The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold 16 Gen 1 boasts a revolutionary folding OLED display that offers a unique user experience. Its ability to transform from a compact 12-inch netbook to a spacious 16-inch display makes it ideal for various tasks. The near-invisible seam ensures a smooth viewing surface when unfolded, making it perfect for gaming, watching movies, or working on creative projects. The ThinkPad X1 Fold 16 Gen 1 stands out as a prime example of successful foldable laptop design, offering a glimpse into the future of mobile computing.
Learning from the Past: The Improved Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold 16 Gen 1
Launched in 2020, the first iteration of the ThinkPad X1 Fold aimed to be a revolutionary foldable laptop. While boasting a beautiful OLED display, it faced challenges with short battery life, a limited display size and brightness, and an underpowered processor. Additionally, the high starting price of $2,500 excluded the stylus and keyboard, and the device occasionally struggled to identify its usage mode (tablet vs. laptop).
Lenovo has addressed these shortcomings significantly in the 2024 ThinkPad X1 Fold 16 Gen 1. The display is now considerably larger and brighter, offering a more immersive experience. Battery life has doubled, and processing power with integrated graphics has seen a substantial boost. The design is even more aesthetically pleasing.
Recognizing the importance of drawing capabilities, Lenovo now includes a stylus with the Fold. This elevates the device to a level where it excels as both a netbook and a drawing tablet. While the starting price remains at $2,500, it feels more justified due to the improved features. However, it’s important to note that the crucial Bluetooth keyboard and kickstand folio are sold separately at an additional $300. While the virtual keyboard functions adequately, it’s not ideal for extended typing tasks. The kickstand folio, on the other hand, is essential for propping the Fold next to a larger monitor, replicating a traditional dual-screen setup.
Addressing Keyboard and Stand Needs
While third-party tablet stands exist for under $20 and could potentially accommodate the Fold’s 16-inch display, they lack the functionality of the official keyboard cover. These stands wouldn’t offer keyboard functionality or the portability benefits of a dedicated solution.
The search for a compatible third-party magnetic keyboard proved unsuccessful. Even if such a product existed, replicating the seamless functionality of the official keyboard cover, including automatic switching to laptop mode upon attachment, would be challenging. This highlights the importance of the official keyboard folio, as replicating its features with readily available alternatives seems unlikely.
Dual Monitor vs. Foldable Display: A Productivity Comparison
While the ThinkPad X1 Fold excels in specific areas when used alongside a dedicated monitor and keyboard setup, it presents trade-offs compared to the Yoga Book 9i for some workflows.
One key advantage of the Fold is its continuous display. Unlike the Yoga Book 9i’s dual screens separated by a hinge, the Fold eliminates the disruption of a central gap, providing a seamless viewing experience for tasks involving continuous content like text documents.
However, the Yoga Book 9i counters with its larger overall workspace thanks to its two 13.3-inch displays. Additionally, the Yoga Book offers more flexibility in adjusting the top screen’s angle to match an external monitor. This eliminates the warping effect experienced on the Fold’s single display when multiple windows are open and the Fold is tilted at an angle. While the Fold’s tilt adjustment eventually became a non-issue, the Yoga Book’s configuration offers a more ergonomic advantage in specific scenarios.
Unveiling the Design: A Blend of Form and Function
The ThinkPad X1 Fold 16 Gen 1 boasts a unique user experience that extends beyond its innovative folding display. The transition to desktop mode is remarkably smooth. With the keyboard nestled within the magnetic folio cover, users simply open the Fold like a book and prop it against the included stand. This creates a seamless workstation setup with a futuristic aesthetic.
The exterior of the Fold features a sophisticated black texture woven from recycled synthetic fibers (PET). This textured surface is not only aesthetically pleasing but also practical, effectively concealing fingerprints within its subtle crevices. While the design forgoes bright colors for a more professional look, it paves the way for a new wave of stylish and functional laptop textures. It’s important to note that these crevices, while elegant, can trap crumbs. Consuming food around the Fold is not recommended, and cleaning dislodged crumbs might require a small brush.
Despite its impressive folding display, the Fold maintains a well-balanced design. Its portability is further enhanced by a slim profile (0.68 inches) and a lightweight construction (2.82 pounds without the keyboard folio). This positions the Fold as one of the lightest laptops available, comparable to the MacBook Air. The magnetic attachment for the stylus on the bottom right corner in laptop mode adds a touch of convenience for users who leverage the Fold’s drawing capabilities.
Beyond Productivity: Exploring the Fold’s Creative Potential
The inclusion of a stylus with the ThinkPad X1 Fold 16 Gen 1 highlights its potential as a drawing tablet. The unfolded display boasts a spacious 16-inch OLED canvas, offering ample room for creative expression without overwhelming desk space.
While not a professional artist, basic drawing and painting tasks revealed a smooth and familiar experience comparable to Lenovo’s 2-in-1 devices and other convertible laptops. The display’s impressive 2560 x 2024 resolution and 96% DCI-P3 color gamut coverage ensure accurate color reproduction, allowing users to replicate a wide range of artistic visions.
