Chinese technology company Lenovo has unveiled the ThinkPad X1 Fold, the world’s first fully functional PC with a folding 13.3-inch OLED display, at the ongoing Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2020). According to Lenovo, the device is built from a combination of lightweight alloys and carbon fibre and is covered in a luxurious leather folio cover, offering the durability and reliability that users expect from any ThinkPad.
Co-engineered with Intel, the ThinkPad X1 Fold will be initially available with Windows 10 in the mid-2020. The company is also planning on offering ThinkPad X1 Fold with Windows 10X at a later date.
When unfolded, the X1 Fold is ideal for touch heavy content consumption tasks. In the landscape mode, with the integrated kickstand in the leather folio case, users can review and annotate the latest presentation or use the Bluetooth Mini Fold Keyboard. When folded closed, the keyboard is stored and wirelessly charged inside the system and remains secured with the help of magnets.
In portrait orientation, users can take notes or draw out concepts using the Active Pen or scroll through. You can fold the screen completely flat and use it as a tablet or bend it slightly to read like a book on your next flight. Users can also leverage two independent displays to optimise efficiency during certain multitasking activities. You can participate in a video call on the upper screen while reviewing and editing a presentation on the lower screen.
‘After working through six different hinge designs and more than twenty different variations, we created a unique multi-link torque hinge mechanism to manage stresses during fold actions. The hinge mechanism, combined with lightweight alloys including a carbon fibre reinforced frame plate, optimises the viewing experience when unfolded flat,’ the company said in a statement.
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold with Windows 10 is expected to be available mid-2020 with prices expected to start at $2499. The Windows 10X version is expected to be available at a later date.
The ThinkPad X1 Fold Stand is expected to be available in the second half of 2020. Pricing will be revealed closer to the launch date.
