Lenovo ThinkPad X9 Gen 1 Aura Edition Review

When I saw the Lenovo ThinkPad X9 Gen 1 Aura Edition laptops at CES 2025, I was excited. As someone who has used Apple MacBooks for years, it is rather difficult to find a Windows laptop that can compare. There have been many who have gotten close, very close. But there was always something missing. So the ThinkPad X9 Gen 1 Aura Edition laptops were one of the most exciting things to see at CES. Yes, the Surface Laptop 7 came close, but eventually didn’t get close enough for me.

Estimated reading time: 17 minutes

There is a nice swath of really excellent laptops on the market, some of them from Lenovo themselves. But the ThinkPad X9 hits another level for me. That being said, I know there is a lot of hate being thrown at Lenovo for calling this a ThinkPad and having no TrackPoint or left and right mouse buttons. Don’t pay attention to that nonsense. It’s just another tribal knee-jerk response that is totally unnecessary, as there are still numerous ThinkPad laptops available with those features. The X9 didn’t kill the entire ThinkPad line, it simply helped bring the line into a new era, and I am happy for it. Let’s get into the review.

The Quick Take

I admit, I have spoken highly of laptops in the past, but the ThinkPad X9 series is on another level. This series of laptops has almost given me everything I have wanted in a Windows laptop. There have been a few laptops that have come very close but were always missing one thing or another. The ThinkPad X9 is, by far, the best laptop of 2025. I know it’s early in the year and I have other laptops to review. But I’m pretty confident in this declaration.

Score and Bottom Line

The Lenovo ThinkPad X9 Gen 1 is a controversial addition to the ThinkPad lineup and easily the best addition to that lineup in many years and possibly the best laptop of 2025 (it is). Yes, I know that is a bold statement, so take it with a grain of salt and do your own research and read other reviews.

Overall, both the 14-inch and 15-inch models offer similar performance experiences (depending on what CPU you opt for). Obviously, the screen size is different, but both of these panels are 2.8K OLED displays with anti-reflective coating, and they look spectacular. The design is on point and really reminds me of a MacBook Pro, that is intentional.

The new Intel chips and GPUs are spectacular and offer nearly the same performance and battery life as Apple’s M-chips. The Aura software offers up some great options for users, including being able to share your iPhone and Android photo gallery in just a tap. The webcam and mics are stellar, and the speakers are outstanding.

Finally, the keyboard is fabulous, and the haptic trackpads tie these laptops together to make them the best in 2025. Overall, these laptops are a grand slam home run from Lenovo. I do not care what others have said and how much hate they get because of the lack of TrackPoint. Lenovo made a move here, and they made the right move.

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Specifications

The Lenovo ThinkPad X9 Aura Edition has the following features and specifications:

