(CNN) –
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold is one of the most futuristic devices of the year – the world’s first foldable PC. But, like so many other first generation products, it is not for everyone.
For whom: As the world’s first foldable PC, the ThinkPad X1 Fold is for the first users and those who are OK using an imperfect machine. Lenovo got the design right, and since it’s a ThinkPad, we don’t have a lot of concerns about durability. However, Windows 10 is not optimized for folding and appears in fold X1.
What do you need to know: For $ 2,499 without a keyboard and $ 2,749 with this accessory, it’s expensive to say the least. Add to that its software full of errors, intermediate performance and not very good battery life, which prevent it. The ThinkPad X1 Fold is not for most people, and you should probably not buy it, unless you really don’t mind buying a high-end, but niche device.
How it compares: The ThinkPad X1 Fold is as durable as any other ThinkPad. It has the classic black color and is resistant. We also have no doubt about opening and closing it several times during the day. Problems start to arise with Windows 10; the operating system as a whole is not ready for a device like this and, in use, lags behind other laptops and 2 in 1 like Surface Pro 7. You will also find that while it can handle light tasks, it doesn’t it is best for things like Photoshop, video editing or games.
Going back to the days of IBM and even today, Lenovo ThinkPads are tanks in the world of computers. They are not fragile or fragile; instead, they are strong and can take a beating.
The ThinkPad X1 Fold combines this durability in a foldable. Unlike the Galaxy Z Flip 5G, Motorola Razr or Galaxy Z Fold 2, we have no immediate concerns about opening and closing the X1 Fold.
The physical structure of the X1 Fold is a combination of carbon fiber and magnesium alloy. It also comes in just one color: black. What’s different about the X1 Fold, when it comes to materials, is a leather back that looks quite sophisticated and makes the PC look like a luxury device. It’s really nice and when the X1 Fold is closed, it resembles a stylish notebook or case.
This leather back has a foldable part, essentially allowing you to hold the X1 Fold when it is fully open. In this way, it can act as a screen and you can use it as a desktop – although, in fact, the experience is more equivalent to a Windows tablet, like a Surface Pro 7. After all, it’s just a 13-inch screen. , 3 inches.
When it is closed, you will see the shiny finish of the X1 Fold at the top, as the leather itself recedes when folded. But when fully opened, the leather extends across the back of the device. There are only two USB-C ports on the X1 Fold, and both can charge the device. You won’t find many buttons – just an on / off button with an LED indicator and a volume button.
It is best to think of it as a 13.3-inch Windows tablet that can be folded completely in half. You can use it unfolded in a vertical or horizontal position. It can be folded at a 90 degree angle, like the Z Flip, and used as a netbook or mini laptop with the optional keyboard. Let’s face it, though: if you buy the X1 Fold, get the keyboard. It just doesn’t make sense not to do that.
The design of the X1 Fold is equally futuristic and functional. It is relatively compact, weighing just over 2 pounds. For comparison, it is lighter than a MacBook Air, but heavier than an iPad Air. And it is a design that stands out for its hinge, which allows this device to be multimode in a radically different way from a conventional laptop.
You’ll know exactly where the hinge is, thanks to the larger bezels around the screen. The hinge is physically open on the sides. This is a little worrying, but we also found no problems with the fold or items that lodged in the small opening.
And if you choose the keyboard, you can leave it on the screen when the PC is folded. In fact, it will fill the fold where a paper clip or sharp object could slide and pierce the canvas.
When unfolded, the screen stretches to fill the full 13 inches and creates tension. This is by design and makes the screen stronger in this position. Remember that this is an OLED polymer screen and not glass. You also don’t have to be kind when opening or closing the X1 Fold – that’s a noticeable difference from folding phones. However, when using it in a laptop format, we notice discoloration, as the bottom half of the screen is noticeably darker.
The ThinkPad X1 Fold screen is a 13.3-inch OLED with a resolution of 1536 x 2048. Images are accurately reproduced, but lag behind other laptops with a 4K screen. The plastic nature of the screen increases the brightness factor, as it is super reflective. It’s really hard to use it in direct light or outdoors – especially when you add the fact that it can’t be that clear.
