Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 laptop review

When you look past its stunningly immersive and expansive display, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 begins to fall flat.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 on a table
(Image: © Keumars Afifi-Sabet)

Space Verdict

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold is extremely versatile and offers a dazzlingly bright display that can be packed into a compact package, but the 16.3-inch foldable doesn't offer much firepower beneath the bonnet.

Pros

  • +

    Stunning screen

  • +

    Very portable

  • +

    Versatile device

Cons

  • -

    Premium price

  • -

    Not the best performer

  • -

    Underwhelming battery

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'Foldable' devices have been growing in stature and popularity in recent years, and on paper, one of the best 'foldable laptops' on the market is the LG ThinkPad X1 Fold, which boasts an immersive 16.3-inch OLED HDR display and incredible versatility. But how does it stack up against the best laptops for astronomy

This device will give you plenty of screen real estate to work with media and any image editing, but questions will remain over whether it packs the firepower of the best-performing laptops on the market. Its massive foldable display and capacity to be used in a variety of different configurations in different environments come at a great price. For many, the stunning OLED HDR display may be worth the investment alone, but there are shortcomings compared with more conventional 2-in-1s that may 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

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 on a table with the keyboard in use

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2  can be used in several configurations including with a detachable Bluetooth keyboard. (Image credit: Keumars Afifi-Sabet)
  • Refreshing design
  • Can be used in a variety of configurations
  • Compact when folded away but heavy 

The LG ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 can assume almost any role you want —  but it's perhaps best as a portable monitor to view content. Its expansive 16.3-inch foldable display feels premium thanks to an aluminum chassis supported with magnesium and carbon fiber. And while you're best off making the most of the real estate you get, you can also use it as a handheld tablet in either portrait or landscape mode (if you're comfortable holding such a large display) — or even as a laptop when you fold it, with its lower half becoming a keyboard with haptic feedback. 

A stylus ontop of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 comes with a stylus. (Image credit: Keumars Afifi-Sabet)
Specifications

CPU: Intel Core i7-1250U
RAM: 16GB LPDDR5
GPU: Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Storage: 512GB SSD
Display: 16.3-inch OLED
Weight: 4.27 lbs (1.94kg)
Dimensions (WDH): 13.6 x 10.9 x 0.34 inches (345.7 x 276.2 x 8.6 mm)

The LG ThinkPad X1 Fold can also be used with a detachable Bluetooth keyboard, a stylus that can snap onto the side (or top) of the display depending on how you're using it, and a kickstand that can be magnetically snapped onto its rear. 

In short, it's an extremely versatile device that can well serve a variety of needs. It's also engineered to be packed away in a neat package with a 12-inch diagonal — albeit, this device is a little heavier than you'd like. For example, the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold weighs just 3.31 lbs (1.50 kg) and has a larger screen, with the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold weighing 4.27 lbs (1.94 kg).

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2: Performance and features

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 in the laptop configuration

We found that you wouldn't be able to rely on this machine for intense graphics-based apps. (Image credit: Keumars Afifi-Sabet)
  •  Middling CPU performance
  •  Weak graphical performance
  •  Underwhelming battery life

You wouldn't conventionally expect much firepower from a tablet — but you should from a Windows 11 device that's worth more than $3,000. That's where the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 disappoints. Its Intel Core i7-1250U mobile CPU was deemed high-end a few generations ago, and you only get 16GB RAM as well as a 512GB SSD. Intel Iris Xe graphics, too, is an integrated configuration that predates the current state-of-the-art dedicated Intel Arc Graphics GPU. 

In other words, you aren't getting value for money with the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold if performance is your priority — and that was reflected in our performance benchmarking. Testing with Geekbench 6 found decent single-threaded performance but disappointing multi-tasking results. Graphics performance, too, scored poorly compared to GPUs in the very latest machines. This means that you won't be able to rely on this machine for intense graphics-based applications — despite its display being great for viewing media. 

We were also disappointed with the battery life — just under eight hours in our looped video playback testing — which won't be enough to get you through a day of usage away from a power source. This is perhaps a cost of the form factor and power-guzzling 16.3-inch OLED display. 

There are a handful of ports with the ThinkPad X1 Fold, including three USB-C ports and a SIM card slot, with a 5MP webcam on the frame of the display too. The placement of the USB-C ports is odd, however, given one of these will always be obscured if you're using the display on your desk with the kickstand and keyboard. Alongside an optional SIM slot, connectivity options include Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 — which, as with other components, are a few generations behind now. 

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2: Image editing

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2, folded.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 is compact when it is folded away, but fairly heavy. (Image credit: Keumars Afifi-Sabet)
  •  Expansive and vivid OLED display
  •  Bright enough to work with, even outdoors
  •  The lack of 4K is disappointing 

The 16.3-inch OLED display is stunningly bright and vibrant and would be a great choice for viewing media and basic image and video editing. But there are some caveats to bear in mind and a few sore spots. 

