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In their quest for thinner, lighter designs and greater manufacturing efficiency, laptop makers have turned toward designs in which components are soldered to the motherboard and batteries are glued in place. Although this campaign led to the production of compact and affordable laptops, it came at the cost of being able to repair or upgrade the laptop yourself.
Want to add more memory? No luck. Fix broken cooling fan? Good luck getting there. Do you replace the battery because it’s dying too slowly? Sorry, but your entire laptop will crash with it. However, with a pair of new ThinkPads, Lenovo is bucking that trend Consumer Electronics Show 2026.
Welcome to the era of the space frame
The X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition and ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 11 Aura Edition offer a new modular design that Lenovo calls Space Frame. These two models allow you (or the friendly IT technician at your office) to replace the battery, keyboard, fans, speakers—and even the USB ports. They are all replaceable and easily accessible because you can remove both the bottom panel and the keyboard to access the motherboard. Unfortunately, the RAM is still soldered to the motherboard and therefore cannot be user-replaceable, so you will need to add the amount you think you will need upfront when purchasing.
The Space Frame design allows you to remove both the bottom panel and keyboard to access internal components for repairs and upgrades.
The modular design means you can replace an individual component when it breaks rather than having to go out and buy a new laptop, which is good news if you’re concerned about ROI and sustainability. In a further nod towards sustainability, the body is made from up to 75% recycled aluminum and 90% recycled magnesium. The packaging is also plastic-free.
The motherboard is double-sided, making it about two-thirds the size of the previous version, allowing the X1 Carbon’s design to remain thin and light while also helping with airflow and sustained performance. The smaller motherboard also makes room for a massive touchpad.
The latest X1 Carbon maintains the line’s thin and light design and familiar ThinkPad look.
Inside, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition and ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 11 Aura Edition feature Core Ultra Intel’s new Panther Lake series With integrated Intel Arc B390 graphics plus up to 64GB of LPDDR5x RAM (soldered) and a 2TB SSD. Each features a 2.8K OLED display and a 10MP webcam. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon weighs 2.2 pounds, and the ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 weighs 2.6 pounds.
It will take a few months before we reach the space frame era. Both models won’t be available until March. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition will start at $1,999, and the ThinkPad