Lenovo Teases World's First ThinkPad X1 Windows PC With 13-inch Folding OLED Display
The company announced tonight that it is currently developing the "world's first foldable PC" and that it will actually be released to the market next year. Lenovo isn't being specific about an exact launch date, so it's simply sticking with 2020 for now. And although Lenovo hasn't announced an official name for the device yet, we know that it will be part of the company's elite ThinkPad X1 family.
The most important aspect of the device will no doubt be its display, and in this case, Lenovo says that it will measure 13.3-inches when unfolded. We also know that it is an OLED panel (2K resolution) manufactured by LG Display, and when the screen is folded in half, it will measure 9.6-inches.
This will be a fully Windows 10-compliant device running an unnamed Intel processor. It will feature a total of two USB-C ports, an IR camera (for Windows Hello), stereo speakers, a Wacom pen and a detachable Bluetooth mechanical keyboard. As for battery life, Lenovo is claiming that the PC will be able to last all day.
The device, which has been in development for over three years, uses what Lenovo calls a torque hinge, which bends the display and allows into maintain its position in a variety of angles like a traditional laptop or convertible. In many ways, without having seen the device in action, its operation sounds a lot like that of Lenovo’s Yoga line of 2-in-1 convertibles, offering a number of different positions like tablet mode, notebook mode, stand mode, etc.
With that being said, it remains to be seen if Lenovo and LG have been able to work out the kinks with first-generation folding displays. Both the Galaxy Fold and Mate X have noticeable creases in their displays when unfolded. Having a crease in a PC-centric device, especially one that will be will be usable with a Wacom pen, might get annoying very quickly.
At this time, we don’t have any additional information on this new ThinkPad X1 entry. Lenovo does say, however, that more details on the device’s specifications and availability will be revealed in 2020.
