Forget the best folding phones – Lenovo's new 2-in-1 laptop is far larger, with a 16.3-inch display, meaning it can be folded in half to give the footprint of a much smaller 12-inch laptop. The ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2, which I folded and manipulated at IFA 2022, is the second-generation model in this folding-laptop line, the first having been revealed back in 2020. So while it's not a brand new idea, it is a brand new iteration of the format some two years on.
Key to the ThinkPad X1 Fold's design is, of course, that 16.3-inch foldable OLED display, which delivers a 2024 x 2560 resolution, is Dolby Vision HDR certified, and supports touch from both fingers and stylus support. It's a different aspect ratio now, hence why it can fold to just a 12-inch footprint when closed, making it positively tiny to cart about.
Flexible working is the future
Included with the X1 Fold Gen 2 is a keyboard and a stand with stylus holder, both of which can magnetically attach to the main laptop unit for versatile use-cases. Whether you want to use the keyboard with the full 16-inch display, or fold the display by 45-degrees or more and use half the screen as a virtual keyboard, there's plenty of choice.
From its powerful screen impressions, through to powerful innards, the X1 Fold houses up to Intel Core i7 processor options, along with up to 32GB LPDDR5 RAM. You can also spec in 5G wireless connectivity for on-the-go use.
The ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 will be available from November, with a starting price of $2,499. That's rather a lot of dollar for a laptop, but it's no surprise with that special folding feature as part of the package.