Its 1.26:1 orientation, for example, is highly unusual and takes some getting used to because large black bars will appear above and beneath anything you're looking at in a conventional 16:9 format. But you get used to this, and having a bit more vertical space can be useful if you're working with visuals. We would have also loved a 4K display especially given the asking price — with the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold only stretching to a 2,024 x 2,560 resolution, meaning a rather low pixels-per-inch (PPI) of 200.2. This would have capped off an otherwise bright and vibrant screen for graphics work.

Indeed, we registered a brightness reading of 446 nits with our display calibrator, which is just shy of the 500 cd/m2 that Apple claims a MacBook Pro can reach. This brightness is complemented by a near-perfect 99.9% coverage of the sRGB color gamut — meaning it covers almost the full breadth of colors in the RGB space. This is alongside deep, inky blacks and great contrast you'd expect from OLED technology. There is marginal undersaturation of blues and reds and slight oversaturation of greens, but almost no color distortions.  

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 laptop: User reviews

Users tend to love the quality of the display you get with the LG ThinkPad X1 Fold — and that correlates precisely with our own testing. They love the extra real estate you get with a 16.3-inch display, and the quality of its foldable nature is so good that we needn't even mention it. But it's a little too large to use in your hands, and there are difficulties if using it in a clamshell configuration. If your primary requirement is a laptop — users tend to find it clunkier to use, while it's not going to perform as well as the latest high-end models.

Should you buy the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2?

There is plenty to love about the LG ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 — and the foldable display itself is almost beyond reproach, saving the lack of 4K. But that's where the draw begins to fade. Investing in this machine will elevate your creative productivity, but only if you're going to make the most of its versatility, the different configurations you can work in, and you don't need to do any ultra-intensive graphical work that needs a dedicated GPU. Given how much it costs, too, you may be better off choosing a laptop and a monitor instead. 

The stunning display — which is a huge selling point — might not be compelling enough if you'd like to use this machine comfortably and reliably as a laptop for large swathes of time. But if you aim to use it to view media and work with images, and you can afford the hefty price tag, you could do much worse.

If the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 isn't for you

We would recommend checking out the Asus Zenbook Fold 17, which is the closest device on the market to the LG ThinkPad X1 Fold right now. The specifications are similar and you get a larger screen as well as a slightly larger battery. Both machines are really expensive, though, and if you really don't need a foldable device, you could do worse than checking out the HP Spectre x360 14. This is a much smaller and more conventional 2-in-1 device that also comes with an OLED display and a stylus to help give you a creative boost.

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Keumars Afifi-Sabet
Live Science Channel Editor, Technology

Keumars is the technology editor at sister site Live Science. He has written for a variety of publications including ITPro, The Week Digital, ComputerActive and TechRadar Pro. He has worked as a technology journalist for more than five years, having previously held the role of features editor with ITPro.

An NCTJ-qualified journalist who specializes in technology, his path into journalism began at university. He immersed himself in student media while studying for a degree in Biomedical Sciences at Queen Mary, University of London. After graduating, Keumars wrote for a variety of local and national publications as a freelancer, including The Independent, The Observer, and Metro. While studying for his NCTJ certification, his work was commended in the category of ‘Top Scoop’ in the 2017 NCTJ awards. He’s also registered as a foundational chartered manager with the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), having qualified as a Level 3 Team leader with distinction in 2023.

  • MikeMc
    I felt a little confused reading this article because the contributor mostly called the name of the company Lenovo 14 times by my very quick count and LG 5 times by my very quick count. Lenovo is a Chinese company and LG is a Korean company. I’m going to guess that this is a Lenovo product based on the fact that I saw it listed as Lenovo more than twice as many times as I saw it listed as LG but I still feel very confused about the name of the company.
    Reply
  • paulnptld
    It sure feels as though the author relied almost entirely on AI to write this story. In any case, I own the X1 Fold 16" and can tell you it has become my favorite go-to device. Clamshell mode is brilliant on flights. Having a 16" display is incredibly useful when traveling. The keyboard is wonderful with solid travel.

    To be clear, Lenovo manufactures the X1 Fold, not LG.
    Reply
  • paulnptld
    MikeMc said:
    I felt a little confused reading this article because the contributor mostly called the name of the company Lenovo 14 times by my very quick count and LG 5 times by my very quick count. Lenovo is a Chinese company and LG is a Korean company. I’m going to guess that this is a Lenovo product based on the fact that I saw it listed as Lenovo more than twice as many times as I saw it listed as LG but I still feel very confused about the name of the company.
    I don't think the author was very involved in the actual writing of this review. Yeah, it's Lenovo who makes the Fold. Maybe LG makes the OLED? No clue, but the copy reads like "Hey Gemini, tell me some things about the latest X1 Fold."
    Reply