CES 2026 just peaked, and it didn’t happen with a foldable. While the tech world has been trying to perfect the “hinge” for years, Lenovo just decided to delete it entirely.
I spent some hands-on time with the Lenovo ThinkPad Rollable XD concept today. It’s a laptop that literally grows in front of your eyes, and after seeing it in action, I’m convinced the “foldable” era might be over before it truly began.
The “Wow” Factor: A Screen That Grows
The magic of the Rollable XD is in its motorized chassis. At first glance, it looks like a standard, slightly chunky 13-inch ThinkPad. But with the flick of a toggle, two internal motors slide the OLED panel upward.
In about five seconds, your 13-inch compact laptop transforms into a massive 17-inch vertical workstation.
The Quick Specs:
Retracted Mode: 13.5-inch (4:3 ratio) — Perfect for travel.
Expanded Mode: 17.2-inch (16:10 ratio) — A dream for coders and writers.
Panel Type: Flexible LG-made OLED.
The Best Part: There is zero crease. Because the screen rolls rather than folds, the display remains perfectly flat.
Why This Beats the “Foldable” Hype
We’ve seen foldable laptops like the Asus Zenbook Fold, but they always face the same three problems: the crease, the awkward thickness when folded, and the “plastic” feel of the screen.
Lenovo’s rollable tech solves the two biggest complaints:
Durability: The screen isn’t being “pinched” at a 180-degree angle; it’s being rolled around a wide radius inside the base. This significantly reduces stress on the OLED layers.
Usability: You don’t have to carry a separate keyboard. It feels like a real laptop because the base is solid.
The “Catch”: It’s Not All Magic
As much as I loved watching the screen expand, the Rollable XD isn’t perfect. For a low-authority site like mine to be honest with you: this isn’t ready for your backpack yet.
The Weight: Those internal motors and the reinforcement required to keep the “sliding” screen stable add serious weight. It feels significantly heavier than a MacBook Air.
Battery Anxiety: Every time you roll the screen, you can see the battery percentage take a tiny hit. The motors are power-hungry.
The $3,000 Question: While Lenovo hasn’t confirmed final pricing, industry insiders at CES are whispering a $2,999 starting price. That’s a lot of money for a motorized gimmick.
Also Read: Forget the AI Robots: These 3 Tiny CES 2026 Gadgets Are Actually Worth Your Money
Final Verdict: Gimmick or Future?
The Lenovo Rollable XD is the most exciting thing I’ve touched at CES 2026. It proves that we don’t need hinges to have “big screens in small packages.”
If Lenovo can slim down the motors and keep the price under $2,500 by the time it hits retail, Apple and Dell should be very, very worried. For now, it’s a brilliant glimpse into a future where our devices adapt to our work—not the other way around.