Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold first review: laptop with foldable display

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Specifications Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold

Design and appearance

Laptop display

Keyboard and data entry

Iron productivity

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold battery

Total

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Folding Screen Laptop - Video

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold became the first foldingpersonal computer on the market, but phones made using the same technology have not yet been successful due to the high cost. Conventional laptops are quite heavy, uncomfortable to carry, and often have nowhere to put them - cutting the size in half seems like a great solution.

The only question was, is it possible withtechnical side. Lenovo thought so, and released the first foldable model, the ThinkPad X1 Fold, for 150,000 rubles ($2,500). At first glance, it seems that this is an excellent innovative device, the performance of which is enough for all everyday tasks. However, the X1 Fold is unlikely to be a must-have device on the road - especially since it's expensive when the keyboard is too small.

However, the ThinkPad X1 Fold should not haveto revolutionize the PC world is enough for people to see the usefulness of this type of device. And Lenovo succeeded. The device will go on sale in mid-2020. The price will also depend on the amount of internal storage and whether an external keyboard is needed in the kit.

Read also: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 4 review: metal business laptop

Specifications Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold

• Display: 13.3-inch QXGA OLED foldable touchscreen (2048×1.536, 4:3 aspect ratio, 300 nits, DCI-P3 95%)
• Processor (CPU): Intel Core with Intel Hybrid Technology.
• Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics (Gen 11).
• RAM: 8 GB LPDDR4X (4267 MHz).
• ROM: up to 1TB SSD (PCIe-NVMe M.2).
• Ports: 2x USB-C 3.1 (one Gen 2).
• Price: from $2500 (150 thousand rubles).

Design and appearance

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold seems simple at firstbig tablet. It has a 13.3-inch plastic OLED display, a kickstand on the back, built-in speakers, an electronic stylus, and a 4:3 panel aspect ratio. You might think that this is a new tablet from Lenovo. However, X1 Fold runs on a full version of the Windows 10 operating system.

The device can be folded, reducing the size by twofold and turn it into an ultra-portable laptop, and when closed, it fits easily into a bag (weighs only 1 kg). There is no visible bend in the middle, the screen remains on until you close the device completely.

Everything about the ThinkPad X1 Fold works exactly as it should.advertised. The computer can be fully expanded and used as a tablet. Close it half way, putting on one of the sides a special keyboard connected via Bluetooth (sold separately, the price is still unknown) and use the device as a compact laptop.

The plastic OLED display is very well protected fromscratches, the protective cover is covered with leather, so it will be quite difficult to accidentally break the gadget. The bend also seems reliable and no doubt. Lenovo has made a foldable laptop out of plastic, metal and carbon fiber to ensure the display is secure when open or folded.

The manufacturer does not say how many (thousand)bending will withstand the device, but it is worth remembering that someday these effects will negatively manifest themselves. According to Lenovo, the device will last for three to five years, by which time it will already be obsolete. Yes, conventional laptops live longer, this is also worth considering.

The case also has an on / off button and two USB-C connectors. Most external devices will need to be connected via a Bluetooth connection.

Laptop display

When unfolded, Lenovo display diagonalThe ThinkPad X1 Fold is 13.3 inches. It can be used as a tablet for watching movies or reading books, or as a laptop for entering text using the numeric keypad. There is also a stand, thanks to which the X1 Fold can be placed on a table. If you connect a regular wireless mouse or keyboard, the device will become a monoblock.

A special keyboard can be put onthe bottom half of the device half-folded - then the ThinkPad X1 Fold will become a small laptop with a 7-inch screen. Yes, this is small, but no less than most modern tablets. The work will be difficult, but possible.

The only negative is that the device does not change orientationscreen automatically. When turning and opening, you need to do this yourself by clicking on a special icon. It seems like a small thing, however, if you use the device all day, it will become annoying over time.

Keyboard and data entry

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold touchscreen worksin two modes: folded and opened. In general, an external keyboard is optional here, although it is indispensable for typing large texts. That is why, together with the X1 Fold, a special keyboard from Lenovo is offered, which is attached to the device magnetically.

However, it is so small in size thatcomfortable typing can be forgotten. The key layout is very cramped when the keyboard itself is thin and the buttons have almost no travel. You'll probably be making a lot of typos here, and the small touchpad makes things even worse.

Iron productivity

Although the ThinkPad X1 Fold will costfrom 150 thousand rubles, in many respects its price is due to the design, and not the characteristics of the internal components. The hardware here is powerful enough to handle most day-to-day tasks, but it's far worse than a typical PC at a similar price.

In the base assembly, X1 Fold will receive 256 GBinternal SSD storage (which can be expanded up to 1TB) and 8GB of RAM. A fairly powerful processor from Intel with an integrated graphics card will work inside, but there are no exact specifications yet. I can only say that the device will not pull heavy games, although it will cope with ordinary work tasks.

A 5G build will also go on sale, but the new networks are not yet very common, so the usefulness of the model will depend more on the location of the buyer.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold battery

ThinkPad X1 Fold will get a 50Wh batteryenergy which is enough for about 11 hours of work. This is a normal figure for laptops of this size and performance, a more accurate estimate can only be given after a few weeks spent with a computer.

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A logical question may arise - why is it necessaryLenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold, if you can buy the best 13-inch laptop for half the price? Folding technology is, of course, interesting, and it works well. But, most importantly, its purpose is to save space and weight, although laptops with a diagonal of 13 inches do this quite well.

However, the ThinkPad X1 Fold is the first deviceof this kind, and will be a good test for the new technology. Lenovo doesn't expect everyone to immediately buy the device once it's released, rather the company hopes that users will discover new ways to use their laptop and the device will create a new niche in the market.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Folding Screen Laptop - Video Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Story Main Tour Alexander ShamanAlexander has been writing for a long timealmost two decades. Initially, he collected technology news for local media. His love of science fiction awakened a huge thirst for knowledge. Trying to understand how it works and whether it can work better, he becomes so carried away, as if he is immersed in a trance. For this, among colleagues in TehnObzor, he received the nickname - Shaman. The first device of this kind Design and ergonomics97 / -100 Display and multimedia89 / -100 Keyboard and input devices78 / -100 Connectors and ports74 / -100 Performance82 / -100 Communications and connections88 /-100 Runtime86 /-100 Total 84.9 Overall, the ThinkPad X1 Fold is well-executed, although it's overpriced. Not everyone will need a folding computer, especially since it does not cope with all tasks. However, every successful technology has taken its first step, and the X1 Fold did too. Advantages and disadvantages Thin and light Decent features Unique folding design Solid hinge and build quality Very expensive Narrow secondary keyboard