Lenovo’s laptop with a screen that can roll up from 12.7 inches to 15.3 inches is just a proof of concept, but it looks pretty serious. The company first showed off his versatile OLED laptop online in October, but this week he showed off his mobile in person ahead of the World Congress in Barcelona. It features an OLED screen available in two different sizes and resolutions, with a delicate look and a sleek finish.
As a proof of concept, Lenovo may never release such a rollable screen PC. However, the company told Windows Central that it prefers to develop “concepts it hopes to sell.” Additionally, Lenovo is no stranger to releasing laptops with alternate screen designs. His ThinkPad X1 Fold in 2020 was the first to try a folding PC, and this year he will be replaced by the 16-inch ThinkPad X1 Fold. Also slated for release this year is the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i, which hinges two 13.3-inch OLED screens together.
Sharon Harding
In its current form, the rollable screen laptop prototype “looks and feels like a regular laptop,” reports the Android Authority. The publication also endorsed Lenovo, calling the prototype “sophisticated” and showing it off in person. That system seemed less bulky than his ZenBook 17 Fold from Asus, a 12th-generation Intel-based foldable PC currently selling for $3,500.
Lenovo’s rollable screen laptop demo is in the ThinkBook chassis, one of Lenovo’s more experimental laptop lines. The Verge reported that the prototype panel is made by Sharp, which also makes the foldable screen for the ThinkPad X1 Fold and the upcoming 16-inch ThinkPad X1 Fold.
The prototype screen can offer 2024 x 1604 pixels at 12.7 inches with a 4:3 aspect ratio, or 2024 x 2368 pixels at 15.3 inches with an 8:9 aspect ratio. Pixel density remains virtually the same in both scenarios (203.4 and 203.6 pixels/inch respectively).
For that alone, it’s worth a pause. Near-square screens are rare in laptops, even though more premium options are moving away from 16:9 to 16:10 or higher displays. People appreciate taller screens for the classic feel and convenience of computing tasks like feeds, spreadsheets and articles, coding, and multitasking.
Lenovo’s prototype offers a different view than is currently available on laptops. An 8:9 ratio is like two 16:9 screens on top of each other (Yoga Book 9i has two 16:10 screens on top of each other). Laptops can also offer a unique side-by-side portrait experience. Lenovo noted that ThinkPad X1 Fold users frequently use their devices in portrait mode when speaking with the Android Authority.
However, in the current form of this concept, getting from point A to point B involves using a switch on the deck of a laptop, with a stuttering wait time of about 10 seconds (as measured by The Verge) and a hum of the motor. You have to endure the sound. Tech Advisor said the machine also relies on springs and rails to adjust the screen, but Lenovo might end up opting for a “manual slide-out” version.
The final laptop is likely to have a slimmer design than the 15-inch class of PCs, as the laptop hides part of the screen under the keyboard. The Verge said they were not allowed to lift the prototype or know its weight. However, the system reportedly looked a little fatter than average.
However, the proof of concept is still just that. Tech Advisor reports that even when the OLED screen slides under the keyboard, its pixels remain lit. The Verge also highlighted the crease on the prototype “where the screen originally bent under the keyboard” that was visible when the screen was at its maximum size..
Durability is also a work in progress, with Lenovo reportedly targeting 20,000 to 30,000 rolls. It is also unknown how much battery power the rolling mechanism consumes.
That said, it’s not hard to imagine a world where this is Lenovo and others, and LG’s $100,000 rotating TV does just as well by putting away the OLED screen when you don’t need it. Foldable TVs and monitors are also emerging, trying to attract users who want curved rather than flat displays.
And if Lenovo doesn’t release a PC with a screen you can hide, chances are someone else will. For years, computer and chip manufacturers have been eager to redesign PC screens.
Last fall, Samsung Display and Intel demoed a PC concept that was essentially a 13-inch tablet that could slide into a 17.3-inch tablet.
Earlier this year, Samsung Display also showed off the Flex Hybrid. It’s a slideable OLED screen that can be folded in half and viewed as a 10.5-inch 4:3 display or slid to a 12.4-inch 16:10 display.
And with Windows 11 offering flexible Windows management that previous versions couldn’t, folding PCs seem almost ready to become a viable product category.
There’s a lot of experimentation and prototyping going on with bendable OLED-based laptops right now, and shoppers can quickly try or dismiss those efforts.
