Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold (2022), first impressions: this flexible OLED laptop has been luxurious to grow to 16 “

The original ThinkPad X1 Fold hit us hard when we reviewed it early last year. After all, it was the first laptop with a folding screen to hit the market. Far from being a simple hype, the flexible screen proved to us during our tests that it can have a very deep impact in our experience.

And it is that this equipment offers us a range of modes of use that are beyond the reach of laptops that lack a flexible OLED panel. The revision of this device that Lenovo has just shown us fully respects the spirit of the original proposal, but, rightly so, refine several sections that they had room for improvement. We have tested it, and we anticipate that we have many interesting things to tell you.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold (2022): Technical Specifications

The OLED screen has grown and its design is better resolved than in the original equipment

The most obvious improvement that this review of the ThinkPad X1 Fold offers us, and also the one that can have the most profound impact on our experience, is linked to the screen. And it is that the OLED panel of this laptop has grown from the 13.3 inches that the matrix of the original model has up to 16.3 inches that this review proposes. There is no doubt that this is a very notable increase.

Also, as you might expect, the resolution of the organic panel in this revision is also higher than the original model. The latter offered us in its day 2048 x 1536 points, while the new ThinkPad X1 Fold gives us a resolution of 2560 x 2024 dots.

Of course, it maintains the 4:3 aspect ratio, although its brightness delivery capacity is increased to 600 nits and it offers us coverage of the 100% DCI-P3 color space compared to 95% of the original model. I have nothing to object to here because it is clear that the OLED panel in this review is clearly superior to that of the first model.

Lenovo engineers have done their homework well. And it is that they have also polished the design of this laptop, which now has thinner frames, and, above all, it is 25% more stylish than the original version. In fact, this revision is 8.6 mm thick when the device is unfolded, so when we fold it up and it looks as we can see in the following photograph, it is a very reasonable 17.4 mm thick.

On the other hand, when it comes to its construction I have nothing to object to. When you have it in your hands and manipulate it, you realize that ooze robustnessand it is a quality that has much merit in such a stylish laptop that also has a folding matrix.

In the detail photograph that we publish below this paragraph we can see what the hinge that allows us to fold and unfold it looks like. The time during which I have been able to test it is not enough to accurately assess the quality of this mechanism, but I would bet that some electronic components of this ThinkPad X1 Fold will degrade before this hinge begins to give us problems. And if so, is it a point in favor of this team.

I propose that we change the third. The connectivity of this laptop is not too generous, although it complies. And it is that it incorporates two Thunderbolt 4 ports and one USB-C 3.2 Gen 2. That’s it. I miss a micro-HDMI output and an SD card slot that many users could take advantage of. Of course, there is something else that it does have and it is worth not overlooking it: one nano-SIM card slot to which we can resort to provide it with 5G Sub 6/LTE connectivity.

The interior of this laptop is a real joy

The following photograph speaks for itself. The interior of this folding equipment is an exercise in good work that shows us how the distribution of components should be resolved in an ultralight as stylish as this one. Wiring exposure is minimal and the neatness of this interior is undeniableso, once again, in this field I cannot fault this team.

Another interesting point: the battery of this laptop perfectly exemplifies the juggling that Lenovo engineers and other brands are forced to do to integrate some components inside your finest gear.

I’ve seen other batteries as thin as this one in some of the competition’s laptops, but it never ceases to amaze me how much refinement has been made to a component that not long ago was considerably bulkier. The standard battery in this ThinkPad X1 Fold has a capacity of 48Whrbut a unit that delivers an additional 16 Whr is also optionally available.

Its wide range of modes of use adds value to this proposal

A quick note before we go any further: the OLED panel on this laptop is of very good quality and is flawlessly calibrated from the factory. During this first contact I have not been able to analyze it in depth (we will do it when we test this ThinkPad X1 Fold in our own facilities), but it was enough for me to realize the richness with which it reproduces color and how well their resolution and size fit together.

As expected, Lenovo technicians have not been satisfied with just integrating a more attractive OLED panel and styling this equipment; They have also updated their specifications. Now in its most ambitious incarnation, it offers us a processor 12th Gen Intel Core U9 with Alder Lake microarchitecture and vPro technology, Iris Xe graphics, 32 GB LPDDR5 and 1 TB of SSD storage with PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 interface. These components fit well in a device like this.

Let’s go now with the quality that allows this team to stand out from a good part of its competitors: its modes of use. One of the options that it offers us is to unfold its panel completely in a vertical or horizontal position (you can see it in this last orientation in the cover image of this article) to get the most out of the 16.3-inch OLED matrix. . Of course, this panel is multi-touchso we can interact with it using our fingers.

Another interesting use scenario that it also proposes is to use it as if it were a digitizing tablet to sketch illustrations, draw diagrams, or simply take notes acting directly on the screen. Of course, the magnetic digital pen, which communicates with the equipment using the Wacom protocol, is not included in the packageso whoever needs it will be forced to invest more than 2,999 euros in this ThinkPad X1 Fold, which, unfortunately, already places it out of reach for a good part of users.

Another very interesting mode of use allows us to use this equipment as if it were a traditional laptop. All we have to do is fold it slightly and place the keyboard, which is magnetic, on the lower half of the screen as we can see in the photo that we publish above these lines. The experience that it offers us when we use it in this way is very similar to that offered by a conventional laptop.

Above this paragraph we can see how is the support that allows us display the screen vertically to take full advantage of its 16.3 inches. The keyboard fixation is magnetic, and this structure is robust enough to guarantee that we can interact without problem with the screen using its touch capabilities when it is in this position.

Another point in favor of this equipment: the type keyboard chewing gum that Lenovo offers us has very good quality. The keys hardly suffer from transverse oscillationso we can use it for many hours without mechanical stress causing discomfort in the joints of the hands.

Yes, this keyboard it is very compact, so the keys are a bit ‘tight’. However, within a couple of minutes I was able to type with it at the same speed that I normally do when using the mechanical keyboard I work with.

Here is a detail that has left a very good taste in my mouth: the lower part of the keyboard is covered by a very soft fabric which aims to prevent it from scratching the surface of the screen when we place it on it to use this ThinkPad X1 Fold as if it were a traditional laptop.

This detail reflects the pampering this team has received during its set-up, something that, on the other hand, must necessarily offer us a premium device with a price as high as that of this ultralight.

This laptop exudes personality, although it does not aspire to be popular

This ThinkPad X1 Fold has left a great taste in my mouth. Its strongest assets are its very careful design, its indisputable portability, the stupendous quality of its flexible OLED matrix, and, above all, multiple modes of use that it proposes to invite us to get the most out of its generous 16.3-inch multi-touch panel.

However, it is clear that it is not a suitable device for all users who need to have a well-equipped laptop for productivity and content creation. It has what it takes to satisfactorily solve these scenarios, there is no doubt about that, but its price (it costs 2999 euros with the least ambitious configuration) places it out of reach for most users. Even so, whoever wants it can buy it from next November.