Computer makers are following the lead of smartphone developers by launching foldable laptops.
Few laptops really turn heads in our technology-saturated age, but I could see people at my local cafe trying to figure out what the heck I was using.
Clearly, a good part of the Thinkpad
With a huge vertical display from the keyboard, folded in half, Lenovo’s Thinkpad next months.
The Thinkpad X1 Fold can be used in many different ways (Lenovo)
The tablet format is almost square and the screen looks great (Pix Rob Waugh)
The Thinkpad
Like the latest wave of foldable phones, the screen now feels solid and durable, and folds away with barely a crease to be seen.
Versatility is the idea that you can turn it from a flexible vertical display to a widescreen laptop, to a foldable laptop with an on-screen “virtual” keyboard, to a very large tablet, all with the help of a sturdy stand which attaches magnetically to the back.
For some reason, you can even place the separate QWERTY keyboard in the bottom half of the screen and turn it into a regular laptop.
There’s also a pen that clicks magnetically on top, allowing you to draw on the screen.
Lenovo unveiled an early version of this device at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), but the refreshed version has a huge, beautiful OLED display (which is almost square, with a 16:3 aspect ratio).
Rivals like HP and LG have announced their own versions and Asus already has one on the market.
So, as always with any technological innovation, the big question is: “Why?”
The big seller here is clearly the screen, which is huge and beautiful (it’s great with movies, although the unusual shape means you get black bars at the top and bottom).
You can use it in book format (Lenovo)
It’s surprisingly comfortable to type on the screen (Pix Rob Waugh)
There is a magnetic pen that you can use to take notes and draw on the screen (Pix Rob Waugh)
The foldable aspect means you can fit a lot of screen into a bag quite easily – folded up, it’s absolutely tiny.
It’s actually very comfortable to use vertically (the idea is that you can use it to code or edit long documents) and it actually feels quite natural to have a slight crease in the middle.
It’s surprisingly comfortable to use with the on-screen keyboard, and I could see it useful for multitasking travelers even without the optional QWERTY add-on.
Like the top end of the foldable phone market, the screen folds completely flat here, with no gap in the middle (it sounds like a small detail, but not having a ‘gap’ makes it fold flatter, feel more durable and attracts less dust). .
Unlike the first foldable phones, this one seems pretty indestructible and has military-grade durability specs – I wasn’t afraid to put it in a bag (with the screen folded, obviously – I’m not a psychopath).
The flexible screen opens up many possibilities (Nenovo)
It’s fast and responsive, regardless of whether you’re scribbling on the screen (Pix Rob Waugh)
It’s fast and responsive, regardless of whether you’re doodling on the screen, typing, or using the touchscreen with your fingers.
The keyboard pairs via Bluetooth and is a very decent keyboard, complete with mouse pad and navigation button in the middle.
Battery life is excellent, easily lasting a day of moderate use, with a fast charge mode for quick recharges.
Of course, there is a rather important “but”: the price.
Ranging from $2,499.00 to over $4,000, many models cost more than the three laptops my family uses combined.
Of course, there’s always a price to pay for being an early adopter (just as there is with the current generation of foldable phones), so for now this is an unrestricted luxury device for people who want to enjoy of the latest technology. first.
But this is a device that definitely has potential and value, so expect to see more of these folding machines in the coming years…