesses want with aesthetics that employees like, and Lenovo seems to have done an adequate job. Both use 8th gen Intel processors, 1080p screens and 45 Whr batteries, and can be configured to have between 4 GB and 16 GB of RAM and up to 512 GB of storage. The ThinkBook 13s base model has an integrated GPU while upgraded models and the ThinkBook 14s have an AMD Radeon 540X with 2GB of GDDR5. At this year’s Accelerate, Lenovo launched a new sub-brand: ThinkReality, which predictably relates to augmented reality. The first product is the A6 (lead image), an enterprise-focused headset that’s a cross between Microsoft Hololens and the Magic Leap One. The A6 focuses more on utility and cost-effectiveness than breaking new ground, as it sticks with a Snapdragon 845 CPU and Intel Movidius Visual Processing Unit running Android Oreo to power itself from a little box that users can leave in their pocket. Like the Magic Leap One, it has a 40° field of view, though the resolution is slightly higher at 1080p (up from 960p) and the rated battery life is better at four hours. Interaction is primarily through gestures, though there is a controller, voice recognition, eye tracking and even object recognition. The killer feature of the ThinkReality A6 is meant to be the ThinkReality platform, which promises to “reduce repair times, eliminate errors, streamline complex workflows, improve training quality, and save costs,” though Lenovo hasn’t revealed how. The fate of the A6 rests on its price and software, seeing as neither has been revealed yet. Last up are the world’s “most compact” commercial PCs at about 0.4L, the ThinkCentre M90N-1 Nano IoT starting at $539 and the M90N-1 Nano starting at $639. The IoT version is designed for two things: use in challenging work sites and controlling IoT sensors and devices. As such, the specs (i3, 8 GB of RAM, 512GB SSD) take a back seat to the design, which is fanless, vibration-proof and thermally protected, and the expansion slots and ports, which let users add 4G or 5G support, mount it to a wall or hook up antennas or cables connected to cameras or other sensors for IoT networking. The non-IoT version takes the same design and reverses it, adding a fan and making it stackable for use in space-limited environments, like call centers. It can also handle higher specs, up to an 8th gen Core i7 processor, 16 GB of RAM and 1 TB of SSD storage. Both versions launch in August.<doc-sep>
The original ThinkPad X1 Extreme was an impressively powerful laptop, complete with a discrete graphics card and a 4K screen. This year, Lenovo has upped the ante with two new features: A new 9th-gen Core i9 Intel processor and a 4K OLED display. Along with the second-generation ThinkPad X1 Extreme, Lenovo has announced a number of updates to other lines, including two new compact desktop PCs and a new small business line called ThinkBooks. ThinkPad X1 Extreme Previous Next 1 of 7 The second-generation X1 Extreme doesn’t look all that different from the original on the outside. It keeps the refined ThinkPad X1 look, which has always been a more modern take on the signature ThinkPad design. Lenovo calls it a “powerhouse performer for computing and gaming,” and from the looks of it so far, it has the specs to back up that claim. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a laptop with an OLED screen — in fact, it’s not even the first OLED ThinkPad. However, it’s the first from this new batch of OLED laptops that are coming this year which promise to the more advanced screen technology to the masses. This particular screen is a 15.6-inch, 4K HDR OLED touchscreen, making it ideal for both content creation and low-latency gaming. OLED screens are already used in devices such as smartphones and televisions, adding improved contrast and deeper blacks. Whether or not these new laptops can avoid some of the burn-in issues associated with OLED, we are yet to find out. Even more interesting, though, are the next-gen components offered. On the top end, the X1 Extreme will include a new H-series Core i9-9880H processor from Intel and an Nvidia GTX 1650 Max-Q graphics card. The mobile Core i9 is an eight-core processor with a Turbo Boost of 4.8GHz, a seriously powerful chip for a laptop like this. So far, we’ve only seen the chip included in chunky gaming laptops such as the Asus ROG Mothership. The first mobile Core i9 was infamously used in the 15-inch MacBook Pro, though it didn’t perform quite as well as some had hoped due to thermal restraints. The ThinkPad X1 Extreme also comes with up to 64GB of RAM and 4TB of PCIe SSD storage. The laptop will start at $1,500 and is expected to be available starting July 2019. ThinkBook 13s and ThinkBook 14s Previous Next 1 of 9 Lenovo also announced a new sub-brand called the ThinkBook. This is meant to be a small business-specific line, offering affordable laptops and enterprise security features. The ThinkPad brand has always had its eye on businesspeople, but because of the line’s dedicated audience, it hasn’t changed much over the years. The ThinkBook, though, has a lot of the features you’d commonly find in a high-end laptop. The chassis is made out of aluminum, and it’s relatively portable. Compared to clunkier ThinkPads, the ThinkBook 13s is 3.1 pounds and 0.6 inches thick. It even has trimmed down bezels, measured at less than 0.21 inches on each side. Both the 13-inch and 14-inch models come with up to the latest 8th-gen Whiskey Lake Core i7 processors, up to 512GB of SSD, and up to 16GB of RAM. The real draw of the ThinkBook line is the pricing, which sits it well below a typical ThinkPad. The 13-inch model starts at just $729, which comes with a 128GB SSD and 4GB of RAM. Meanwhile, the 14-inch model starts at $749 for 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD. Both units will be available in late May. Editors' Recommendations