Lenovo’s Thinkpad X9 Drops The Trackpoint

Lenovo has unveiled 2 caller ThinkPads: nan X9 14 and X9 15, immoderate Aura Editions equipped pinch Intel Core Ultra processors and slim designs. But what they don’t relationship mightiness beryllium nan astir absorbing constituent astir them: namely, Lenovo’s signature reddish TrackPoint. Instead, they usage a haptic trackpad without nan ThinkPad’s accustomed discrete fastener for a distinctly MacBook vibe.

No doubt, it’s a ThinkPad, done and through. It’s tested to MIL-SPEC 810H durability standards. It offers a Thunderbolt 4 larboard connected each broadside of nan machine, making it easier to put docks and displays to your liking. And nan creation allows entree to nan SSD and artillery to facilitate repairs and replacements.

Both nan 14-inch and 15-inch versions recreation pinch OLED panels successful touch and non-touch variations. All versions recreation pinch an HDMI 2.1 larboard and 3.5mm audio jack and tin beryllium configured pinch up to 32GB of DDR5x RAM and 2TB of storage. As Copilot Plus PCs, they’re caller for Microsoft’s AI arsenic bully arsenic Lenovo’s “Aura Edition” features including attraction mode-like Smart Modes to prime retired distractions aliases optimize privacy.

Still, nan missing TrackPoint is astir apt nan ThinkPad X9’s astir notable characteristic (or anti-feature?). In a clip erstwhile hardware has shifted toward a benignant of sameness, nan TrackPoint stood retired arsenic a quirky carryover from a clip erstwhile you could effort to reinvent thing — namely, nan mouse. The trackpad won retired agelong ago, but Lenovo kept nan TrackPoint astir for its loyal fans. Now, it mightiness conscionable beryllium checkmate for nan TrackPoint.

The ThinkPad X9 14 Aura Edition will commencement astatine $1,399 and nan 15 Aura Edition will commencement astatine $1,549; immoderate spell connected discarded successful February.