Lenovo unveils the research and development stage behind designing the world's first foldable personal computer or the foldable laptop - ThinkPad X1 Fold.

The trend of "work from anywhere" was on the rise years before the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The IWG reported in 2019 that 50 percent of employees globally were working outside their headquarters for at least 2.5 days a week. Realizing that this trend will become more widespread, Lenovo has continued to think about what will be the future of mobile technology.

One of the main areas of innovation has been flexible and foldable OLED displays, and its market is expected to grow by $ 167.7 billion by 2024. This has led to the introduction of the personal computer concept of 'Carry a Small Device and Use Efficiently' that has led to the innovation of an entirely new device. And the launch of the world's first foldable personal computer.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold, the World's First Foldable Laptop

Once it recognized the new customer need, Lenovo's focus shifted to thinking and design. The key to successful design was to think about the end-user experience, identify the key components the device should have, and then develop a blueprint for converting these components into a productivity-enhancing device. The challenge facing the design team of the X1 Fold revolves around how to combine the size of the smartphone, its portability, the power of the company's computers, its functionality, and the flexibility lost in the current market, to provide a device that meets all of these data. The answer was the foldable screen.

After preliminary sketches were provided in 2016 for the world's first foldable personal computer, Lenovo entered the engineering phase where the creative vision was realized through technical engineering. Meeting engineering challenges required a diverse team with a variety of perspectives to achieve effective cooperation and develop various solutions to provide the right product to the market.

During work on the ThinkPad X1 Fold, the core and subsidiary engineering teams at Lenovo and Intel collaborated to design solutions specific to device design, robustness and usability. The main challenge was to contain all components of the system in a very limited space, the difficulty of which was compounded by the unique limitations imposed by the ability to fold. It turns out that the solution requires eleven layers, including the frame, the foldable OLED screen, which was manufactured in cooperation with "LG Display", a locking frame made of carbon fiber, a unique cooling system, and a foldable graphite.

Multiple layers on the bottom of the screen allow users to fully experience the benefits of the fold technology. What makes the ThinkPad X1 Fold "foldable" is the unique multi-link hinge that is designed to protect the OLED screen when closed, the hinge provides adequate tension across the full range of motion and pulls the screen flat when fully open. When combined, seams and hinges provide a positive, durable user experience. In addition to its unprecedented physical design, the ThinkPad X1 Fold also provides a new level of ease of use.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold, World's First Foldable PC

Realizing the users' need for an always-on experience, the brand's team designed the X1 Fold with advanced speakers and six antennas for 5G and Wi-Fi connectivity. To achieve maximum cooling, the Lenovo team in Yokohama, Japan drew inspiration from traditional Japanese woodworking mosaic work to create a revolutionary cooling system. The end-user experience needed improvement at the last stage before the product was introduced to the market, and rigorous testing was required to ensure ease of use, durability, quality and advanced functionality.

Lenovo devices are rigorously tested to ensure they meet or exceed the quality of durability products in the ThinkPad series. And in the case of the ThinkPad X1 Fold that pushes the boundaries of design and engineering, this was a critical step before it was put on the market. Thanks to its flexibility and foldability features, the device has been opened and closed at least 30,000 times as part of this process to ensure that the screen will maintain its integrity and functionality.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold will be launched in stores in early 2021, and is currently available in Saudi Arabia for pre-order now at a retail price of 14,999 SAR, and it comes with a small foldable Bluetooth keyboard and active stylus.

To pre-order the world's first foldable computer, please visit: https://www.aamalhub.com/sa/laptops/thinkpad-laptop/thinkpad-x1-series/x1-fold.html

 
Top