However, a minor caveat exists. The presence of long, slender bumps along the centerfold, a common characteristic of folding displays, was occasionally detectable. Fortunately, these bumps tended to even out as the device warmed up, minimizing their impact on writing and drawing tasks. The rewrite focuses on the positive aspects of the drawing experience and acknowledges the minor inconvenience of the centerfold bumps. We’ll address the stylus issues in the next section.
Creative Exploration, Entertainment Immersion, and Lasting Performance
The ThinkPad X1 Fold 16 Gen 1 caters to both artistic endeavors and immersive entertainment. The stylus, while not ideal for replicating the exact experience of a thick oil painting brush due to its fine tip, facilitates smooth drawing and painting experiences. The display’s impressive color gamut (96% DCI-P3) ensures faithful color reproduction, bringing creative visions to life. A minor caveat exists with the occasional presence of faint bumps along the centerfold, but these tend to diminish as the device warms up.
Beyond artistic pursuits, the Fold shines in entertainment. The display’s color gamut combined with ray tracing capabilities in cloud gaming creates a captivating visual experience. While the 4:3 aspect ratio might require adjusting in-game resolution settings, games like Cyberpunk 2077 appear visually stunning on the Fold.
Performance remains consistently smooth, with no reported lag in drawing applications or while managing a reasonable number of browser tabs. This significant improvement can be attributed to the upgraded 12th Gen Intel U-series processor compared to the underpowered predecessor’s processor. This processor boasts superior performance with hyperthreaded cores and improved efficiency cores, contributing to the Fold’s doubled battery life. Battery life varies depending on usage, with users achieving an average of five hours for high-intensity tasks like playing Cyberpunk 2077 at maximum brightness. For work-related tasks at moderate brightness levels (50-60%), battery life stretches to a commendable nine to ten hours.
Cool Performance and Long Battery Life
The ThinkPad X1 Fold 16 Gen 1 excels in thermal management. Despite the stylus potentially obstructing a vent in laptop mode, the device remains cool thanks to a capped power draw (26W) and efficient heat dissipation. The chassis temperature stays comfortable, allowing for extended use on your lap without discomfort. This translates to impressive battery life, with users averaging five hours for demanding tasks (like playing Cyberpunk 2077) at maximum brightness. Work-related tasks at moderate brightness levels yield a commendable nine to ten hours of battery life.
A Leader in Foldable Laptops
The ThinkPad X1 Fold 16 Gen 1 establishes itself as a frontrunner in the foldable laptop market. While the keyboard and folio are essential purchases that add to the initial cost, the overall user experience surpasses current competitors.
Existing alternatives like the HP Spectre Fold and LG Gram Fold (limited to South Korea) struggle to match the Fold’s value proposition. This is particularly true considering the significantly higher price tag of the Spectre Fold.
A Glimpse into the Future
The ThinkPad X1 Fold serves as a compelling glimpse into the future of foldable laptops. If future iterations can achieve a more compact size like the Yoga Book while maintaining a keyboard and folio solution, even at the current $2,500 price point, it would be a highly attractive purchase for many users.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold 16 Gen 1 Specs
| Processor | Up to 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7 with vPro® |
| Operating System | Up to Windows 11 Pro |
| Graphics | Intel® Iris® Xᵉ |
| Display | 16.3″ 4:3 folding OLED HDR (2560 x 2024), 600 nits 12″ when folded |
| Memory | Up to 32GB LPDDR5 |
| Storage | Up to 1TB PCIe Gen 4 |
| Weight | Starting at 1.3kg / 2.86lbs |
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | Folded: 176.2mm x 276.2mm x 17.4mm / 6.9″ x 10.87″ x 0.68″ Unfolded: 8.6mm x 276.2mm x 345.7mm / 0.34″ x 10.87″ x 13.61″ |
| Materials | Top cover: 100% recycled PET* plastic Woven Performance Fabric cover * Polyethylene terephthalate |
| Sustainability | 97% PCC recycled plastic used in speaker enclosure 97% PCC recycled plastic used in battery enclosure 90% PCC recycled plastic used in standard 65-watt adaptor Low-temperature solder process 100% compostable packaging made from rapid-renewable bamboo sugarcane fiber |
Our final verdicts on Lenovo’s new Thinkpad X1 Fold 16′
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold 16 Gen 1 is a significant improvement over its predecessor, addressing many of the original device’s shortcomings. This foldable laptop boasts a larger, brighter OLED display, better battery life, and a more powerful processor. It also includes a stylus, making it a great choice for creative tasks like drawing and painting. The hinge design allows for a seamless transition between tablet and laptop modes, and the included stand adds to the functionality.
While the keyboard and folio are essential add-ons that increase the overall cost, the ThinkPad X1 Fold 16 Gen 1 offers a compelling user experience that surpasses current competitors in the foldable laptop market. Thermal management is impressive, and battery life varies depending on usage intensity, lasting up to ten hours for moderate tasks.
The high price point remains a hurdle, but the Fold’s innovative design and feature set position it as a leader in the foldable laptop market. If future iterations can achieve a more compact size like the Yoga Book while maintaining a keyboard and folio solution, this technology has the potential to be even more appealing to a wider range of users.
Stay ahead of the curve. Get in-depth analysis of the hottest tech and AI news at The Dogmatic, your trusted source.
The Dogmatic