CES 2016: Lenovo Shakes Up ThinkPad X1 Line With Surface Rival

Lenovo's CES Product Blitz

Lenovo is revving up its X1 line of hardware at CES 2016 with some serious new pizazz. On Monday, Lenovo introduced a new OLED display for a new X1 convertible PC that takes direct aim at Microsoft's Surface hardware. Just two days ahead of the official kickoff to CES 2016, the Chinese computer leader got a jump on its competition, introducing a bevy of new products, from a new modular ThinkPad tablet to a ThinkPad Yoga convertible PC and a pro version of its all-in-one PC.

Look for major PC makers to answer Lenovo's X1 product blitz this week with their own impressive hardware announcements. We are sure to see hardware offerings from Dell and HP Inc. that also pack more performance and better battery life into slimmed-down devices.

Here is a first look at Lenovo's CES 2016 lineup.

Lenovo CES Headliner: Modular X1 Tablet

Lenovo is hoping to hit it big with commercial and consumer buyers with its ThinkPad X1 tablet, which has three optional clip-on modules to add functionality. The base X1 tablet can be configured with Intel's Core m7 processor and has a 10-hour battery life. The tablet has a 12-inch display, runs Windows 10, weighs 1.75 pounds and is 0.3 inches thick.

ThinkPad X1 will be available starting in February from $900.

ThinkPad X1 Tablet: The Modules

The idea behind the ThinkPad X1's modularity is that you can build your own tablet to meet your needs, as opposed to getting stuck with paying extra for unwanted features. For example, Lenovo offers a productivity module ($150) that can boost the tablet's battery life up to 15 hours (from 10 hours). The battery module, like all other modules, just snaps onto the tablet.

The ThinkPad X1's presenter module ($280) includes a pico projector and an HDMI port. The module, according to Lenovo, can project a 60-inch image from a 2-meter range. The third module, a 3-D imaging module ($150), includes a rear-facing Intel RealSense camera.

OLED Debuts In Lenovo Line

Lenovo is making a big statement here at CES by bringing an OLED screen to its convertible PC, giving it far sharper images than the LCD displays used in most other Lenovo laptops and convertible PCs. The ThinkPad X1 Yoga will start at $1,500 in January; models with OLED displays will launch in April at an undisclosed price.

The ThinkPad X1 Yoga will feature 14-inch touch display, Intel's core i7 vPro CPU and 11-hour battery life. The chassis weighs in at 2.8 lbs. and is 0.67 inches thick.

ThinkPad X1 Carbon

Lenovo gives its ThinkPad X1 Carbon an update, shaving millimeters and grams off the previous model's chassis. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon now weighs 2.6 pounds and is 0.65 inches thick. The previous ThinkPad X1 Carbon weighed 3.4 pounds and was 0.8 inches thick. Other notable updates include the new USB Type C ports and LTE advanced mobile connectivity (a two-times improvement over the standard LTE technology). Pro features include an optional fingerprint reader, built-in Intel vPro technology and the configuration option of up to 1 TB high-density, low-power Samsung M.2 NVMe SSD storage -- offering read/write speeds up to five times that of standard SATA SSD.

ThinkPad X1 Carbon will be available starting in February from $1,300.

ThinkCentre X1 All-In-One

Lenovo's new ThinkCentre X1 all-in-one PC boasts a big, 23.8-inch diameter and 1.3-inch-thick display, including an Intel i7 vPro processor, integrated Intel HD 520 graphics and 16 GB of DDR4 memory. Ports include 2 USB 3.0 ports on the front side of the system and three more on the back.

The ThinkCentre X1 AIO will be available starting in March from $1,030.

Gorgeous New 4K X1 Display

Lenovo is also using CES as a launch pad for a new ThinkVision X1 27-inch 4-K display that is 0.3 inches thick. For ports, the monitor includes the new USB Type C connector along with HDMI, DisplayPort, Mini DisplayPort, and a standard USB connector. Resolutions are 3,840 by 2,160 for the IPS backlit LED panel that has a $800 price (available in March).