Lenovo's ThinkPad X12 Detachable, unveiled at CES 2021, is likely to be outmatched by Microsoft's Surface Pro.

Microsoft may have just announced its new Surface Pro 7+ for business users, but Lenovo offers its own unique flavor, promising durability, speed, and the tried and true Lenovo typing experience.

On top of that, the ThinkPad X12 Detachable has a very sharp camera, so you don't need an external webcam to see crisp, clear images. But is this enough to make our Best Laptops list?

The X12 Detachable should be available this month (January 2021). Prices start at $1,149. Frustratingly, Lenovo only offers the top specs for each component, so we don't know what the entry-level model configuration will be.

Thankfully, this starting price includes a attachable folio keyboard. If not, Lenovo would have an uphill battle against detachable devices like the Surface Pro 7+, which starts at $899 and is several hundred dollars cheaper.

As for specs, Lenovo's detachable can be armed to the bezel, with up to a vPro-powered quad-core 11th generation Intel Core i7 CPU, up to 16GB of LPDDR4x RAM, and up to 1TB of NVMe SSD storage. [As for the tablet's display, it will feature a 12.3-inch Full HD+ (larger than 1920 x 1080, but not 2K or 4K) screen, which will be driven by Intel Iris Xe graphics. Lenovo has announced that the ThinkPad X12's 42WHr battery will last up to 10 hours (rounded to the nearest 9.98 hours); the Surface Pro 7 did not last 8 hours, so we expect this claim to be fulfilled.

Lenovo has equipped the X12 Detachable with excellent cameras for the following conference calls: a 5MP front-facing camera (the same as the new HP Dragonfly Max has) and an 8MP rear-facing camera.

The ThinkPad X12 Detachable has one thing the Surface Pro does not: the Lenovo TrackPoint pointing stick. This stick has inspired brand loyalty for years. [The X12 Detachable also has robust security, including a fingerprint reader, dTPM 2.0 chip, IR camera for facial recognition, and Intel vPro.

With an easel kickstand and attachable keyboard, the ThinkPad X12 Detachable is similar to the Surface Pro 7, but in black instead of silver. Measuring 11.2 x 8 x 0.4 inches, it is slightly thicker than the Surface Pro 7 (11.5 x 7.9 x 0.33). It also weighs 1.7 pounds, slightly heavier than the Pro 7 at 1.6 pounds.

But these are very small differences and not worth penalizing Lenovo's machine; Lenovo says the X12 is durable enough to pass multiple MIL-SPEC tests against extreme temperatures, dust, drops, and direct impact. The screen also has the added protection of Corning Gorilla Glass 5.

As for ports and security, the X12 Detachable offers a decent selection for a tablet: a Thunderbolt 4 port, a standard USB-C port, and a headphone jack.

The more companies that enter the premium detachable 2-in-1 market, the better for customers. Hopefully, Lenovo's ThinkPad X12 Detachable will encourage Microsoft and other companies to innovate.

If Lenovo's battery life claims prove out in our tests, the X12 Detachable is going to be a serious contender in the convertible laptop world. Stay tuned for a full review.