Lenovo's X1 Carbon, X1 Yoga for 2020 let you easily block prying eyes

I just reviewed the seventh-gen ThinkPad X1 Carbon and fourth-gen ThinkPad X1 Yoga a few months back and here we are with their replacements, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 and ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 5, already being announced ahead of CES 2020. If you happened to buy one of the last-gen models, however, you're not missing out on too much with these new ones expected sometime in 2020.

In fact, considering these are the company's flagship business laptop and two-in-one, the planned feature updates aren't what I would consider CES material at all. There will be processor bumps for the new models, for instance, going up to Intel's 10th-gen processors, including a six-core Core i7. 

You'll also have the option of configuring them with a new 500-nit panel with Lenovo's PrivacyGuard, which makes it more difficult for people off to the sides of your screen to see what's on it. The fifth-gen X1 Yoga will also have the company's PrivacyAlert feature, which notifies you on screen if your webcam detects someone shoulder surfing behind you and it will automatically activate the PrivacyGuard.

Another addition is a new set of buttons in the top keyboard row for answering and ending VoIP calls. It might seem like a small thing, but if you spend a lot of your workday dialing into meetings on your laptop it's a great convenience feature. Lenovo also includes its physical shutter for the webcam and a mic mute button for increased privacy. 

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 and ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 5 will arrive in the US sometime in 2020 starting at $1,499 and $1,599, respectively. Prices elsewhere are TBA.