The Lenovo X1 Fold.
Ben SinThe photo collage above shows a relatively large monitor, a small ultrabook-style laptop, a dual-screen reading device shaped like a book, and a tablet with stylus support. They are all one device: the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold, a bleeding-edge, first-of-its-kind “foldable PC.”
That ability to transform hinges on the flexible OLED display panel, which can bend and fold, and a cleverly designed mini keyboard that attaches to half the device.
The tablet, keyboard, plus the stylus—which Lenovo calls “Mod Pen” costs an eye-watering HK$24,799 ($3,200). This price is particularly shocking considering the internals are solid-but-not-top-tier: an Intel Lakefield core i5 processor with an integrated GPU and 8GB of RAM. But still, most of the cost is going to the cutting-edge technology and design—a price to pay for early adopters eager to get a glimpse at the future of personal computing.
And after using this thing for nearly a week, I think it is indeed the future. I absolutely adore the versatility of the X1 Fold, which is especially useful in an always-busy, densely populated city like Hong Kong.
Design: versatile and durable
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold is at its core form a large tablet. The 13.3-inch screen features an unusual 4:3 aspect ratio (most tablets use a more rectangular 16:9), which means this 13.3-inch actually provides much more screen real estate than a 13-inch Dell laptop.
The largeness of the tablet is compounded by the fact the bezels around the screen are large by 2020 standards, and the device itself is thick at almost exactly half an inch when unfolded. The 2.2 pound weight is also heavy by tablet standards (but not so if judged as a laptop).
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The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold.
ben Sin
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold half folded.
Ben SinUsing the tablet is just fine, because the device runs Microsoft’ Windows 10 Pro, which is still first and foremost a computer software. I’ll elaborate more later.
When folded close, the X1 Fold measures 9.3 x 6.23 x 1.09 inches—roughly the dimensions of a hardcover book—albeit a thick one. The back of the tablet is covered in premium leather, which gives the closed machine the vibe of a Moleskin notebook. A corner of the leather cover can be pulled out to work as a kickstand, which props the device up on its own.
The tablet has a non-removable leather back cover.
Ben Sin
The kickstand flap
Ben SInOnce the X1 Fold is propped on a desk, you can pair it with any bluetooth keyboard and use it like an all-in-one desktop device. As mentioned, Lenovo designed an ultra thin keyboard to go with this machine. The keyboard is impossibly thin—thinner than a coin—but still offers solid key travel. The keys are a bit cramped, but overall I can still type on this without any issues. As mentioned, the unusual screen aspect ratio makes this screen feel roomier than usual. In fact, the X1 Fold in this form offers more screen than all but the largest laptops on the market. Unlike those machines, the X1 Fold won’t have problem fitting into any backpack or even a large purse.
The keyboard is thin
ben SinThe reason the keyboard is relatively tight is because it’s designed to clip onto half the tablet—covering half the screen. The keyboard clips on magnetically, and once connected, simply bend the screen at roughly a 90-degree angle and you have yourself a clamshell-style laptop—albeit a small one. You now get only half the screen, which measures around 10-inches diagonally, but the aspect ratio shrinks to 16:9.
The keyboard covers the bottom half of the tablet.
Ben sin
The keyboard covers the bottom half of the tablet.
Ben SinThe screen is a bit cramped in this form factor for extended all-day use in my opinion, but it’s fine for an hour or two in tight spaces—think tight counter tables at coffee shops or airplane seat tray tables.
The stylus works decently. I can sketch and write on it without issues—but it’s nowhere near as responsive as the Apple Pencil. Microsoft’s ecosystem also doesn’t have nearly as many sketching or notetaking apps as iOS.
Jotting notes on the X1 Fold.
Ben SinEarlier, I called the keyboard design “clever,” that’s not just because it turns the device into a clamshell laptop. It’s clever because it fits perfectly in the sliver of space left when the device is folded close. This means you can carry the keyboard with the device without additional bulk. This is an issue no other tablet has ever been able to solve.
The keyboard even has a loop to hold the stylus, so everything you need is in one package with no extras to carry.
The Lenovo X1 Fold with the keyboard and stylus.
Ben SinAnd unlike many foldables, the X1 Fold doesn’t feel flimsy: the hinge is sturdy and Lenovo says the device has passed the standard U.S. military rugged testing. What this means exactly is unclear, but despite folding and unfolding the device at least 100 times over the past week, I heard no creaking from the hinge, and the screen feels rigid and firm.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold in laptop mode.
Ben SinUsing it in the real world
I am what someone would call a “digital nomad,” I do all my work off a computer and I generally don’t have to follow a 9-to-5 schedule or be tied to one spot, which means my place of work differs from day to day. The versatility of the X1 Fold has been extremely useful. At a cramped coffee shop table with a plate of food, I use it in ultrabook form; when I have more table space, I unfold and take advantage of the large screen. If I need to proofread and edit documents, I can mark changes directly on the PDF with the stylus. Sometimes when I’m on a bus, I hold the X1 Fold like a book—partly folded—and read articles on one half of the screen while surfing Instagram on the other half.
The X1 Fold can run two apps side-by-side
Ben SinThe Intel Lakefield chip isn’t the most powerful chip around, but it’s enough to handle all office tasks, whether it’s writing documents, editing photos, handling an excel sheet, or conducting video calls.
You can game on the X1 Fold, too, although graphically intensive games will see the framerate drop here and there.
The software here behaves mostly smoothly, transitioning between various shapes and orientations without issues. However, as I said earlier, Microsoft’s Windows 10 is just bad as a tablet: most buttons remain small, as if Microsoft hasn’t realized that human fingers are thicker than mouse arrows. And navigating the UI with swipes and gestures are cumbersome compared to the iPad, or any smartphone.
I’ve tested over a half dozen Windows tablet in the past couple of years, and this has been the case every time—the issue is Microsoft; not Lenovo.
Battery life is okay—the 50Wh battery can run this thing for about six to seven hours depending on use, and charging is done via USB-C (there are only two ports in this machine—both USB-Cs). The lack of a headphone jack is baffling, and the loud speakers are just decent.
But despite these gripes—and that sky-high $3,000-ish price (it varies from region to region)—I still adore the X1 Fold, because its versatility leaves me in awe even a week later.
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold
Ben SinThe price makes the X1 Fold a hard sell to most average consumers. But for tech enthusiasts excited to try cutting-edge products, or for those who don’t see $3,000 as a significant amount of money, the X1 Fold holds much appeal.
There have been reliable industry rumors stating that Apple is working on a foldable device, but even before I heard the news I was adamant foldable tech is the future. The benefit of having a large screen in a small form factor is too great.
Just imagine one day in the near future when you can pull a book-sized device from your bag, unfold once or twice, and end up with something like an 18-inch screen. I’m excited already.
The Link LonkDecember 28, 2020 at 08:36AM
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Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Review: A Glimpse At The Future Of Portable Computing - Forbes
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