Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Fold 2Nd Gen Hands On

Much of this new X1 Fold will be familiar to fans of not only the previous X1 Fold, but the ThinkPad line in general. The device is outfitted in the series’ typical black and red color scheme, with the basic ThinkPad X1 logo on the lid. There’s a ThinkPad-style keyboard with a trackpad and inverted T arrows. It’s well-built, sturdy and stylish. But some changes have been made and I think they were the right ones. Almost every major issue I had with the original X1 Fold was, in some way, due to its 13.3-inch size. It was fine to use as a 13-inch tablet, but when folded into laptop mode (an option that’s a big part of the appeal of foldable displays like this), it was too small to be practical for everyday use. The second-generation device is 16 inches, a 22 percent increase in size. (It’s also 25 percent thinner than the previous model). Having played with the new device, I think it is much more practical. The screen is clearly large enough for me to navigate through my usual workflow and have multiple tabs open side by side. Lenovo says this is the lightest 16-inch commercial laptop available at 2.82 pounds. The larger frame also allows for a larger keyboard. The 2020 X1 Fold’s keyboard was well-made, but it had to fit horizontally on a 13.3-inch device, which meant it was too narrow. Some keys had as many as four characters crammed in, and I had to press three at a time to get a question mark to appear. This new keyboard floor (which attaches magnetically to the bottom half of the chassis when folded into laptop mode) is full-sized and backlit. I could type like I normally type. The keys felt ThinkPad quality. Needless to say, I much prefer this one. While we’re talking about the deck, there’s also a tactile touchpad on this thing. We’re starting to see more of these on Lenovo’s more compact ThinkPads, including the ultra-slim Z series. I often find them a bit thinner than other trackpads, but this one seemed fine. I will need more time with him to get a full impression. That said, the bar for this touchpad is so low. The first generation was barely big enough for scrolling, let alone regular navigation. This is a definite improvement due to size alone. It creates a very nice image. Inside, the X1 Fold is powered by 12th generation Core i5 or i7 processors with integrated graphics and optional support for Intel’s vPro business platform. Lenovo hasn’t detailed the exact models that will be available, but ThinkPads tend to be endlessly configurable to the point of stressing me out. You’ll be able to get up to 1TB of SSD storage and up to 32GB of DDR5 memory, with your choice of Windows 11 Home or Windows 11 Pro. There is an optional Wacom pen, which attaches magnetically to the frame. The display is a 16.3-inch 2024 x 2560 touchscreen OLED that shrinks to 12 inches when folded. There’s a 48 Whr battery (with an “optional extra 16 Whr based on configuration”) and no battery life estimate yet, which… scares me a bit, since my first X1 Fold took less than five hours to charge and had a 50 Whr. Asus’ 17.3-inch Zenbook 17 Fold, also announced this week, showed that a foldable OLED might be capable of a six-hour break. We’ll have to see. Use it this way on your lap and unfold it for your desk. Oh look, it also has a port. In the short time I used this device to browse Chrome and watch some videos, it seemed to work pretty well. This is a very good sign. I had a good time using the first-gen X1 Fold, but there were all kinds of glitches in the experience, particularly with the on-screen keyboard. I’m looking forward to seeing how Windows 11 fares in this new context, as (unlike some other laptop makers) Lenovo isn’t known for shipping broken software left and right. They weren’t lying—he’s not fat! And then there’s the elephant in the room: the price. This device, if you hadn’t guessed, isn’t going to come cheap. It’s expected to hit shelves in November with a starting price of $2,499. Note that the stylus and keyboard were not included with the 13-inch model, and these added $250 to the price. That’s, interestingly, the same price as the 13-inch model (and that’s a bigger, slimmer and generally more usable device). And it’s significantly cheaper than the $3499.99 Zenbook 17 Fold, the only other foldable close to that size we’ve seen so far this year. This could end up being a significantly better deal for foldable buyers than the 17-inch Fold – but of course, we haven’t gotten around to testing it extensively yet, so there could be all sorts of gripes. I don’t expect this device to be perfect. Even if Lenovo has done its best here, the experience of using the device may have a lot to do with how well other companies can make their software behave with it. But as the Lenovo reps walked me through this device, I felt like they were really excited about it. I think they understand exactly what the limitations of the 13-inch Fold were and were happy to have a larger foldable screen. Perhaps in this new form factor, Lenovo can finally build the groundbreaking device they wanted the first X1 Fold to be. The foldable future may not be here yet, but with each of these releases, it’s getting closer. Photo by Monica Chin/The Verge

title: “Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Fold 2Nd Gen Hands On Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-17” author: “Rachel Delfuente”

