Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold: The Future's Not Quite Here Yet

It’s somewhat surprising that the world’s first foldable-screen PC is a ThinkPad. When foldable screens debuted on phones last year, they were expensive gimmicks with questionable durability. ThinkPads are mostly expensive laptops, to be sure, but they’re legendary for being the opposite of gimmicky and flimsy. Fortunately, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold has the benefit of years of testing and research, and, at least as far as physical design is concerned, this Windows tablet mostly lives up to its ThinkPad name.

- TOM BRANT

That said, it compares poorly with established Windows tablets such as the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 on price, battery life, and computing performance, making it a tough sell for the general public. Still, this revolutionary tablet PC is rugged, futuristic, and unlike any Windows device you’ve ever seen. Like the controversial original Samsung Galaxy Fold, the ThinkPad X1 Fold has an undeniable cool factor that will appeal to early adopters. Everyone else should wait a year or two in the hopes that a more reasonably priced and powerful sequel comes along, and that Windows integrates foldability better.

THE FIRST FOLDABLE WINDOWS TABLET

The X1 Fold is a twin-faceted computing revolution. The most groundbreaking innovation, of course, is the physical design of the tablet. From the Apple iPad to the Microsoft Surface Go, most tablets have screens with diagonal measurements of around 12 inches or less. The X1 Fold’s 13.3-inch display is slightly larger, a more fitting size when you’re viewing feature-rich websites or editing spreadsheets. While the tablet isn’t heavy (2.2 pounds), I’ve found that the best way to make use of the screen’s full expanse is by propping it up on a desk with its built-in kickstand, much the same as you would with the Surface Pro 7.