“Foldable” devices have gained in reputation and popularity in recent years, and on paper the LG ThinkPad X1 Fold, which boasts an impressive 16.3-inch OLED HDR display and incredible versatility, is one of the best “foldable laptops” on the market. But how does it compare to the best laptops for astronomy?
This device gives you plenty of screen real estate for working with media and photo editing, but the question remains whether it offers the performance of the most powerful laptops on the market. Its huge foldable display and the ability to use it in different configurations in different environments come at a great price. For many, the stunning OLED HDR display alone may be worth the investment, but compared to more conventional 2-in-1s, there are shortcomings that can undermine the value for money you expect from a great device.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 laptop review
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2: Design
- Refreshing design
- Can be used in different configurations
- Compact when folded, but heavy
The LG ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 can fill almost any role you want—but it’s perhaps best suited as a portable monitor for viewing content. Its large 16.3-inch foldable display feels premium thanks to an aluminum chassis with magnesium and carbon fiber support. And while you’re best making the most of the available space, you can also use it as a handheld tablet in portrait or landscape mode (if you can comfortably hold such a large display)—or even as a laptop if you fold it up, with the bottom half becoming a keyboard with haptic feedback.
Technical data
CPUs: Intel Core i7-1250U
R.A.M: 16GB LPDDR5
Graphics card: Intel Iris Xe graphics
Storage: SSD with 512 GB
Advertisement: 16.3-inch OLED
Weight: 4.27 pounds (1.94 kg)
Dimensions (W x D x H): 13.6 x 10.9 x 0.34 inches (345.7 x 276.2 x 8.6mm)
The LG ThinkPad X1 Fold can also be used with a detachable Bluetooth keyboard, a stylus that can be attached to the side (or top) of the display depending on the intended use, and a stand that can be magnetically attached to the back.
In short, it’s a highly versatile device that can meet a wide range of needs. It’s also designed to fit into a neat 12-inch diagonal package – though this device is a bit heavier than you’d like. For example, the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold weighs just 1.50 kg and has a larger screen, while the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold weighs 1.94 kg.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2: Performance and features
- Mediocre CPU performance
- Weak graphics performance
- Disappointing battery life
You wouldn’t normally expect a lot of performance from a tablet – but you should from a Windows 11 device worth more than $3,000. This is where the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 disappoints. Its mobile Intel Core i7-1250U CPU was considered high-end a few generations ago, and you only get 16GB of RAM as well as a 512GB SSD. The Intel Iris Xe graphics are also an integrated configuration, which predates the current state-of-the-art dedicated Intel Arc Graphics GPU.
In other words, if performance is your priority, you won’t get the right bang for your buck with the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold – and that was reflected in our performance benchmarking. Testing with Geekbench 6 showed decent single-threaded performance but disappointing multitasking results. Graphics performance also fared poorly compared to GPUs in the latest devices. That means you can’t rely on this device for intensive graphics-based applications – although its display is excellent for viewing media.
We were also disappointed with the battery life—just under eight hours in our looped video playback test—which isn’t enough to get you through a day without a power source. This is perhaps a price to pay for the form factor and the power-hungry 16.3-inch OLED display.
The ThinkPad X1 Fold has a handful of ports, including three USB-C ports and a SIM card slot. There’s also a 5MP webcam on the bezel of the display. The placement of the USB-C ports is odd, though, as one of them will always be covered when you’re using the display with the stand and keyboard on your desk. Along with an optional SIM slot, connectivity options include Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 – which, like other components, are now a few generations behind.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2: Image editing
- Large and vibrant OLED display
- Bright enough to work, even outdoors
- The lack of 4K is disappointing
The 16.3-inch OLED display is amazingly bright and vibrant, and is great for viewing media and basic photo and video editing, but there are some limitations and a few sore points to be aware of.
The 1.26:1 aspect ratio, for example, is very unusual and takes some getting used to, as a traditional 16:9 format has large black bars appearing above and below everything you’re looking at. But you get used to it, and a little more vertical space can be useful when working with visuals. We would have also liked a 4K display, especially given the asking price—the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold only offers a 2,024 x 2,560 resolution, which equates to a fairly low pixel count per inch (PPI) of 200.2. This would have rounded out an otherwise bright and vibrant screen for graphics work.
In fact, we measured 446 nits of brightness using our display calibrator, which is just under the 500 nits that Apple claims for a MacBook Pro. That brightness is complemented by a near-perfect 99.9 percent coverage of the sRGB color space—that is, it covers almost the entire color range of the RGB space. Add to that deep, inky blacks and the great contrast you’d expect from OLED technology. Blues and reds are slightly undersaturated and greens are slightly oversaturated, but there’s almost no color distortion.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 Laptop: User Reviews
Users love the quality of the LG ThinkPad X1 Fold’s display – and that’s exactly in line with our own testing. They love the extra space that a 16.3-inch display provides, and the quality of the foldability is so good we don’t even need to mention it. But it’s a bit too big to hold in the hand, and there are difficulties when using it in a clamshell configuration. If you primarily need a laptop, users tend to find it clunkier to handle, and it won’t be as capable as the latest high-end models.
Should you buy the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2?
There’s a lot to like about the LG ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 – and the foldable display itself is almost beyond reproach, save for the lack of 4K. But that’s where the appeal starts to wane. Investing in this machine will boost your creative productivity, but only if you take full advantage of its versatility and the various configurations you can work in, and don’t need to do ultra-intensive graphics work that requires a dedicated GPU. Given the price, you might be better off with a laptop and monitor.
The impressive display – a big selling point – might not be compelling enough if you want to use this machine comfortably and reliably as a laptop for long periods of time. But if you want to use it for viewing media and working with images and can afford the high price, you could do a lot worse.
If the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 is not for you
We recommend you check out the Asus Zenbook Fold 17, which is currently the closest thing to the LG ThinkPad X1 Fold. The specs are similar and you get a larger screen as well as a slightly bigger battery. However, both devices are very expensive and if you really don’t need a foldable device, you could look at the HP Spectre x360 14. This is a much smaller and more conventional 2-in-1 that also comes with an OLED display and a stylus to help you get creative.
