Lenovo is working on a foldable tablet that hopefully won’t suck

Foldable phones might be making all the headlines right now, but there’s a whole class of already-foldable devices that would be perfect for those OLED screens – laptops. Lenovo has been playing around with dual-screen laptops before this and is now working on a ThinkPad that will turn heads, if not pages.

Looking like an actual notebook from the outside, the foldable device will likely turn up as part of the ThinkPad X1 family when it goes on sale next year. It’ll be powered by an Intel processor, have a 13.3-inch OLED display with a 2K resolution that turns into two 9.6-inch screens when folded up or in typing mode and will support the Wacom stylus for drawing, etc.

That’s a pretty powerful package for anyone who travels a lot

Adding the stylus support makes it great for notetaking or sketching ideas, and the “all day battery” should be great for when you’re stuck at the airport. Typing on a touchscreen is going to be less than desirable for most so Lenovo will be packaging a Bluetooth keyboard with the device, as well.

The device also fixes one of the drawbacks of foldable screens – the number of times that they can be unfolded. The types of tasks done on a laptop mean they’re often kept open longer than a foldable phone would be, stretching the lifetime of that creased area. Lenovo says it’s testing the hinge to be twice as durable as those on its traditional ThinkPads, which is a pretty impressive feat.

Will the foldable ThinkPad be the first foldable device to have longevity? We’ve seen how fragile the construction can be, with the snafu of the Samsung Galaxy Fold. With Lenovo having another year to develop the ThinkPad further, can they make a folding screen worthy of the ThinkPad name?

While I love that Lenovo is pushing the boundaries of laptop form factors, I’m going to miss the ThinkPad nubbin. Maybe Lenovo can add it onto the Bluetooth keyboard accessory, for old time’s sake.

What do you think? Interested in the Lenovo foldable ThinkPad? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere. His hobbies include photography, animation, and hoarding Reddit gold.