Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet Review: A 2-In-1 For Pros

The market for dedicated tablets based on mobile operating systems such as Android and iOS is in decline, but the same can't be said for 2-in-1 detachable Windows PCs. These hybrid tablet/laptop systems offer an additional level of utility that standalone tablets don't provide, and best of all, they don't force consumers on a budget to choose one form factor over the other.

Microsoft envisioned this very scenario playing out when it introduced Windows 8 and later its first Surface tablets. Now we have Windows 10 and newer generation Surface models that are much improved from the original, along with alternative options from Microsoft's hardware partners. One of the more interesting of those is Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Tablet.


Like the Surface Pro 4, the ThinkPad X1 Tablet combines the portability of a tablet with the functionality of a Windows 10 laptop. That in and of itself isn't unique to 2-in-1 detachables, but part of what separates the ThinkPad X1 Tablet from the competition is its modular design. Optional modules extend the capabilities of the ThinkPad X1 Tablet—the Productivity module adds more ports and extends battery life, while the Presenter module brings a pico projector into the equation.

The other thing that makes the ThinkPad X1 Tablet different from the bulk of detachable 2-in-1 devices out there is that it takes aim at business users, not home consumers. That doesn't mean it lacks mainstream appeal—the sub-$1,000 starting price tag gives the ThinkPad X1 Tablet a wide audience—but as configured, there are features that will go wasted on the general public, such as vPro certification.

Here's a quick glance at the setup Lenovo sent us for evaluation.