Review: Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14 Aura Edition

If you’re an old-school ThinkPad fan, Lenovo has done the unthinkable: The ThinkPad X9 14 doesn’t have the famous red TrackPoint in the center of the keyboard. The nubbin is a hallmark of virtually every ThinkPad, even referenced in the ThinkPad logo stamped across Lenovo’s laptop.

Other ThinkPads still have TrackPoint, but the ThinkPad X9 14 is the first to remove it, leaving us with a big question: Is it still a ThinkPad? This machine still maintains many of the hallmarks of a good laptop, but Lenovo's decision shows that the company knows it needs more than legacy and nostalgia to survive. Unfortunately, some flaws overshadow the missing red dot.

Not Just Another ThinkPad

The X9 14 is far from the first ThinkPad to try to modernize. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon has slowly evolved over the years, and the ThinkPad Z13 was another attempt at a fresh start. But removing the TrackPoint is a big deal. Having thrown out many of the iconic (and admittedly outdated) design features, you’d never know the ThinkPad X9 14 wasn’t just another Lenovo, HP, or Dell laptop. Even the keyboard has a new look and feel that distances itself from the ThinkPad brand.

Instead of those familiar elements, the machine shoots for an ultra-modern, sleek commercial device. It’s 0.51 inches thick, but the shape of the bottom cover makes it look even slimmer, disappearing under the highly rounded edges. To accommodate ports on such a shape, the ThinkPad X9 14 has an “engine-hub” design—a raised strip along the back of the laptop that “houses all critical components” and “integrates advanced thermals.” You can even see the two fans through the small holes machined into the module. This gives the laptop a slight slope despite not having a wedge shape.

Speaking of ports, this ThinkPad has an interesting selection. Business laptops and ThinkPads generally don't skimp here, but that's no longer the case on the X9 14. It’s been reduced to two USB-C ports (one on each side), an HDMI 2.1 port, and a headphone jack. Considering one of those USB-C ports will be needed for power, that leaves just one open for other peripherals, accessories, or external displays. It's a change, but this should suffice for most scenarios, especially with HDMI onboard.

The bezels around the display are quite narrow, with slightly rounded corners. It’s a nice look, though to get the bezels this small with a 1080p camera up top, the ThinkPad X9 14 uses an inverted notch, also known as a “communication bar.” It’s the same one we’ve seen on countless Lenovo laptops, but this is the first we’ve seen on a ThinkPad. It’s unsightly, but at least it doubles as a place for your finger grip when opening the laptop.

The keycaps have a new design, with a slightly brittle texture my fingers didn’t approve of. It likely won’t bother everyone, but it’s not for me. The keys have a high actuation, creating a typing experience that feels accurate but a bit tiresome. I do like how quiet the typing is though. You won't bother a coworker with your typing, even if they’re only a few feet away. The trackpad gets unapologetic approval though. It’s a large, haptic feedback trackpad that’s precise and quiet.

You get a few display options, though both are OLED. That’s a nice surprise, given that the starting configuration costs just $1,239. The cheaper model comes with a 1920 X 1200-pixel resolution non-touch screen, while my review unit amps that up to 2880 x 1800, has touch capabilities, and has a 120-Hz refresh rate. These are all good things, and they are all to be expected at the higher $1,890 price. Not so great is the starting storage—256 GB is pitiful at this price.

OLED screens are usually colorful and bright, and this one is no different. I measured the max brightness at 336 nits. That’s not as bright as some mini-LED or IPS panels, but the extreme contrast of OLED makes all the difference. There's a decent set of speakers to round out the experience. Nothing mind-blowing—bass was still insufficient—but I was pleasantly surprised by the stereo speakers, which deliver good enough audio for YouTube or Spotify streaming sessions.

The webcam is 1080p, which is solid, though we’re seeing a lot of premium laptops move to 5-megapixel or even 12-MP sensors like Apple's new MacBook Air (M4). I did encounter one serious problem—flickering during video calls. The camera worked fine, but every time I started a video call, it would flicker to black every few seconds. Lenovo seemed convinced this was a fixable bug, but that’s not what you want to see on a pricey machine.

Fast and Long-Lasting Enough?

The ThinkPad X9 14 is available in two processor options, the Intel Core Ultra 5 226V and Core Ultra 7 258V. My unit was the faster option, though neither are powerhouses. They're part of Intel’s Lunar Lake series, which tilts the balance toward efficiency and battery life rather than brute force. That’s expected in this laptop class (though it’s worth noting how fast the M4 MacBook Air is by comparison).

I wasn’t all that impressed by the Cinebench and Geekbench scores, but so long as you’re shopping in the appropriate category for your needs, you won’t be disappointed by the ThinkPad X9 14. For general work and business cases, the ThinkPad X9 14 will suit you just fine.

Battery life isn’t quite as strong as I’d hoped, lasting only 12 hours and 15 minutes in my local video playback test, considerably behind many of its peers—or at least laptops with this chip. This is better than the Windows laptops in previous Intel generations, though. Depending on your workload, it may still get you through most of a workday away from the wall.

A New Era

The ThinkPad X9 14 feels like a bit of an experiment. On Lenovo's official site, it markets the device toward small business owners, which makes sense in theory, but Lenovo also has the ThinkBook line, which is an entirely separate brand devoted to this demographic. Those tend to be more affordable, while the ThinkPad X9 14 carries the premium features and design.

The OLED display, thinner chassis, and haptic feedback trackpad are the highlights, and the removal of the TrackPoint helps further modernize this laptop in my book. Only ThinkPad diehards still swear by the unique navigation, something the executives at Lenovo are well aware of. The ThinkPad X9 14 is a good next step in evolving the brand beyond its roots, but the competition is stiff, offering better battery life and performance at lower prices. Laptops like the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition, MacBook Air, or Asus Zenbook 14 OLED all provide some or all of these benefits.

If the ThinkPad brand still holds a mark of pedigree for you, though, the ThinkPad X9 14 certainly brings it into a new era, so long as you’re willing to say goodbye to the beloved TrackPoint.