Folding smartphones have been round for a few years and are virtually on the verge of changing into mainstream. However what these foldable screens imply for laptops was not clear. However because of some daring steps taken by PC market chief Lenovo, clear use circumstances and usable type elements are rising.
I’ve been utilizing and testing the world’s first and solely rollable laptop computer—ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable (I do know, fairly a mouthful), for a couple of weeks, and checked out new ideas akin to Legion Professional Rollable and ThinkPad Rollable XD at CES 2026, in addition to ThinkBook VertiFlex and Auto Twist AIPC at IFA 2025. These spotlight the pattern and early goal customers, akin to content material creators, players, particular enterprise personas, and others.
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Bringing design innovation and pleasure to laptops
Ever since their inception within the Eighties, laptops have all the time been clamshell rectangular packing containers, with a show on one facet and a keyboard on the opposite. Positive, thickness and weight have lowered, battery life has elevated, show sizes have modified, efficiency has improved by magnitude, however the fundamental form and look haven’t modified a lot. It is a far cry from how telephones have developed, from characteristic telephones to keyboard telephones (BlackBerry), contact screens, curved shows, and to the newest foldables.
Lenovo has been attempting to vary that by introducing design innovation and respiratory new life into the laptop computer class. It pioneered the 2-in-1 type issue with a 360-degree hinge in 2012, launched the primary business laptop computer with a vertical rollable show in 2025, and showcased a slew of rollable type elements at varied commerce exhibits.
In a latest dialogue on my Tantra’s Mantra podcast, Tom Butler, Lenovo’s VP of worldwide business portfolio, in contrast these new formfactors to idea vehicles that automotive firms demo at business occasions. The idea gadgets might or will not be launched as is, however the applied sciences and designs are certainly commercialized in future merchandise.
Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable — world’s first rollable laptop computer
This was the primary incarnation of the rollable laptop computer idea. I’ve been utilizing this system for a couple of weeks and have additionally been speaking to some possible enterprise customers about it. It seems to be like a daily 14-inch laptop computer, however its display screen extends vertically to a 16.7-inch (diagonal) portrait-mode show. The idea was introduced in 2022, the prototype was displayed at MWC in March 2025, and the business model rapidly began transport in June 2025. The laptop computer is at present bought out on the Lenovo web site, primarily as a result of restricted manufacturing run. It is usually discontinued, in all probability in preparation for its subsequent model. Nonetheless, it’s a good proxy for such gadgets that may come sooner or later.
The show of this laptop computer, which extends and shrinks with the press of a button, looks as if sheer magic. It seems it has many sensible use circumstances too. On the very outset, it could be very best for anyone working with long-format content material. On the high of the listing are content material creators, in addition to of us who cope with lengthy paperwork, akin to authorized and monetary professionals, contract personnel, software program/ internet builders, and the like.
In at the moment’s cell age, content material, particularly visuals and movies (e.g., Instagram), is optimized for smartphone screens, i.e., for portrait mode. Normally, content material creators use desktop PCs or laptops with vertically mounted exterior shows for modifying and managing such content material. This laptop computer can be very best for them. Even for shoppers, watching such content material on a big vertical show would maximize display screen actual property moderately than becoming it on a horizontal display screen with lots of unused house. Since social media is optimized for scrolling, a protracted vertical show is sort of a match made in heaven.
For people who learn, write, assessment, and debug long-form paperwork, a vertical prolonged show means fewer page-ups/downs and back-and-forth, which immediately interprets into improved productiveness. Contemplating that the enterprise personnel who deal with such content material are normally extremely paid (e.g., legal professionals, monetary analysts, software program builders), even small productiveness positive aspects would possibly yield vital price and time financial savings.
Personally, I’m a giant person of X (Twitter) and LinkedIn, each of that are optimized for vertical content material. Therefore, I discovered this laptop computer extraordinarily helpful. I live-tweet/put up from occasions, throughout which, along with sharing my very own opinions, I’ve to observe social media tendencies and what others put up repeatedly. In such a case, this show is a lifesaver, as I can assessment a big chunk of content material with a fast look with out scrolling. As an analyst, I additionally learn lots of paperwork and stories and assessment lengthy spreadsheets, and many others. For all of this, I came upon firsthand that the productiveness enhancements are actual.
There are two issues it’s best to contemplate earlier than shopping for this or any such rollable product. First, its value! Being the primary such laptops available on the market, they are going to be priced as a premium providing (this rollable retailed at $3499). Meaning it’s well-suited solely for individuals who can notice productiveness positive aspects and obtain affordable RoI. Second, it’s weight. Due to the bigger show and rolling mechanism, such laptops might be barely heavier. Meaning your utility of the bigger display screen needs to be sufficient to justify lugging the additional weight on a regular basis.
Since rollable shows are versatile OLED shows, not conventional glass screens, you additionally want to make sure the show high quality meets your wants, particularly if you’re a graphics artist, and many others. Additionally, they’ve transferring components, and the rolling mechanism remains to be in its early levels; you must be cognizant of the working atmosphere, akin to the results of mud, moisture, and many others.
Simply to make sure, throughout my restricted use, I didn’t encounter any of those points, and the person expertise was similar to that of conventional laptops, in fact, with the added advantages of the massive show. Lenovo charges the rolling mechanism for 20,000 rolling cycles, which cowl most, if not all, use circumstances. I additionally bought good battery life (virtually a full day), even with prolonged, absolutely rolled-out show time.
Backside line, if you’re one of many goal customers and personas recognized above, and might afford the value tag, shopping for these laptops is a sensible alternative.
Much more thrilling rollable ideas coming quickly
As talked about, Lenovo is engaged on a broad portfolio of rollable idea gadgets, most of which have been proven throughout its personal and business occasions.
The primary one is ThinkPad Rollable XD, an evolution of the Gen 6 rollable, and certain its substitute. On this, the extra display screen, when not in use, as an alternative of stowed away, wraps round and works as a secondary show. This will allow many attention-grabbing use circumstances that improve productiveness. For instance, to share the display screen with any person in entrance of you, say for translation and different interactions, for customer support terminals, and many others. Additionally, when the laptop computer is closed, the exterior show can be utilized for notifications, fast lookups, and many others., minimizing the necessity to open the laptop computer and hearth up the entire display screen, mimicking the best way foldable telephones work. This may even improve battery life.
Probably the most thrilling idea was the Legion Professional Rollable gaming PC, which expands laterally to show a typical 15-inch show right into a 24-inch-wide display screen. This could be an on the spot hit if priced proper. Additionally, the elevated weight of rollable laptops can be negligible in comparison with the normally heavy gaming laptops.
Going again to the notion of mimicking the smartphone expertise on laptops, the Vertiflex brings it even additional and not using a rollable show. It permits the show to rotate 90 levels and swap between panorama and portrait modes. That is finished manually, requiring a easy hinge mechanism with out the additional weight or complexity of the rollable show.
I’m certain that is solely the start of those new type elements. The rollable idea permits designers to go wild and experiment like by no means earlier than. And with Lenovo’s confirmed monitor file of rapidly commercializing them, foldables are charting a brand new path for laptops, and customers are in for an thrilling journey.
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