Lenovo Takes On Samsung Fold With New Think Pad Book Device

Lenovo who are known for their notebook and tablet innovations have taken foldable notebooks to a new level with a new prototype Think Pad X1 that folds like a smartphone.

The 13.3-inch Think Pad has a screen that you can fold into the size of a compact paper notebook that’s just 9.6 inches wide. There is even a pen thrown in.

ChannelNews understands that the device will be shown at IFA in September.

The device has been in development for the past three years, and it will launch in 2020 complete with an LG made 2K OLED screen with a 4:3 aspect ratio.

When it’s folded up, it’s just 9.6 inches and looks like a regular notebook used in schools.

The exterior has been designed to feel like a leather-bound book. The only downside is that it is a lot heavier than a traditional notebook.

As to usage you can unfold it completely and use the built-in kickstand on the rear to keep the screen standing up.

If you connect a Bluetooth keyboard (which will come as a separate item with the final device) to the device, you can use it like a traditional laptop.

Another way to use it is that you can fold the screen halfway and place it down on a table.

You’ll be able to use the bottom half as a virtual keyboard for typing.

The device is designed fortravels who need to work on the go and want something bigger than the Samsung Fold device.

2K screen resolution with a 4:3 aspect ratio.

After the Samsung Fold debacle Lenovo says it’s doubling the number of hinge cycles it tests for its laptops, so that it can prove the foldable mechanism won’t wear down over time.

Because it is under the ThinkPad name, Lenovo said the product will still need to pass its “rigorous” testing to ensure it’s just as durable. All of this is hard to prove at the moment, so we’ll have to wait for the laptop to release to test its long-term usability.

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David Richards

David Richards has been writing about technology for more than 30 years. A former Fleet Street journalist, he wrote the Award Winning Series on the Federated Ships Painters + Dockers Union for the Bulletin that led to a Royal Commission. He is also a Logie Winner for Outstanding Contribution To TV Journalism with a story called The Werribee Affair. In 1997, he built the largest Australian technology media company and prior to that the third largest PR company that became the foundation company for Ogilvy PR. Today he writes about technology and the impact on both business and consumers.