Much of this new X1 Fold will be familiar to fans of not only the previous X1 Fold, but the ThinkPad line in general. The device is outfitted in the series’ typical black and red color scheme, with the basic ThinkPad X1 logo on the lid. There’s a ThinkPad-style keyboard with a trackpad and inverted T arrows. It’s well-built, sturdy and stylish. But some changes have been made and I think they were the right ones. Almost every major issue I had with the original X1 Fold was, in some way, due to its 13.3-inch size. It was fine to use as a 13-inch tablet, but when folded into laptop mode (an option that’s a big part of the appeal of foldable displays like this), it was too small to be practical for everyday use. The second-generation device is 16 inches, a 22 percent increase in size. (It’s also 25 percent thinner than the previous model). Having played with the new device, I think it is much more practical. The screen is clearly large enough for me to navigate through my usual workflow and have multiple tabs open side by side. Lenovo says this is the lightest 16-inch commercial laptop available at 2.82 pounds. The larger frame also allows for a larger keyboard. The 2020 X1 Fold’s keyboard was well-made, but it had to fit horizontally on a 13.3-inch device, which meant it was too narrow. Some keys had as many as four characters crammed in, and I had to press three at a time to get a question mark to appear. This new keyboard floor (which attaches magnetically to the bottom half of the chassis when folded into laptop mode) is full-sized and backlit. I could type like I normally type. The keys felt ThinkPad quality. Needless to say, I much prefer this one. While we’re talking about the deck, there’s also a tactile touchpad on this thing. We’re starting to see more of these on Lenovo’s more compact ThinkPads, including the ultra-slim Z series. I often find them a bit thinner than other trackpads, but this one seemed fine. I will need more time with him to get a full impression. That said, the bar for this touchpad is so low. The first generation was barely big enough for scrolling, let alone regular navigation. This is a definite improvement due to size alone. It creates a very nice image. Inside, the X1 Fold is powered by 12th generation Core i5 or i7 processors with integrated graphics and optional support for Intel’s vPro business platform. Lenovo hasn’t detailed the exact models that will be available, but ThinkPads tend to be endlessly configurable to the point of stressing me out. You’ll be able to get up to 1TB of SSD storage and up to 32GB of DDR5 memory, with your choice of Windows 11 Home or Windows 11 Pro. There is an optional Wacom pen, which attaches magnetically to the frame. The display is a 16.3-inch 2024 x 2560 touchscreen OLED that shrinks to 12 inches when folded. There’s a 48 Whr battery (with an “optional extra 16 Whr based on configuration”) and no battery life estimate yet, which… scares me a bit, since my first X1 Fold took less than five hours to charge and had a 50 Whr. Asus’ 17.3-inch Zenbook 17 Fold, also announced this week, showed that a foldable OLED might be capable of a six-hour break. We’ll have to see. Use it this way on your lap and unfold it for your desk. Oh look, it also has a port. In the short time I used this device to browse Chrome and watch some videos, it seemed to work pretty well. This is a very good sign. I had a good time using the first-gen X1 Fold, but there were all kinds of glitches in the experience, particularly with the on-screen keyboard. I’m looking forward to seeing how Windows 11 fares in this new context, as (unlike some other laptop makers) Lenovo isn’t known for shipping broken software left and right. They weren’t lying—he’s not fat! And then there’s the elephant in the room: the price. This device, if you hadn’t guessed, isn’t going to come cheap. It’s expected to hit shelves in November with a starting price of $2,499. Note that the stylus and keyboard were not included with the 13-inch model, and these added $250 to the price. That’s, interestingly, the same price as the 13-inch model (and that’s a bigger, slimmer and generally more usable device). And it’s significantly cheaper than the $3499.99 Zenbook 17 Fold, the only other foldable close to that size we’ve seen so far this year. This could end up being a significantly better deal for foldable buyers than the 17-inch Fold – but of course, we haven’t gotten around to testing it extensively yet, so there could be all sorts of gripes. I don’t expect this device to be perfect. Even if Lenovo has done its best here, the experience of using the device may have a lot to do with how well other companies can make their software behave with it. But as the Lenovo reps walked me through this device, I felt like they were really excited about it. I think they understand exactly what the limitations of the 13-inch Fold were and were happy to have a larger foldable screen. Perhaps in this new form factor, Lenovo can finally build the groundbreaking device they wanted the first X1 Fold to be. The foldable future may not be here yet, but with each of these releases, it’s getting closer. Photo by Monica Chin/The Verge

title: “Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Fold 2Nd Gen Hands On Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-27” author: “Sarah Horsley”

