Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Fold is now available to order through its online store. Starting at $2,499, Lenovo’s marketing department has billed this as the “world’s first foldable PC,” and while critics think that’s a stupid thing to say (laptops are technically foldable PCs), there isn’t anything like it on the current market.
The ThinkPad X1 Fold’s hallmark feature is a 13.3-inch OLED display that can be folded, which allows the device to easily switch between laptop and tablet form factors. We’re not sure how well the screen copes with repeated usage, but Lenovo says that it worked with Intel and LG Display on a unique hinge mechanism that should handle extensive folding cycles.
“Our ThinkPad development team has worked tirelessly with Intel engineering to overcome the hinge’s mechanical and electrical engineering challenges,” the company wrote in a press release from January. “And through our partnership with LG Display, we are setting new standards towards perfecting foldable screen technology. The efforts have resulted in several innovative developments:
- After working through six different hinge designs and more than twenty different variations, we created a unique multi-link torque hinge mechanism to manage stresses during fold actions.
- The hinge mechanism, combined with lightweight alloys including a carbon fiber reinforced frame plate, optimizes the viewing experience when unfolded flat.
- The pOLED display used in X1 Fold has undergone extensive durability testing to make sure it meets our usability criteria in terms of tapping, tracing and dropping.
- Built to endure the same testing as other ThinkPad laptops, the X1 Fold continues to endure extensive screen folding cycles, stress tests and pen usage tests to meet our stringent quality criteria.”
You can check out the configurations available here. The most expensive configuration ($3,099) features an Intel Core i5-L16G7 Processor (1.40 GHz, up to 3.0 GHz with Turbo Boost, 5 Cores, 5 Threads, 4 MB Cache), 8 GB LPDDR4X 4267 MHz memory, and a 1 TB PCIe SSD.