Lenovo Slim 7i Carbon hands-on

The new Lenovo Slim 7i Carbon is well-suited to the hybrid world of work-from-home that so many of us now live in.

This laptop features a 13.3-inch 2.5K display with a 90Hz refresh rate. Though thin and light, the 12th Gen Intel Core CPU and upwards of 32 GB of RAM available should deliver enough power to complete most of your everyday work requirements. Up to 1 TB of storage also means you can save as many files and documents as you need without worrying much about running out of space.

I recently had some hands-on time with the Lenovo Slim 7i Carbon. Though not extensive, my time with the laptop gave me a glimpse of what it offers as a hybrid work machine. If it’s everything Lenovo claims, it may claim a spot on our best laptops list. Here are my initial impressions.

Lenovo Slim 7i Carbon: Specs 

Lenovo Slim 7i Carbon: Release date and price 

The Lenovo Slim 7i Carbon has a starting price of $1,299 and is expected to ship in June. There will be multiple configurations available, including models with either Intel Core i5 or i7 processors and up to 32 GB of LPDDR5 memory and 1 TB of SSD storage. When the model releases, be sure to check our Lenovo coupon codes to see if we can save you on the price.

Lenovo Slim 7i Carbon: Design 

The Slim 7i Carbon features a clamshell chassis with a starting weight of 2.13 pounds. At 11.65 x 8.22 x 0.58 inches, it’s thin and nondescript. I tried out the model with a Storm Grey finish, but Moon White and Cloud Grey will also be available.

Ultra-thin work laptops have become all but ubiquitous in recent years. Though the Slim 7i Carbon isn’t unique in that regard, it’s still quite stylish and fetching. It’s a laptop that feels right at home on your work desk, or at your favorite coffee shop. I personally can’t get enough of thin laptops, so Lenovo’s Slim line is right up my alley.

Lenovo Slim 7i Carbon: Display 

The 13.3-inch 2.5K (2,560 x 1,600) screen with its 16:10 aspect ratio and 90Hz refresh rate should deliver a seamless working experience. The high refresh rate helps make scrolling through web pages and documents feel a little smoother, and the aspect ratio gives you more room to view them. The configuration I saw had a touch interface, which can help boost productivity even further.

Lenovo claims the screen is capable of reaching up to 400 nits of brightness. We at Tom’s Guide would need to run the laptop through our brightness test to confirm this, but the screen seemed bright enough based on my observation. The screen is also marketed as being able to achieve 100% of the sRGB color gamut. Colors appeared vivid to me, but a formal test will determine how much of the color space the display can actually achieve.

Lenovo Slim 7i Carbon: Keyboard and touchpad 

The laptop’s tenkeyless keyboard should have enough space for most to comfortably type on. I say most because those of us with big hands don’t always have great experiences with laptop keyboards. But the Slim 7i Carbon’s keyboard isn’t any smaller than what we’ve seen from other laptops, so it should suffice.

Keys feel appropriately clicky and responsive. The touchpad also feels smooth and easy to work with. I’d need extensive hands-on time to render a verdict on both the touchpad and keyboard, but they seem in line with what’s available on most modern laptops.

Lenovo Slim 7i Carbon: Ports 

The Slim 7i Carbon, as its name suggest, is slim in design and on ports, packing only a USB-C port and a USB4/Thunderbolt 4 port. If you want to connect other devices to the laptop, you’ll need to either use the built-in Bluetooth connectivity or use a USB-C adapter.

I personally would have liked another port or two, but two USB-C ports should be enough for most people, certainly for those who are always on the move.

Lenovo Slim 7i Carbon: Performance 

All configurations come with a 12th Gen Intel Core CPU and Intel Xe integrated graphics. You can choose between either an i5 or i7 processor and to upgrade to upward of 32 GB of RAM and 1 TB of SSD storage.

I'd need to test the laptop further to see how it stacks up against similar devices but, based on what’s under the hood, the Slim 7i Carbon should be sufficiently powerful and performant enough for all of your regular workday tasks – especially the configuration with an i7 CPU.

Lenovo Slim 7i Carbon: Battery life and charging 

The Slim 7i Carbon has a 50 Whr battery. Lenovo says it can run 1080p video playback for up to 13.5 hours. The company also says you can charge for 15 minutes in standby mode or while powered off and get up to three hours of battery life via the laptop’s Rapid Charge Express feature (which other Lenovo laptops share).

We’ll see how long the battery lasts when we’re able to test the Slim 7i Carbon for ourselves. 

Lenovo Slim 7i Carbon: Outlook 

The Lenovo Slim 7i Carbon seems like an ideal choice for folks who want a reliable hybrid work computer. It’s small, lightweight and has plenty of power to let you complete most everyday work tasks. On top of that, it’s also a fletching device that fits nicely into most working (and non-working) environments. Based on my limited hands-on time with the device, it should be a solid machine for modern-day workers.

I look forward to fully trying out the Lenovo Slim 7i Carbon when it releases in June.