Much of this new X1 Fold will be familiar to fans of not only the previous X1 Fold, but the ThinkPad line in general. The device is outfitted in the series’ typical black and red color scheme, with the basic ThinkPad X1 logo on the lid. There’s a ThinkPad-style keyboard with a trackpad and inverted T arrows. It’s well-built, sturdy and stylish. But some changes have been made and I think they were the right ones. Almost every major issue I had with the original X1 Fold was, in some way, due to its 13.3-inch size. It was fine to use as a 13-inch tablet, but when folded into laptop mode (an option that’s a big part of the appeal of foldable displays like this), it was too small to be practical for everyday use. The second-generation device is 16 inches, a 22 percent increase in size. (It’s also 25 percent thinner than the previous model). Having played with the new device, I think it is much more practical. The screen is clearly large enough for me to navigate through my usual workflow and have multiple tabs open side by side. Lenovo says this is the lightest 16-inch commercial laptop available at 2.82 pounds. The larger frame also allows for a larger keyboard. The 2020 X1 Fold’s keyboard was well-made, but it had to fit horizontally on a 13.3-inch device, which meant it was too narrow. Some keys had as many as four characters crammed in, and I had to press three at a time to get a question mark to appear. This new keyboard floor (which attaches magnetically to the bottom half of the chassis when folded into laptop mode) is full-sized and backlit. I could type like I normally type. The keys felt ThinkPad quality. Needless to say, I much prefer this one. While we’re talking about the deck, there’s also a tactile touchpad on this thing. We’re starting to see more of these on Lenovo’s more compact ThinkPads, including the ultra-slim Z series. I often find them a bit thinner than other trackpads, but this one seemed fine. I will need more time with him to get a full impression. That said, the bar for this touchpad is so low. The first generation was barely big enough for scrolling, let alone regular navigation. This is a definite improvement due to size alone. It creates a very nice image. Inside, the X1 Fold is powered by 12th generation Core i5 or i7 processors with integrated graphics and optional support for Intel’s vPro business platform. Lenovo hasn’t detailed the exact models that will be available, but ThinkPads tend to be endlessly configurable to the point of stressing me out. You’ll be able to get up to 1TB of SSD storage and up to 32GB of DDR5 memory, with your choice of Windows 11 Home or Windows 11 Pro. There is an optional Wacom pen, which attaches magnetically to the frame. The display is a 16.3-inch 2024 x 2560 touchscreen OLED that shrinks to 12 inches when folded. There’s a 48 Whr battery (with an “optional extra 16 Whr based on configuration”) and no battery life estimate yet, which… scares me a bit, since my first X1 Fold took less than five hours to charge and had a 50 Whr. Asus’ 17.3-inch Zenbook 17 Fold, also announced this week, showed that a foldable OLED might be capable of a six-hour break. We’ll have to see. Use it this way on your lap and unfold it for your desk. Oh look, it also has a port. In the short time I used this device to browse Chrome and watch some videos, it seemed to work pretty well. This is a very good sign. I had a good time using the first-gen X1 Fold, but there were all kinds of glitches in the experience, particularly with the on-screen keyboard. I’m looking forward to seeing how Windows 11 fares in this new context, as (unlike some other laptop makers) Lenovo isn’t known for shipping broken software left and right. They weren’t lying—he’s not fat! And then there’s the elephant in the room: the price. This device, if you hadn’t guessed, isn’t going to come cheap. It’s expected to hit shelves in November with a starting price of $2,499. Note that the stylus and keyboard were not included with the 13-inch model, and these added $250 to the price. That’s, interestingly, the same price as the 13-inch model (and that’s a bigger, slimmer and generally more usable device). And it’s significantly cheaper than the $3499.99 Zenbook 17 Fold, the only other foldable close to that size we’ve seen so far this year. This could end up being a significantly better deal for foldable buyers than the 17-inch Fold – but of course, we haven’t gotten around to testing it extensively yet, so there could be all sorts of gripes. I don’t expect this device to be perfect. Even if Lenovo has done its best here, the experience of using the device may have a lot to do with how well other companies can make their software behave with it. But as the Lenovo reps walked me through this device, I felt like they were really excited about it. I think they understand exactly what the limitations of the 13-inch Fold were and were happy to have a larger foldable screen. Perhaps in this new form factor, Lenovo can finally build the groundbreaking device they wanted the first X1 Fold to be. The foldable future may not be here yet, but with each of these releases, it’s getting closer. Photo by Monica Chin/The Verge

title: “Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Fold 2Nd Gen Hands On Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-28” author: “Thelma Comer”

