50% of the weight, 50% of the price, 100% of the security. "This laptop somehow feels dainty and elegant and like it could get hit by a bus (and survive)."

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The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is now up to 54% off for Black Friday.

Image of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 12).
(Image credit: Windows Central | Zachary Boddy)

Black Friday deals often slash a few dollars off the price of PCs, accessories, and popular subscriptions. Savvy shoppers can find some excellent deals this time of year. But even among a sea of discounts and price drops, what Lenovo's done stands out. Right now, you can grab a ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 12) for $1,678 off. That's not a typo, you can save 54% on the enterprise laptop our expert reviewer Zachary Boddy called "stunning," "gorgeously refined," and "ethereal in weight."

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 12)Was: $3,069Now: $1,391 at Lenovo
Built for business

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 12)
Was: $3,069
Now: $1,391 at Lenovo

"Everything about this laptop feels refined, and not once did I worry about throwing it in a backpack and lugging it across the country to GDC. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon has always been known for its understated ruggedness, but the latest iteration somehow combines that with unbelievable portability. This laptop somehow feels dainty and elegant and like it could get hit by a bus (and survive)." — Zachary Boddy

Windows Central review ⭐⭐⭐⭐

✅Perfect for: Business users or anyone who wants an ultralight laptop with enterprise-grade security features and impressive durability.

❌Avoid if: You do not require the premium feature set that comes with the ThinkPad X1 Carbon, as it comes at a premium cost.

Display: 14 inches, 1920x1080, IPS, anti-glare, 60Hz, 400 nits. CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 (155U). GPU: Integrated Intel Graphics. RAM: 32GB LPDDR5x. SSD: 512GB. AI PC: ✔️ Copilot+ PC: ❌ Launch date: 2024.

👉See at: Lenovo

Return period: 15 days. Price match? Yes (Also applies within return period). Free shipping: $35 minimum. Membership: My Lenovo Rewards, 3%-9% back on purchases, free expedited delivery, exclusive member-only savings

💰Price check: $2,199.99 at Best Buy

🤩Alternative deal: $1,898 off ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 12) with Intel Core Ultra 7 165U vPro at Lenovo

An enterprise laptop built for business

Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 12) is built with enterprise users in mind and has several security features aimed at professional users. (Image credit: Windows Central | Zachary Boddy)

"Lenovo has achieved something extraordinary with its latest and greatest enterprise laptop," said our Zachary Boddy about the ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 12). Adding, "the X1 Carbon is still an excellent laptop, however, and will undoubtedly make many people's jobs a whole lot easier and more secure. If portability is your main concern, you'll be hard-pressed to find a laptop easier to move around."

Lenovo holds nothing back when making its ThinkPad X1 Carbon laptops. They are proudly enterprise-grade machines with security features such as a self-healing BIOS, a nano security lock slot, and Windows Hello. Depending on the configuration you choose, the laptop is part of the Intel vPro platform as well.

The laptop also has premium features such as a spill-resistant keyboard, a wide selection of ports, and optional 4G LTE or 5G connectivity. The display in the discounted model featured above is a reliable, albeit FHD, panel. But you can configure the ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 12) with up to a 2.8K OLED display (make sure to see the configuration tool below).

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon competes with the best Windows laptops, especially on the business and enterprise side of things. It's not as flashy as some of its competitors, but it's not as plain as its predecessors.

While impressive, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 12) is not perfect. The device does not have the same performance as other Intel Core Ultra laptops. While you get more security and enterprise features in the laptop, you lose some performance. The PC also has "just okay" battery life. Normally, the biggest negative about the ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 12) is its price, but that's not as much of a factor right now due to its massive discount.

Getting the best ThinkPad X1 Carbon deal

The deal above will get you the largest discount on the ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 12), saving you a whopping 54%. The specs of that model are respectable and good enough for many workflows. It's easy to recommend, especially at its current price. But if you need a specific configuration, you can build your own PC on Lenovo's website. There, you can select the processor, operating system, memory, storage, and display of your laptop. Notably, you can choose to get a 2.8K OLED display for only an additional $44 from the default screen option.

Building your own ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 12) also gets you to option to get the laptop with 4G or 5G connectivity and to choose between a haptic touchpad and a TrackPad.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 13)

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 12) is not on sale solely due to Black Friday. The laptop has a successor in the form of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 13). The newer ThinkPad X1 Carbon packs an Intel Core Ultra (Series 2) System-on-Chip (SoC) that has a powerful Neural Processing Unit (NPU) inside a body that is thinner than that of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 12). The newer ThinkPad laptop also has Intel Arc graphics rather than integrated graphics and has quicker RAM and a better SSD.

While the newer ThinkPad X1 Carbon has impressive specs, it starts at $2,519. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 12) is still an excellent laptop in 2024 and is much more affordable than its successor.

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Sean Endicott
Sean Endicott
News Writer and apps editor

Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He's covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean's journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_.