Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 vs MacBook Pro M4

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12

Lenovo

8.1

Excellent

MacBook Pro M4

Apple

9.1

Outstanding

What Reviewers Agree On

Best keyboard on any ultrabook — ThinkPad typing is still unmatched
Exceptional battery life of 10-12 hours for real-world use
Build quality and durability are enterprise-grade
Lightweight at 2.48 lbs — one of the lightest 14-inch business laptops
Strong port selection including Thunderbolt 4 and USB-A

Deal Breakers

Price has increased — starts at $1,449 for a modest config
Non-upgradeable RAM (soldered)

Detailed Comparison

Keyboard & Trackpad

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12

The ThinkPad keyboard remains the benchmark that every other laptop manufacturer aspires to.

The keyboard is, as always, phenomenal — deep travel, satisfying tactile feedback, and the best layout in the business.
The TrackPoint nub remains polarizing but the trackpad is now large enough that it's no longer a compromise.

MacBook Pro M4

The keyboard and trackpad remain best-in-class among laptops. The typing experience is consistently praised across all reviews.

Keyboard travel and feel remain the gold standard for laptop keyboards
Force Touch trackpad is still miles ahead of any Windows laptop trackpad

Battery Life

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12

Consistent all-day battery life is one of the X1 Carbon's strongest selling points.

I consistently got 11+ hours of real productivity work — web browsing, docs, video calls — without needing a charger.

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Performance

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12

Solid for productivity workloads but not a powerhouse for creative or development tasks.

Intel Core Ultra handles multitasking and office work effortlessly, but don't expect it to replace a MacBook Pro for heavy creative work.
The integrated GPU is fine for light photo editing and even casual gaming, but dedicated GPU options would be welcome.

MacBook Pro M4

The M4 chip delivers 25-30% CPU improvements over M3 with dramatically better GPU performance. The base 24GB unified memory makes multitasking effortless.

M4 delivers the biggest generational leap since M1 — 30% faster CPU, 25% faster GPU
24GB unified memory in the base model is a game-changer for professional workflows
Thunderbolt 5 support future-proofs connectivity for high-bandwidth workflows
Compiles, renders, and exports complete faster than any other laptop tested this year