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 due to some daring steps taken by PC market chief Lenovo, clear use instances and usable kind 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 number of weeks, and checked out new ideas resembling 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, resembling 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 at all times been clamshell rectangular containers, with a show on one aspect and a keyboard on the opposite. Positive, thickness and weight have diminished, 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 advanced, from function 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 respiration new life into the laptop computer class. It pioneered the 2-in-1 kind 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 kind elements at numerous commerce reveals.
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 automobiles that automobile firms demo at trade occasions. The idea gadgets might or is probably not launched as is, however the applied sciences and designs are absolutely 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 machine for a number of weeks and have additionally been speaking to some seemingly enterprise customers about it. It appears 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 shortly began delivery in June 2025. The laptop computer is at present bought out on the Lenovo web site, primarily because of the restricted manufacturing run. It’s also discontinued, most likely in preparation for its subsequent model. Nonetheless, it’s a good proxy for such gadgets that can come sooner or later.
The show of this laptop computer, which extends and shrinks with the press of a button, looks like sheer magic. It seems it has many sensible use instances too. On the very outset, it could be supreme for anyone working with long-format content material. On the prime of the checklist are content material creators, in addition to of us who cope with lengthy paperwork, resembling authorized and monetary professionals, contract personnel, software program/ net builders, and the like.
In right now’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 enhancing and managing such content material. This laptop computer can be supreme for them. Even for customers, watching such content material on a big vertical show would maximize display screen actual property somewhat than becoming it on a horizontal display screen with numerous unused house. Since social media is optimized for scrolling, a protracted vertical show is nearly a match made in heaven.
For people who learn, write, evaluate, and debug long-form paperwork, a vertical prolonged show means fewer page-ups/downs and back-and-forth, which straight interprets into improved productiveness. Contemplating that the enterprise personnel who deal with such content material are normally extremely paid (e.g., attorneys, monetary analysts, software program builders), even small productiveness positive factors may yield important value and time financial savings.
Personally, I’m an enormous consumer 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 watch social media traits and what others put up constantly. In such a case, this show is a lifesaver, as I can evaluate a big chunk of content material with a fast look with out scrolling. As an analyst, I additionally learn numerous paperwork and studies and evaluate lengthy spreadsheets, and so forth. For all of this, I came upon firsthand that the productiveness enhancements are actual.
There are two issues you must think about earlier than shopping for this or any such rollable product. First, its worth! 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 understand productiveness positive factors and obtain cheap RoI. Second, it’s weight. Due to the bigger show and rolling mechanism, such laptops shall be barely heavier. Meaning your utility of the bigger display screen must 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 in case you are a graphics artist, and so forth. Additionally, they’ve shifting components, and the rolling mechanism remains to be in its early phases; you need to be cognizant of the working surroundings, resembling the consequences of mud, moisture, and so forth.
Simply to make certain, throughout my restricted use, I didn’t encounter any of those points, and the consumer expertise was similar to that of conventional laptops, in fact, with the added advantages of the big show. Lenovo charges the rolling mechanism for 20,000 rolling cycles, which cowl most, if not all, use instances. I additionally obtained good battery life (virtually a full day), even with prolonged, totally rolled-out show time.
Backside line, in case you are one of many goal customers and personas recognized above, and may afford the worth tag, shopping for these laptops is a sensible selection.
Much more thrilling rollable ideas coming quickly
As talked about, Lenovo is engaged on a broad portfolio of rollable idea gadgets, most of which had been proven throughout its personal and trade occasions.
The primary one is ThinkPad Rollable XD, an evolution of the Gen 6 rollable, and certain its alternative. On this, the extra display screen, when not in use, as a substitute of stowed away, wraps round and works as a secondary show. This will allow many attention-grabbing use instances that improve productiveness. For instance, to share the display screen with anyone in entrance of you, say for translation and different interactions, for customer support terminals, and so forth. Additionally, when the laptop computer is closed, the exterior show can be utilized for notifications, fast lookups, and so forth., minimizing the necessity to open the laptop computer and fireplace up the entire display screen, mimicking the way in which foldable telephones work. This may also improve battery life.
Essentially 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 may 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 with no rollable show. It permits the show to rotate 90 levels and change 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 positive that is solely the start of those new kind elements. The rollable idea permits designers to go wild and experiment like by no means earlier than. And with Lenovo’s confirmed monitor report of shortly commercializing them, foldables are charting a brand new path for laptops, and customers are in for an thrilling journey.
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