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ZDNET's key takeaways
- Lenovo's first-edition ThinkPad X9 Aura Edition 14-inch is available now, starting at $1,239 for the lowest-tier configuration.
- It's an experimental evolution of the ThinkPad line, exchanging some of the most defining features for a new sleek form factor and bold design.
- The entry configuration only comes with 256GB of storage, which is not sufficient for a laptop in this price range.
When I first saw Lenovo's ThinkPad X9 Aura Edition at CES in January of 2025, I praised its bold design elements -- a striking departure from the norms of the ThinkPad line. There's no TrackPoint, a noticeable lack of I/O, and a minimalist trackpad that looks nothing like the X1 Carbon -- its (significantly more expensive) older sibling.
Now that I've been using it for a few weeks, it's become one of my favorite laptops of the year for its versatility, brilliant display, and fantastic battery. In a sense, the X9 Aura Edition is a ThinkPad that has evolved to a new form, keeping some of what we love about the iconic lineup but elaborating on a new vision, as well.
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But I should also mention that there is some friction here. First, if you're a ThinkPad enjoyer, it's easy to feel like Lenovo is abandoning the line's core features, but the X9 Aura Edition seems to be more of an experiment than a sweeping redefinition of the flagship family.
There's an obvious resemblance to the MacBook, and the Aura Edition features are definitely engineered to speak to the Apple user (or refugee). I've covered them extensively since the tap-to-share functionality spurred hordes of participants to slam their smartphones against the first Aura Edition laptops last year, and they're all still here, but more like bonus features rather than flagship headliners.
Besides photo and file sharing capabilities designed to mirror Apple's AirDrop experience, Aura Edition laptops come with additional security features and 24/7 live chat support that allows Lenovo reps to see your device's exact specs, focus modes, battery usage profiles, and health alerts in the Intel Unison app.
Ultimately, though, the X9 is a ThinkPad, even though it doesn't look the part. Its price point positions it as a mid-tier+ device with a sleek, forward-thinking design and notably more affordable than the X1 Carbon, the ThinkPad reigning supreme at the top in both hardware and performance.
The X9 Aura Edition's physical frame is sleek and thin, but it feels solid and well-made, with a cool slate gray colorway and ribbed bottom half of the clamshell. One of the first things you'll notice is the big bar running alongside the bottom of the device.
Lenovo calls this the "engine hub," and it's where the two USB-C ports (one on each side), the HDMI port, and the headphone jack reside – an interesting design idea that consolidates I/O in a separate unit from the actual chassis.
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The other thing you'll notice is the gorgeous OLED display, which is glossy but very efficient at mitigating glare and reflections. In fact, it's significantly better than the MacBook Air M4 (which doesn't come with Apple's nano-texture display) -- night and day when positioned side by side.
The integrated Intel Arc 130V GPU, in conjunction with the 2.8K, 500nit 120Hz refresh rate display, makes for a gorgeous visual experience whether you're gaming or spreadsheet surfing.
But this is still a ThinkPad, and it's well-positioned as a work machine. The redesigned keyboard utilizes newly designed, positively silent keys and a large haptic trackpad that exchanges the usual right and left click buttons for a precise and minimal glass pad positioned right in the center of the device.
The 1080p webcam is also quite good, a relief for users who spend lots of time in meetings. It's not exactly the 12MP sensor found on the M4 MacBook Air (which I've already argued is the best videoconferencing experience on a laptop this year) but it blows the 720p webcam on other ThinkPads like the E14 Gen 6 out of the water, offering a practical middle ground for the price.
Also: Why I recommend this budget Lenovo ThinkPad over laptops that cost twice the price
Portability with the hybrid worker in mind is the general theme here, and this continues with the core hardware on the X9, which is powered by either an Intel Core Ultra 5 or 7 (Series 2) processor, standard fare for a lightweight and affordable laptop in this price range.
Now, let's talk about the battery life, which comes in a little shy of other flagship devices with Intel's "Lunar Lake"-series chips I've reviewed, like the Asus Zenbook S 14 and the Dell XPS 13. I got over 13 hours of battery life during my testing of this device, which compared to the Zenbook (17 hours) and XPS 13 (16 hours) is the outlier, but thinking big picture, is enough to last the entire work day.
The other thing I have to call out is that the X9 Aura Edition is certainly not the coolest-running laptop out of the recent lineup of Lunar Lake devices, or even Lenovo's latest ThinkPads. During heavy workloads I found palpable heat generation along the bottom of the device near the engine hub.
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In terms of pricing, there are some things to note here. The starting configuration with the Intel Core Ultra 5 comes with just 256GB of storage for $1,226. I understand that for users who live in the cloud, vast amounts of on-device storage aren't needed, but this is some of the lowest I've seen for a device in this price range.
Additionally, the version with a 1TB SSD starts at $1,989 with the Intel Core Ultra 7 and 32GB of memory, putting it on par with the Dell XPS 13, which features the same amount of RAM and storage but a more powerful Intel Core Ultra 9 CPU for a slightly cheaper price.
This isn't a dealbreaker or necessarily unusual for a high-design, experimental device that exists to break a mold, but it's certainly something consumers should be aware of. Basically, you have to be committed to the design here, as it's possible to get a little more for less elsewhere.
That being said, for all the reasons mentioned above, there's a lot to love, especially if you're attracted to the bold design, durable form factor, and gorgeous display.
ZDNET's buying advice
Ultimately, Lenovo's ThinkPad X9 14 Aura Edition is a sleek, gorgeous device that's a joy to use. The brilliant OLED display, redesigned keyboard, precise haptic trackpad, and experimental form factor result in a statement-making laptop with the hardware to back it up.
Also: Why I recommend this budget Lenovo ThinkPad over laptops that cost twice the price
In terms of pricing, hardware, and targeted demographic, I would put Lenovo's X9 14 Aura Edition in the same ballpark as the Asus Zenbook S 14 and Dell XPS 13, two other "Lunar Lake" devices with a bold design streak.
The X9 stands apart, however, with a more down-to-business aesthetic and bearing the name of one of the most respected laptop families on the market. Despite the on-device storage being lower than I would expect for this laptop, I'd still recommend it for folks who work in the cloud, want a premium user experience, and prioritize a high-quality webcam.
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