The ThinkPad X1 Fold 2023 is a new version of what it was in its day the industry’s first foldable notebook. Much later than expected, Lenovo announced its global availability and promised the benefits of the versatility of its origin, now it can be used as an ultraportable, as a large tablet or for intermediate use that its unique form factor allows.

As you know, Lenovo surprised the market in 2019 by introducing a prototype that opened a new generation of folding personal computers. If Samsung paved the way in smartphones with the Galaxy Fold, the Chinese firm did so in laptops with the same type of design, a type of “book” that folds and folds in half thanks to the special hinge and its flexible diaphragm.

After the original version last year, Lenovo announced a new version much bigger. And not a little, because its screen extends from the initial 13 inches to Diagonal 16.3 inches which will attach this version. We are talking about flexible and touchable OLED panel, with a native resolution of 2024 x 2560 pixels and a maximum brightness increased to 600 nits for easier outdoor use. It supports 100% DCI-P3 color gamut.

Chassis from carbon fiber It has also been refreshed for the occasion, being 25% thinner and with noticeably smaller screen bezels. Lenovo promises an articulated mechanism with enormous durability thanks to its multi-element torsional construction, which should withstand folding and unfolding under warranty.

ThinkPad X1 Fold 2023 restores its internal engine to the twelfth generation of Intel processors. Enough for this type of device, where performance is not the most important thing, although the delay in its marketing is a bit behind compared to other Intel platforms, such as Raptor Lake, which are assembled by competitors such as the LG Gram Fold, another spectacular folding laptop.. After completing the CPU we have up to 1 Tbyte of internal storage with M.2 to PCIe 4 SSDs and up to 32 GB of LPDDR5 RAM.

Connectivity options have also increased in quantity and potential, starting with networking support 5G (optional), Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 and continues through its two ports Thunderbolt 4 and USB Type-C. It has a 48Wh battery that supports 65W fast charging and offers up to 10 hours of autonomy. It has three speakers, four microphones, a 5MP IR webcam and a fingerprint sensor.

Lenovo sells (as an option) a Bluetooth keyboard with TrackPoint and a haptic touchpad that can be placed above the bottom of the screen, aa Wacom AES compatible stylus which will increase productivity when we use it on the desktop. The versatility of its form factor allows it to be used as a tablet or in transitional modes such as being held as if it were a book with independent left and right pages.

ThinkPad X1 Fold 2023, price

With Windows 11 pre-installed, Lenovo will sell the foldable device on its web portal and international retail channel. Its starting price starts at $2,499.although if you want it complete including keyboard and stylus the prices are going up and we see configurations like:

• Core i5-1230U/16GB/512GB for $3,399
• Core i7-1250U/16GB/512GB for $3,599
• Core i7-1260U/32GB/1TB for $3,899

It is not a budget series, just like the foldable mobiles that have hit the market. But you have quite a reference, a new version of the industry’s first folding notebook.