The ThinkPad X1 Fold has two major shortcomings: Windows is not optimized for folding and Lenovo’s customization does a lot. The Lakefield processor from Intel provides the expected performance, but does not shine efficiently or a clue to high-powered tasks.
Lenovo’s answer to switching from a big screen to a shell is a Mode Switcher. When it’s working, it detects when you’re folding or rotating the X1 Fold using the accelerometer. With this, you can select which application is where, depending on your orientation. It is an easy way to prepare you for success and it was useful to stay within two applications. But many times it ended up not involving when we needed it.
You will also find that many applications are not optimized to run in these smaller scenarios or in mini shell mode. Basically, you place the keyboard on the right side of the X1 Fold (or the bottom half) and it turns off that part of the screen, leaving you with the top half. It allows you to use the X1 Fold as a mini laptop. You can use the keyboard and trackpad to navigate on a 7-inch screen. It’s useful for quickly sorting out an email inbox, but not much else.
Most importantly, however, for the applications that worked with it, the keyboard worked well. You will also find that the keyboard, which connects magnetically and charges wirelessly, consumes a lot of power. In this mode, we suggest that you are connected, which reduces the practicality of using it in transit.
And when it’s working properly, the X1 Fold recognizes that the keyboard is there in a matter of seconds. The dock will be moved up and you will be ready to rock. And although occurrences of non-recognition of the keyboard were more prominent before several updates, it still occasionally occurs when turning on the X1 Fold or after a reboot.
It all comes down to the fact that Windows 10 was not designed for a device like this. Windows 10X, an optimized version of Windows 10 for folding, would probably eliminate many problems, but is lagging behind. It was displayed alongside the Surface Neo, a Surface folding device, which is also behind schedule. Many of the updates fall on Lenovo, which has tried to eliminate as many problems as possible. The other half falls on individual application developers to take advantage of a design like this.
When the X1 Fold works, that is, the mode switch, it’s great. But when it doesn’t, it really looks like a first-generation product. And when it comes to the processor, the X1 Fold performs well for an Intel mobile architecture chip. To be more specific, it is an Intel Hybrid processor – the i5-L16G7 – with 8 GB of RAM. And for most tasks, it will be enough to feed them; web browsing, word processing, large spreadsheets and even occasional photo editing worked well on the X1 Fold.
It simply cannot be scaled, but again, the X1 Fold was designed as a business laptop. We tried a few games on it and The Sims 4 was playable. Any high-powered title, however, would either crash or simply not work when we tried. We also found that, for some titles, automatic guidance will cause the application to crash or close, so be careful with your movements when using this PC.
To put performance in perspective, we ran the ThinkPad X1 Fold through Geekbench 5, which tests a machine with real-world use cases. The ThinkPad X1 Fold scored 822 in the single-core test and 1,738 in the multi-core test. He’s halfway there and behind several devices, including the Intel MacBook Air, M1 MacBook Air and Surface Laptop Go.
It is simply not a very efficient processor in its current state. Efficiency concerns also affect battery life. In daily use, we found that the keyboard consumed a lot of energy and reduced our working days. And when using the X1 Fold for a full day’s work, a nearby charger was needed.
He scored behind all the laptops mentioned and several others in our battery test, scoring six hours and 15 minutes.
For the expensive price alone, the ThinkPad X1 Fold is not for most. And the fact that it is a foldable PC makes selling it even more difficult. In its current state, the ThinkPad X1 Fold is a beautiful niche product and you will probably be better served with a ThinkPad X1 Carbon, a Dell XPS 13, a Surface Pro X or even a Surface Pro 7. These 2-in-1s feature great hardware and an almost perfect software experience.
Even so, we appreciate what Lenovo has done here. The X1 Fold’s hardware and design are excellent. It is the first folding screen to which we are not afraid to apply pressure. But there is still work to be done here – the software experience needs to be improved and a good deal of that falls on the Windows team.
Lenovo is clearly on the right track with the X1 Fold, however.