• Processor:
  • 14″ – Intel Core Ultra 5 226V
  • 15″ – Intel Core™ Ultra 7 258V
• Operating System: Windows 11 Pro
• Neural Processing Unit (NPU):
  • 14″ – Integrated Intel AI Boost, up to 40 TOPS
  • 15″ – Integrated Intel AI Boost, up to 47 TOPS
• Graphics:
  • 14″ – Integrated Intel Arc Graphics 130V
  • 15″ – Integrated Intel Arc Graphics 140V
• Memory:
  • 14″ – 16GB Soldered LPDDR5x-8533, MoP Memory
  • 15″ – 32GB Soldered LPDDR5x-8533, MoP Memory
• Storage:
  • 14″ – 512GB SSD M.2 2242 PCIe® 4.0×4 NVMe® Opal 2.0
  • 15″ – 1TB SSD M.2 2242 PCIe® 4.0×4 NVMe® Opal 2.0
• Battery: 
  • 14″ – 55Wh
  • 15″ – 80Wh
• Audio:
  • 14″ – High Definition (HD) Audio, Cirrus Logic® CS42L43 with Stereo speakers, 2W x2, Dolby Atmos®
  • 15″ – High Definition (HD) Audio, Cirrus Logic® CS42L43 with Stereo speakers, 2W x2 woofers and 2W x2 tweeters, Dolby Atmos®
• Camera:
  • 14″ – UHD 8.0MP with Large Sensor + IR Discrete, with E-Shutter, ToF Sensor, MIPI
  • 15″ – UHD 8.0MP with Large Sensor + IR Discrete, with E-Shutter, ToF Sensor, MIPI
• Ports/Slots:
  • 14″:
    • 2x USB-C® (Thunderbolt™ 4 / USB4® 40Gbps), with USB PD 3.0 and DisplayPort™ 2.1
    • 1x HDMI® 2.1, up to 4K/60Hz
    • 1x Headphone / microphone combo jack (3.5mm)
  • 15″:
    • 1x USB-A (USB 10Gbps / USB 3.2 Gen 2), Always On
    • 2x USB-C® (Thunderbolt™ 4 / USB4® 40Gbps), with USB PD 3.0 and DisplayPort™ 2.1
    • 1x HDMI® 2.1, up to 4K/60Hz
    • 1x Headphone / microphone combo jack (3.5mm)
• Wireless: Intel® Wi-Fi® 7 BE201, 802.11be 2×2 + BT5.4
• Display:
  • 14″ – 14″ 2.8K (2880×1800) OLED 500 nits Anti-reflection / Anti-smudge, 100% DCI-P3, 30-120Hz VRR, DisplayHDR™ True Black 600, Dolby Vision®, Touch
  • 15″ – 15.3″ 2.8K (2880×1800) OLED 500 nits Anti-reflection / Anti-fingerprint, 100% DCI-P3, 30-120Hz VRR, DisplayHDR™ True Black 600, Dolby Vision®, Touch
• Dimensions W x D x H:
  • 14″ – 311.8 x 212.3 x 6.7–17.18 mm (12.28 x 8.36 x 0.26–0.68 inches)
  • 15″ – 339.55 x 228.5 x 12.9 mm (13.37 x 9.0 x 0.51 inches)
• Weight:
  • 14″ – Starting at 1.27 kg (2.80 lbs)
  • 15″ – Starting at 1.4 kg (3.08 lbs)
• Color: Grey

What’s In The Box

• Lenovo ThinkPad X9 Gen 1 Aura Edition 14 or 15
• Power Supply
• Power Cable
• Manuals and Documentation

Design

At first glance, especially at the deck, the Lenovo ThinkPad X9 Gen 1could be mistaken for a MacBook Pro. Lenovo might deny that this laptop was designed to emulate Apple’s popular offering, but I am sure it was. Lenovo wants in on the market who prefers the sleek, minimal, and industrial design of a Mac.

Both laptops are all premium aluminum and the SSD is upgradeable, RAM is soldered, so choose wisely. The top of both laptops are fairly minimal, with the ThinkPad logo in the top corner with the iconic red pulsing dot over the letter “i.” The camera module is also part of the design of the lid, something Lenovo has been doing for a few years now. It’s a nice design touch that looks good but doesn’t look out of place.

Turning both laptops over, you’re greeted with a unique ribbed design aesthetic. I’m not sure why they chose to do this, it looks great, and maybe it was to not completely look like a MacBook. But I would think the Engine Hub would take care of that.

The Engine Hub is the long black bar on the bottom, and it is used for cooling the laptop. In order for the laptop to remain thin, they engineered this hub to be used for ports and cooling but also serve as a foot to give the laptop an ever so slight incline. The Engine Hub is probably going to be a design element some may not like. I like it, it looks good.

Along the back edge of the ThinkPad X9 are the hinges and along the front edge is the camera module that doubles as a spot to lift the lid, which can be done with one finger. Along the right and left edge (which are razor-thin) is some venting.

The Engine Hub holds the ports, and here are the ports for each of these laptops.

• 14″:
  • 2x USB-C® (Thunderbolt™ 4 / USB4® 40Gbps), with USB PD 3.0 and DisplayPort™ 2.1
  • 1x HDMI® 2.1, up to 4K/60Hz
  • 1x Headphone / microphone combo jack (3.5mm)
• 15″:
  • 1x USB-A (USB 10Gbps / USB 3.2 Gen 2), Always On
  • 2x USB-C® (Thunderbolt™ 4 / USB4® 40Gbps), with USB PD 3.0 and DisplayPort™ 2.1
  • 1x HDMI® 2.1, up to 4K/60Hz
  • 1x Headphone / microphone combo jack (3.5mm)

Opening both ThinkPad X9 laptops up, you’re greeted by that brilliant 2.8K OLED display. The camera and IR camera are at the top. The ThinkPad X9 14 has edge to edge glass with minimal bezels. The ThinkPad X9 15 has plastic trim around it and the bezels are slightly more noticeable.

