Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold has been launched
for the next-generation market of personal computers. Touted as the world's
first foldable PC, the new Lenovo machine is designed to deliver a laptop
efficiency with smartphone portability. The ThinkPad X1 Fold sports a folding
OLED display that gets folded from the middle to provide a traditional
notebook-like feel. To recall, Lenovo gave a glimpse at the ThinkPad X1 Fold
back in May last year. The company has, however, ultimately chosen CES 2020 to
officially launch the foldable laptop that will hit stores later this year.
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold price is set
at US$ 2,499. The exact launch date of the foldable laptop
is yet to be revealed. However, it is slated to debut sometime in the middle of
2020. Details about the global pricing and availability of the development are
yet to be announced, though.
Featuring the 13.3-inch pOLED display, the
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold is designed as a device that can bridge core strengths
of a phone, tablet, and a laptop. The display panel available on the latest
Lenovo machine has 2048x1536 pixels of resolution that is the same as what
you'll receive on a 9.7-inch iPad. However, there is a mechanical hinge that
enables the foldable form factor.
Lenovo claims that it has been working on
the ThinkPad X1 Fold for over four years and investigated four primary designs
along with six different hinge designs to deliver a durable and reliable
foldable laptop. The company partnered with LG Display for manufacturing the
flexible display, while an Intel team helped ThinkPad engineers overcome
various hinge-related challenges.
In portrait orientation, the ThinkPad X1
Fold can be used to take notes or draw sketches using the Active Pen. You can
also fold the screen out completely flat to avail a tablet-like experience.
Further, it can be bent slightly to read a book.
There is a USB Type-C port that lets you
connect the laptop with a keyboard and mouse or a second display. A ThinkPad X1
Fold Stand has also been developed that will be available in the second half of
this year to help you keep the device in portrait or landscape mode to get a
desktop-like experience. Moreover, Lenovo has built a Bluetooth Mini Fold
Keyboard that can be attached with the foldable laptop to support long-hour
typing.
Lenovo has initially provided Windows 10
on the ThinkPad X1 Fold, though it is in plans to bring Windows 10X at a later
date for an enhanced foldable user experience. Windows 10X was first showcased
on the Microsoft Surface Neo last year and is aimed at foldable and dual-screen
devices.
The ThinkPad X1 Fold is indeed a new
device in the market of computing devices that has several traditional
notebooks and 2-in-1 convertibles. But nonetheless, it isn't something meant
for the masses and would be exclusive to a handful of consumers -- just like
the Samsung Galaxy Fold.