Much of this new X1 Fold will be familiar to fans of not only the previous X1 Fold, but the ThinkPad line in general. The device is outfitted in the series’ typical black and red color scheme, with the basic ThinkPad X1 logo on the lid. There’s a ThinkPad-style keyboard with a trackpad and inverted T arrows. It’s well-built, sturdy and stylish. But some changes have been made and I think they were the right ones. Almost every major issue I had with the original X1 Fold was, in some way, due to its 13.3-inch size. It was fine to use as a 13-inch tablet, but when folded into laptop mode (an option that’s a big part of the appeal of foldable displays like this), it was too small to be practical for everyday use. The second-generation device is 16 inches, a 22 percent increase in size. (It’s also 25 percent thinner than the previous model). Having played with the new device, I think it is much more practical. The screen is clearly large enough for me to navigate through my usual workflow and have multiple tabs open side by side. Lenovo says this is the lightest 16-inch commercial laptop available at 2.82 pounds. The larger frame also allows for a larger keyboard. The 2020 X1 Fold’s keyboard was well-made, but it had to fit horizontally on a 13.3-inch device, which meant it was too narrow. Some keys had as many as four characters crammed in, and I had to press three at a time to get a question mark to appear. This new keyboard floor (which attaches magnetically to the bottom half of the chassis when folded into laptop mode) is full-sized and backlit. I could type like I normally type. The keys felt ThinkPad quality. Needless to say, I much prefer this one. While we’re talking about the deck, there’s also a tactile touchpad on this thing. We’re starting to see more of these on Lenovo’s more compact ThinkPads, including the ultra-slim Z series. I often find them a bit thinner than other trackpads, but this one seemed fine. I will need more time with him to get a full impression. That said, the bar for this touchpad is so low. The first generation was barely big enough for scrolling, let alone regular navigation. This is a definite improvement due to size alone. It creates a very nice image. Inside, the X1 Fold is powered by 12th generation Core i5 or i7 processors with integrated graphics and optional support for Intel’s vPro business platform. Lenovo hasn’t detailed the exact models that will be available, but ThinkPads tend to be endlessly configurable to the point of stressing me out. You’ll be able to get up to 1TB of SSD storage and up to 32GB of DDR5 memory, with your choice of Windows 11 Home or Windows 11 Pro. There is an optional Wacom pen, which attaches magnetically to the frame. The display is a 16.3-inch 2024 x 2560 touchscreen OLED that shrinks to 12 inches when folded. There’s a 48 Whr battery (with an “optional extra 16 Whr based on configuration”) and no battery life estimate yet, which… scares me a bit, since my first X1 Fold took less than five hours to charge and had a 50 Whr. Asus’ 17.3-inch Zenbook 17 Fold, also announced this week, showed that a foldable OLED might be capable of a six-hour break. We’ll have to see. Use it this way on your lap and unfold it for your desk. Oh look, it also has a port. In the short time I used this device to browse Chrome and watch some videos, it seemed to work pretty well. This is a very good sign. I had a good time using the first-gen X1 Fold, but there were all kinds of glitches in the experience, particularly with the on-screen keyboard. I’m looking forward to seeing how Windows 11 fares in this new context, as (unlike some other laptop makers) Lenovo isn’t known for shipping broken software left and right. They weren’t lying—he’s not fat! And then there’s the elephant in the room: the price. This device, if you hadn’t guessed, isn’t going to come cheap. It’s expected to hit shelves in November with a starting price of $2,499. Note that the stylus and keyboard were not included with the 13-inch model, and these added $250 to the price. That’s, interestingly, the same price as the 13-inch model (and that’s a bigger, slimmer and generally more usable device). And it’s significantly cheaper than the $3499.99 Zenbook 17 Fold, the only other foldable close to that size we’ve seen so far this year. This could end up being a significantly better deal for foldable buyers than the 17-inch Fold – but of course, we haven’t gotten around to testing it extensively yet, so there could be all sorts of gripes. I don’t expect this device to be perfect. Even if Lenovo has done its best here, the experience of using the device may have a lot to do with how well other companies can make their software behave with it. But as the Lenovo reps walked me through this device, I felt like they were really excited about it. I think they understand exactly what the limitations of the 13-inch Fold were and were happy to have a larger foldable screen. Perhaps in this new form factor, Lenovo can finally build the groundbreaking device they wanted the first X1 Fold to be. The foldable future may not be here yet, but with each of these releases, it’s getting closer. Photo by Monica Chin/The Verge