While Samsung, Motorola and Huawei race to launch production smartphones with foldable screens, Lenovo has entered the bendy tech space with the “world’s first foldable PC.”
The Chinese electronics company revealed a prototype of the yet-named device as a part of the ThinkPad X1 line at its sold-out Accelerate conference in Las Vegas.
A press release categorizes it as a “full-fledged laptop with a foldable screen,” that’s powered by Intel and runs Windows, adding that “this is not a phone, tablet, or familiar hybrid.”
The OLED 2K polymer display measures 13.3 inches diagonally unfolded and 9.6 inches when doubled over on a torque hinge.
Other details are sparse, but Lenovo offered a host of possible uses for a foldable PC, all of which revolve around it being a powerful, portable alternative to everything else on the market.
One possible issue that could prevent it from being a big hit with mobile workers is the lack of a physical keyboard.
Per Wired:
One of the challenges with building a foldable-display PC, as opposed to a foldable phone, is that users will be looking for adequate keyboard solutions.
With this device you can use it as a clamshell laptop, but the default keyboard is an on-display, touchscreen keyboard.
You can also use it as a two-in-one, where you prop it up as a tablet and then use a Bluetooth keyboard. You can use it as a large tablet, or slightly folded like a book.
Considering that review copies of the Samsung Galaxy Fold smartphone fell apart almost immediately and caused the company to push back its full roll out indefinitely, it’s probably a good thing that Lenovo is waiting to launch the foldable PC until 2020.
Hopefully it’ll be worth the wait.