Watch: We opened up Lenovo’s uber-repairable ThinkPad at CES 2026
Abstract created by Good Solutions AI
In abstract:
- PCWorld stories that Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Version showcased spectacular repairability options at CES 2026, marking a major enchancment from earlier fashions.
- The laptop computer’s new magnesium-based Area Body permits simple substitute of battery, SSD, USB ports, and keyboard, although RAM stays soldered and non-upgradeable.
- This design primarily advantages IT managers however may scale back e-waste and represents a constructive development for the laptop computer business’s method to consumer repairability.
CES 2026 is in full swing and there’s a shocking quantity of cool stuff on the present ground, and it’s all fairly thrilling even with excessive reminiscence costs and unsure availability throwing chilly water on the get together. Laptops specifically are turning heads, however there’s one development that caught the eye of PCWorld’s Adam Patrick Murray: repairability.
In a hands-on live-on-the-floor video, Adam exhibits how simple it’s to consumer restore the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Version. He begins by tearing down the demo unit and eradicating the backplate for quick entry to the internals. The battery, SSD, and even USB ports are simply swapped out—and never solely that, the laptop computer will be flipped over to come out the complete keyboard. All of it’s easy to switch.
All the things is held collectively by Lenovo’s new magnesium-based Area Body, which improves upon previous designs with its deal with user-accessible components. The one massive draw back right here is soldered RAM, which is a big bummer if you wish to stage that up later. However, to be honest, Lenovo is leaning into consumer repairs, not consumer upgrades.
Total, it’s good to see Lenovo transfer on this path with its newest ThinkPad, as consumer repairability has type of fallen by the wayside in recent times (apart from Framework). And all of it’s right here with out sacrificing battery capability, cooling energy, or anything. It’s a major shift from simply final yr when Lenovo laptops received an F for repairability.
That stated, it is a ThinkPad, so it’s a business-oriented machine and the repairability is primarily designed for IT managers in large-scale organizations. However it’s a step in the appropriate path and it’d be nice to see this development lengthen into the patron area quickly. If nothing else, it’d assist with the e-waste downside with laptops.
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