It was time for a new laptop. Features that I wanted: long battery life, a nice screen, a good keyboard, and sub 13". I settled on the Thinkpad X250, and I'm very happy with it so far.
Specs are as follows:
Processor:
Intel® Core™ i5-5300U Processor (3M Cache, Up to 2.90 GHz)
Operating System:
Arch Linux x86-64
Graphics:
Intel® HD Graphics 5500
Memory:
8GB DDR3L_1600 SoDIMM
Display:
12.5" FHD (1920x1080) IPS Display 400nit, WWAN
Dimensions (W x D x H):
12.03" x 8.21" x 0.8"
Webcam:
720p Camera
Storage:
MyDigitalSSD 256GB M.2 2242
SAMSUNG Spinpoint M9T 2TB 5400 RPM
Battery:
3 cell 23.2 Wh_Front
6 cell 72 Wh_Rear
Keyboard:
US Keyboard Backlit - US English
I/O Ports:
1 x VGA
1 x mini DP
2 x USB 3.0
1 x Integrated Smartcard Reader
1 x Mic / headphone combo
1 x RJ45
1 x FPR
4-in-1 card reader (SD, MMC, SDHC, SDXC)
WiFi adapter
Intel 7265AC+BT 2x2
AC Adapter:
45W AC Adpt US (2pin)
Basically the options added were a better processor, the 1920 x 1080 IPS display (definitely get either this one or the Multi-touch one, but don't get the TN panel one), 8 GB memory instead of 4 GB, and the extended battery. I removed the 500 GB HDD it came with and installed the SSD into the M.2 slot and 2 TB HDD into the HDD bay.
Battery life is very good with the extended battery. Together, the internal battery plus the extended battery provide 95 Wh. I have charging thresholds set to stop at 90%. To test the battery life, I set the screen brightness to 25%, and used the laptop to listen to music, browse the web, read PDFs, and even compile a package. I got 12 hours, with average power usage being 7W. (95Wh x 90% / 7W = 12 Hrs) I am also using TLP for power management.
Other than the very good battery life, it has a very nice keyboard, and I like the 1920 x 1080 IPS screen a lot. I use the VGA and miniDP to connect my 2 23" 1920 x 1080 IPS monitors.
If you are looking for a new laptop with the primary objectives being battery life, screen, keyboard, and sub 13", the X250 is a very nice laptop.