Getting down to the deck, you’ll find a brilliant Lenovo keyboard that is spectacular to type on. Lenovo makes some of the best, if not the best, keyboards. The power button is at the top right of the keyboard and doubles as a fingerprint sensor, in case you prefer that instead of Face Unlock.

The wrist rest houses the ThinkPad logo and the outstanding haptic trackpad. This is not a diving board style and combined with the keyboard and OLED display, a Windows laptop finally ticked all three boxes for me. The power adapter is tiny and 65W, making both of these laptops excellent for travel and easy to move around.

Overall, Lenovo took a risk with the ThinkPad X9 design, and there are plenty of haters out there. But I am glad they did this, and I am glad they packed everything in that they did. There have been many potential MacBook killers, and many have gotten very close to dethroning Apple. I think, if people give it a chance, the ThinkPad X9 design (combined with all other features) is the first true MacBook Killer.

Display

Both the ThinkPad X9 14 and the ThinkPad X9 15 house 2.8K OLED displays, here are the technicals; 2.8K (2880×1800) OLED 500 nits Anti-reflection / Anti-smudge, 100% DCI-P3, 30-120Hz VRR, DisplayHDR™ True Black 600, Dolby Vision®, touch.

The only difference between the two is the size, one is 14″ and the other is 15.3″. I prefer the 15 over the 14 because I prefer more display for video editing. But, they are both outstanding OLED displays with an anti-reflective coating that does an excellent job of keeping glare to a dull roar. Compared to the Slim 7i, this display has way less glare.

Some users have said they fear a screen door effect with this display because it is an OLED touch with anti-reflective coating. I saw no screen door effect, but some users insist they do. I think this will be on a case by case basis, I just don’t see it.

The Blacks are spectacular! Deep and inky, just like an OLED should be. The Whites are clean and crisp with popping text. Colors are vibrant and saturated, just what you’d expect from an OLED. Touch responsiveness is excellent and off angle viewing is great.

Overall, both the display in the ThinkPad X9 14 and 15 are premier and top-level displays. Icing on the cake of this already amazing laptop.

Software

The Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14 and 15 Aura Editions are running Windows 11 Pro, and there’s not a lot to say about Windows in general. It’s gotten better over the years, and I actually now prefer it over macOS. I actually think macOS has gone backwards and Windows is going forwards.

There are a few Lenovo and Intel-centric features on this “Aura Edition” laptop worth mentioning.

• SmartShare: Smart Share connects your smartphone to your laptop instantly via an AI virtual sensor. Just tap your Android™ or iOS device to your laptop — then drag and drop. Edit photos and share easily. Plus access and send text messages from your PC.
• SmartCare: With Smart Care, you’ll enjoy convenient access to Lenovo’s online support tools and chatbot for real-time problem-solving. Or upgrade to one of our enhanced Premier Support services to unlock access to dedicated support connecting you via remote camera sharing, with one-click access to voice or chat with live elite Lenovo engineers 24/7* through your PC or smartphone.
• SmartModes: Various features designed to help you in your day-to-day like, Power Mode, Collaboration Mode, Wellness Mode. Think of these as programs to sort of move you along without you having to put the effort of remembering in.
• CoPilot+: Copilot+ integrates advanced AI capabilities to improve task management through real-time suggestions, automation of routine processes, and personalized insights. It learns your preferences and seamlessly supports everything from creating documents to drafting communications. Plus, with the touch of a key, Copilot launches to help keep you ahead in fast-paced work environments.

SmartModes is probably the most extensive cluster of Aura software on the Lenovo ThinkPad X9. Generally, I don’t like a lot of extra software, but the new Aura software looks to be very useful and I don’t mind it. It’s out of the way unless you want it, and that’s what matters.

Overall, the Lenovo Slim 7i 14 software is typical of a Windows laptop now, and the new AI features are a hit-and-miss. You may use some or none of them, you just need to poke around and see what catches your eye.

Performance

What’s fantastic about the performance of the Lenovo ThinkPad X9 Aura Editions (and the other Lunar Lake laptops) is that because of the Lunar Lake chipset, its performance is outstanding and competitive with Apple now. Intel made such a good chip with integrated GPU and NPU that everyone is on a level playing field here. Daily tasks and even some photo and video editing were no issue here, and battery life is excellent.

