Tech changes fast. Features we get excited about seem quaint in mere years — it’s a constant evolution. So, it’s rare indeed that a line of devices keeps a core feature around for a whole decade, let alone 25 years, but that was the case with the Trackpoint, the little red nub found on the keyboard of nearly every Lenovo (and at one time IBM) ThinkPad laptop.
That little red orb controlled the mouse cursor as an alternative to the touchpad, and it stuck around for the old ThinkPad faithful. But, all things do pass, and it seems like even the Trackpoint’s time has come in the ThinkPad X9.
One of Lenovo’s many product announcements at CES 2025 electronics expo in Las Vegas, the ThinkPad X9 continues the X1 Carbon line of premium ThinkPads, except it looks nothing like its predecessors. Not only is the Trackpoint once nestled between the G, H, and B keys gone, the Lenovo has abandoned the familiar black chassis completely, with a silvery aluminum look the sole option. It looks like the top row of function keys has gotten a bit bigger, and that the keys are still a little grooved, as ThinkPad keys usually are.
That little red dot is a big deal—it’s been a ThinkPad mainstay ever since the line was created by IBM 25 years ago, before IBM sold their PC business to Lenovo. It’s not just for nostalgia, either, as lots of folks used it to control the cursor without having to remove their hands from the keyboard. So, its removal will have longtime ThinkPad users talking.
Lenovo has been working on making the transition easier over the past few years of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon line, introducing large, haptic touchpads that are a little easier to use with thumbs — not a direct replacement of the Trackpoint, but not bad. The ThinkPad X9 has one of those large haptic touchpads, too.
While the most iconic ThinkPad feature is on the outs, it looks like Lenovo is still committed to other classic ThinkPad staples. Historically, ThinkPads have been rugged, long-lasting business PCs — there’s a reason they’ve been used in space! — and the ThinkPad X9 is no different, earning military grade MIL-SPEC 810H certification.
They were also known for ease of repair, which is rare in laptops today, but the ThinkPad X9 bucks that trend. Lenovo has put ports (including two Thunderbolt ports) on what they call an engine hub that runs across the underside of the laptop. In addition to helping with cooling, that engine hub allows for easy access to critical components, in case the SSD or battery needs to be repaired.
The ThinkPad X9 is still, at heart, a premium business laptop. Coming with the latest generation of Intel Core Ultra processors and Intel vPro technology, the ThinkPad X9 will be powerful and have a full suite of security features to make sure any company-issued ThinkPads will be safe in the hands of employees remotely.
There will be 14-inch and 15-inch models available, and both will be Windows 11 CoPilot+ PCs, giving them access to Microsoft’s on-device and cloud AI features, including image generation, AI-generated note summaries, and live translations. Both models will come with OLED displays, with touchscreens optional.
Both sizes will also get Aura Edition releases that Lenovo has put together with Intel. The ThinkPad X9 Aura Edition will add one of the best extra features in Smart Share, which makes sharing photos and files with nearby mobile devices easy and fast. They’ll also get preset Smart Modes — shield, collaboration, attention, power, and wellness — which adjust security, privacy, and other settings. You might move into attention mode if you need to lock in and minimize distractions, or switch to shield mode if you’re working on something particularly sensitive. That makes the Aura Edition options perfect for folks who want to take full advantage of what the ThinkPad X9 has to offer without constantly having to manage changing settings on their own.
And, as with the ThinkPad X1 Carbon line, the ThinkPad X9 will be a showcase for Lenovo’s sustainability efforts. The chassis will be made with 50% recycled aluminum and a 100% recycled cobalt cell battery, while the packaging will ditch plastic for paper, sugarcane fiber, and bamboo, all materials that can easily be recycled or composted.
The ThinkPad X9 is still mostly a ThinkPad at heart, even if by outside appearances it looks more like the premium laptops of virtually everyone else, from Apple to Dell to HP and beyond. Still, it’ll be an adjustment to get our hands on a ThinkPad without that red Trackpoint nub. We’ll see what everyone else, including the ThinkPad faithful, thinks when the 14-inch and 15-inch Aura Edition laptops arrive sometime in February, with the 14-inch laptop starting at $1,400 and the 15-inch laptop starting at $1,550.