Initial reviews show the limitations of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold

The ThinkPad X1 Fold is finally here and in the hands of reviewers. Sadly, it is not all rosy for Lenovo's first foldable. The ThinkPad X1 Fold starts at US$2,499, although that only gets you 256 GB of storage and no accessories. Lenovo charges US$2,749 for the detachable keyboard and pen, and another US$50 if you want a Windows 10 Pro licence. Prices rise to US$3,099 though if you want 1 TB of storage, instead of 256 GB.

For that money, you could pick up practically any high-end laptop or 2-in-1, although they lack the foldable display that the ThinkPad X1 Fold has. However, MKBHD inadvertently summed up the limitations of the new form factor, in our opinion, despite ringing its praises. In short, the foldable screen appears to offer no added functionality than one could already get with a Surface Pro. MKHBD highlights the tablet mode of the ThinkPad X1 Fold, before explaining that the detachable keyboard offers a better typing experience than the onscreen keyboard does. 

PC Watch has demonstrated the drawbacks of Intel's Lakefield processor, too. The Core m3-8100Y in the Surface Go 2 outperforms the ThinkPad X1 Fold and its Core i5-L16G7 in multiple benchmarks, for example, while also lasting longer in PCMark 10 battery life tests. The Core m3-8100Y should offer about 91% of the Core i5-L16G7 according to our database, but Lenovo may have tuned its performance based on the form factor of the ThinkPad X1 Fold, somewhat.

Ultimately, the ThinkPad X1 Fold disappoints on price, performance and does not offer more versatility than something like a Surface Pro. Nonetheless, we hold out hope for the likes of Lenovo delivering more useful second and third-generation foldable laptops, as Samsung has with its foldable smartphones.