Lenovo has taken the foldable concept and extended it to a larger form factor, thus making Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold the world's first foldable personal computer. The device, launched at the ongoing CES 2020, combines the usability of a laptop with the portability of a smartphone.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold features
The laptop comes with a 13.3-inch OLED touchscreen (provided by LG) with a ratio of 4:3 and a resolution of 2048×1536 pixels. A full-size traditional keyboard and mouse can be connected via USB-C.
It runs on Intel Core processors with Intel Hybrid Technology and comes with 8 gigs of RAM and up to 1 TB SSD storage. 5G connectivity is available as an option, and the total battery life is expected to be around 11 hours per charge.
The hinge of the fold is based on a multi-link torque mechanism. The material used in the construction includes carbon fiber and lightweight alloys, and it comes with a leather folio cover. The total weight is just short of a kilogram (including the cover).
An optional Active Pen and a Bluetooth Mini Fold Keyboard is available to be paired and used. This keyboard can be placed on the bottom half of the display, and with the top half folded, the device resembles and works as a mini laptop. The keyboard safely fits in the gap in the middle when the display is completely folded. It is held there by magnets and charged wirelessly.
Since the keyboard is optional, an on-screen virtual keyboard can also be used. It pops up at the bottom half of the display when the physical keyboard is not connected. If one needs more display real estate for a task, the physical keyboard can be connected wirelessly, and the complete screen can be used unfolded.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold runs on Microsoft Windows 10. Until Windows 10X is released, which will have support for dual-screen devices, Lenovo has come up with a mode-switching application for Windows 10 to support the foldable form factor on the laptop and its various supported configurations.
Quoting Christian Teismann, President, Commercial PC and Smart Device Business, Lenovo,
"Creating the world's first foldable PC is a major engineering challenge, but Lenovo is more than up to the task. Our legendary ThinkPad heritage has given us the foundation for progressive design over the years to now build an engineering masterpiece with X1 Fold, a new category of device that comes along once in a decade."
Pricing and availability
The Windows 10 variant of the X1 Fold is expected to release sometime around the middle of this year. It starts at a price of $2,500 (₹1,80,000 approx.).
Ankit writes code for a living. He reviews gadgets and books in his free time, and believes in the magical power of a strong cup of coffee.
