Lenovo’s new laptops have an Intel superpower

Lenovo has announced two new laptops in collaboration with Intel. Yes, they feature the new Core Ultra Series 2 chips, but it’s really the software that makes these laptops interesting. The laptops themselves are the ThinkPad X1 Carbon and the Yoga Slim 7i, but they both carry an additional name: Aura Edition Imagined with Intel. I’m not sure what the name is supposed to connote, but the laptops in this new line include a number of software features that were developed by Lenovo in collaboration with Intel.

The most interesting of these is Smart Share, which lets you quickly share photos between your phone and laptop with just a tap. Tapping the side of the laptop lid with your iPhone or Android phone will automatically open a Smart Share window showing the photos on your mobile device.

There is one catch to this, though: it’s based on Intel Unison, meaning both the laptop and phone need to have an app installed. Once that’s done, it’s a fairly simple way to drag and drop photos between devices.

The other big part of the Aura Edition is the smart modes. This feature has a dedicated key on the keyboard to open the menu, which gives you four modes to choose from: Shield, Attention, Wellness, and Collaboration. Shield mode, for example, automatically turns on your VPN, stalking alerts, and safe network. Wellness mode, on the other hand, will remind you to take breaks and analyze your misbehavior. Not all of these modes seem to be very useful, and some, like Collaboration, only offer one setting that you toggle. It’s a cool idea, but there’s definitely room for expansion.

Lastly, these Aura Edition laptops feature Smart Care, which offers access to video tutorials and 24/7 technical support. This isn’t too different from what HP has explored with its Dragonfly laptops in the past.

As for the laptops, they haven’t received any major exterior updates. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 is the same super-light business PC that people have come to love, while the Yoga Slim 7i has a more modern look.

The only major change is that the Yoga Slim 7i is now slightly larger, with a 15-inch display instead of a 14-inch one. It’s a 2880 x 1800 resolution display with a 120Hz refresh rate regardless of whether you go with OLED or IPS. It’s an interesting form factor, though, as it doesn’t grow too much in size beyond a standard 14-inch laptop. The Yoga Slim 7i isn’t overly thin or light at 0.55 inches thick and 3.2 pounds, but when handling the device, I found the hinge to be a bit too tight, making it difficult to open the device with one hand.

In a world where Intel, AMD and Qualcomm are all competing for the attention of laptop makers and buyers, it’s interesting to see Lenovo developing a relationship with Intel that offers additional features. In other words, it doesn’t leave CPU choice as a completely neutral choice for the buyer – there’s differentiation that’s unique to Intel.

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition will be available starting in November for an estimated starting price of $2,000. Pricing and release date for the Yoga Slim 7i have not yet been revealed.