Lenovo shows ThinkBook concept laptop with retractable OLED screen

Lenovo shows a ThinkBook concept laptop with a slide-out OLED screen. The screen, which normally has a diagonal of 12.7 inches, can extend to 15.3 inches with an aspect ratio of 8:9. The company also shows a smartphone with a retractable screen.

Lenovo is showing the concept laptop at the MWC fair in Barcelona. The laptop has a 12.7″ OLED screen with a resolution of 2024×1604 pixels and an aspect ratio of 4:3. However, the screen has a button on the side that allows users to extend the screen, for which two motors are used.

When that happens, the screen is “stretched” to a 15.3″ diagonal with an almost square aspect ratio of 8:9 and a resolution of 2024×2368 pixels. With that aspect ratio, the screen is equivalent to two small 16:9 screens placed on top of each other. The screen would be the same as the one in the second-generation Thinkpad X1 Fold. It appears that the bottom few pixels of that screen are not used in the rollable.

The screen is produced by Sharp and can be unfolded 20,000 to 30,000. That corresponds to the number of times the ThinkPad X1 Fold can be unfolded. Lenovo says it is still working on reducing the construction of the motors and the screen, which will be slid under the keyboard. Preventing the laptop from tipping over when the screen is fully unfolded is another challenge for the designers. The battery is therefore placed at the very front. It is unknown what further specifications the ThinkBook concept laptop has.

It is also still unclear whether and when Lenovo will actually use retractable OLED screens in its laptops. The company already produces tablet-like laptops with foldable screens, which the company offers in its ThinkPad series. Lenovo subsidiary Motorola also showed a concept phone with a sliding screen during the MWC, which was on display next to the concept laptop.