Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Review (with battery slice 39+)

The optional battery slice – called the '39+' is a lithium ion cell 36wh design which is meant to double the battery life. It is rather tricky to get in the UK but can be ordered from partners on the Amazon store. It retails for around £230 inc vat, so it is a costly addition. It adds an extra 390g to the weight of the machine.

The standard internal battery of the ThinkPad X1 cannot be removed in the same way as a normal battery, this is why Lenovo opted for the slice style.

Inside, the battery is enclosed in a protective cover with a single page ‘manual' explaining how to fit the battery slice to the machine.

The battery itself is very long and also very thin. The fitting procedure is a little more complex than a standard battery.

Firstly, slide back a protective cover on the main body of the ThinkPad X1, this allows the battery slice to ‘join' the main body of the machine.

Check that the main lock and unlock icon is in the ‘unlock' position.

Slot the battery into two holding positions in the main laptop body, then push down until it clicks into place. Push the locking switch into ‘locked' mode and flatten on a clip mechanism on the other side. It adds a little bulk to the unit, but it is actually not that noticeable under real world conditions.

We read about problems with this battery slice on the official Lenovo forums, but we didn't experience any issues with the one we received for review, so hopefully it was isolated to an earlier batch, since rectified.

We will analyse battery performance later in the review.

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