Deutsch
Español
Français
Italiano
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Русский
Türkçe
Svenska
Chinese
MagyarCES 2020 | Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold with flexible screen will be available mid 2020 & cost a lot of money
Mid 2019, Lenovo revealed the first PC with a foldable screen. Back then, Lenovo just the public with few details – the product did not even have a final name, though it was already clear that it would be part of the well known ThinkPad brand. The device was said to be on the market in 2020.
At CES 2020, Lenovo is officially announcing the foldable PC today, which is called the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold.
A ThinkPad with a foldable screen – what's it for?
Of course. the screen is at heart of this foldable tablet PC: The 13.3 inch LG pOLED touch-display has a classic 4:3 aspect ratio and a QXGA resolution (2,048 x 1,536) with active pen support. As a flexible display, it can be folded down in the middle.
Folded & closed, the device is very compact, making it easier to transport than comparable tablets & 2-in-1 devices. Weight is not going to be a problem either, as the ThinkPad X1 Fold just weighs 999 g or 2.2 lbs.
Certainly, that is not the only way the device can benefit from the flexible screen. Another way to make use of it is to fold it into laptop mode, where the lower half of the screen can be used as a virtual keyboard. The ThinkPad X1 Fold is bundled with a very compact physical Bluetooth keyboard as well, which can be used in this usage scenario alternatively to the virtual keyboard.
When used for content consumption rather than creation, the ThinkPad X1 Fold can be held almost like a book. The leather cover of the device also contains a stand.
Reliability: Unproven technology meets ThinkPad standards
As with all foldable screen devices, reliability is a major worry. Lenovo tries to give customers piece of mind in this area by emphasizing how much effort the manufacturer put into designing this ThinkPad. Of course, whether the device holds up or not remains to be seen.
According to Lenovo, the ThinkPad X1 Fold has been in development for four years and gone through many different design variations until the manufacturer settled on a multi-link torque hinge mechanism. The body of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold is made out of Carbon fiber & various light-weight metal alloys. Lenovo also says that is is tested extensively, like its other ThinkPad siblings.
Specs, pricing & availability: 8 GB of RAM for a lot of money, Windows 10X version later
When Lenovo teased the public with the X1 Fold, the manufacturer did not say what processor would be used. This is still the case, as the data-sheet lists the CPU as an unnamed "Intel Core Processor with Intel Hybrid Technology", which will have integrated Intel Gen11 graphics. Unfortunately, Lenovo will sell the ThinkPad X1 Fold only with 8 GB LPDDR4X memory – an OK amount of memory for a tablet, but for laptop replacement, we would expect at least 16 GB to be an option.
While that amount of RAM would certainly befit a tablet, the pricing definitely would not: $2,500 is a hefty price to pay for one of the first PCs with a foldable screen. It will be available in mid 2020 and it will run Windows 10. Lenovo also promises a version of the ThinkPad X1 Fold that will run the new Microsoft Windows 10X, though no concrete date for such a model was specified.
Source(s)
Lenovo
