Lenovo updates ThinkPad X1 Carbon ultrabook for Windows 8

Lenovo has announced an update to its ThinkPad X1 Carbon ultrabook, adding a touchscreen model optimised for Microsoft's Windows 8 platform.

Set to be available from January, the X1 Carbon Touch is a 14in ultrabook with a tough but lightweight carbon-fibre construction, like the X1 Carbon model announced in May and which is shipping now.

With a touchscreen supporting 10 simultaneous touch points, the new model is optimised for the gesture-driven user interface of Microsoft's new Windows 8 platform and is aimed at mobile professionals, Lenovo said.

"Bringing touch-gesture control to our best ThinkPad ever is a natural evolution of the portfolio and a big step towards fulfilling our promise to bring computers into a new ‘PC plus' era," said Peter Hortensius, president of Lenovo's Product Group.

The new model is slightly heavier and thicker than the original X1 Carbon at 1.5kg and 20.8mm, but is still styled by Lenovo as the world's lightest 14in touch-enabled laptop.

It is also claimed as the first ultrabook optimised for Microsoft's Lync telephony client, with a high-definition face-tracking camera and dual-array microphones for enhanced sound pickup.

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch runs an Intel Core i5 processor with 3G broadband for go-anywhere connectivity and supports Intel vPro management technology, plus built-in fingerprint reader, Trusted Platform Module (TPM) and Bios-level data encryption.

Pricing is set to start at £1,525.