I had no issues running my day-to-day tasks and using this laptop as I would any laptop I normally use. I was even able to accomplish some video editing in DaVinci Resolve. These were small projects, some in 4K and others in 2K. This display is small for video editing, for me. So I don’t do a lot of video on laptops and prefer doing heavier and larger projects on my desktop with a monitor.

I don’t do benchmarking commonly, and I just rely on my use case. Yours will be different, and that’s OK. Go and read more reviews and parse out the info you collect to come to your conclusion. Overall, Lunar Lake performance has been fantastic, and I think is only getting better with updates.

Camera

Both the ThinkPad X9 14 and 14 house 1440p webcams that are fabulous. The mic array is also excellent. I did a test and recorded it, you can watch that below. You can use the software to blur backgrounds and adjust noise-cancelling, and it all worked great. I did find that the ThinkPad X9 14 had a hotter mic than the 15, but none of these tests are scientific. I am sure results will vary from person to person. Overall, this webcam is outstanding!

Battery Life

Battery life on the ThinkPad X9 14 and 15 is fantastic. The standby battery life is off the charts. I was able to leave the laptops in sleep mode and come back two or three days later and with only 5% or so gone. I could get 13–14 hours out of the 14 and 16–18 hours out of the 15. The 14 has a 55Wh battery, while the 15 has an 80Wh battery.

Intel Lunar Lake and Arrow Lake chips are godsends for Windows laptops, as they are now in the same realm as Apple’s M-chips. They compete in performance and battery life, really, Intel has done an excellent job.

My use case is probably different from yours. Web browsing, email, writing, word processing, photo/video editing, YouTube, messaging, and just day-to-day tasks that most people do on the regular is mostly how I used this laptop. You could do light gaming on this laptop, but the battery will not be as good with gaming. And it will drain faster with video editing.

It is important to remember that battery life is subjective, and you may get more or less than what I get depending on how you use your device and what settings you use. Overall, these are outstanding battery performers, and they could last you a few days, depending on your workload.

Speakers/Audio

The speakers on the ThinkPad X9 14 and 15 are slightly different, but both deliver great audio with a solid soundstage that isn’t lacking in bottom end. For some strange reason, I did feel the 14 offered slightly better clarity, here are the speakers that are in them.

• 14″ – High Definition (HD) Audio, Cirrus Logic® CS42L43 with Stereo speakers, 2W x2, Dolby Atmos®
• 15″ – High Definition (HD) Audio, Cirrus Logic® CS42L43 with Stereo speakers, 2W x2 woofers and 2W x2 tweeters, Dolby Atmos®

I have no complaints about the sound, music, web conferencing, YouTube, and even some movies all sounded great here. I will say, Apple still makes better speakers, but these are not far off from what Apple makes, outstanding sound.

Price/Value

The base models of the ThinkPad X9 14 and 15 start just over twelve-hundred but can go over two thousand, depending on how you configure them. I’ve already said how much I love these laptops, and I believe you are easily getting your money’s worth from either one of them. This is a true MacBook Killer and competitive at the price point as well. With the new Lunar Lake chip powering its performance and a brand-new killer design, these are the best two laptops of 2025.

Wrap Up

The Lenovo ThinkPad X9 Gen 1 is a controversial addition to the ThinkPad lineup and easily the best addition to that lineup in many years and possibly the best laptop of 2025 (it is). Yes, I know that is a bold statement, so take it with a grain of salt and do your own research and read other reviews.

Overall, both the 14-inch and 15-inch models offer similar performance experiences (depending on what CPU you opt for). Obviously, the screen size is different, but both of these panels are 2.8K OLED displays with anti-reflective coating, and they look spectacular. The design is on point and really reminds me of a MacBook Pro, that is intentional.

The new Intel chips and GPUs are spectacular and offer nearly the same performance and battery life as Apple’s M-chips. The Aura software offers up some great options for users, including being able to share your iPhone and Android photo gallery in just a tap. The webcam and mics are stellar, and the speakers are outstanding.

Finally, the keyboard is fabulous, and the haptic trackpads tie these laptops together to make them the best in 2025. Overall, these laptops are a grand slam home run from Lenovo. I do not care what others have said and how much hate they get because of the lack of TrackPoint. Lenovo made a move here, and they made the right move.