{"id":70616,"date":"2025-08-09T18:42:11","date_gmt":"2025-08-09T18:42:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/70616\/"},"modified":"2025-08-09T18:42:11","modified_gmt":"2025-08-09T18:42:11","slug":"i-spent-48-hours-with-lenovos-rollable-laptop-and-it-genuinely-blew-my-mind","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/70616\/","title":{"rendered":"I spent 48 hours with Lenovo’s rollable laptop \u2014 and it genuinely blew my mind"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ve tested several of the best laptops<\/a> over the years, and the new Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable is easily the most unique one yet. Its name might give away its main feature, but most people likely won\u2019t know what a \u201crollable\u201d laptop is without further explanation. I know I didn\u2019t when I first heard about this concept notebook two years ago.<\/p>\n

Well, Lenovo\u2019s rollable laptop is no longer a concept, as a review unit just arrived at our office a couple of days ago. We got to check out Lenovo’s first rollable laptop at CES 2025<\/a>, but I only gave it a cursory glance since my focus was on the Lenovo Legion Go S<\/a> at that time. Now that I\u2019ve had the chance to go hands-on with this rollable laptop, I can tell you that it\u2019s unlike anything I\u2019ve ever tested \u2014 and I mean that in the best way possible.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll have a full review of the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable for you soon, but for now, I wanted to share my initial thoughts, as this is a truly distinctive laptop. Though it\u2019s definitely strange (and very expensive), it\u2019s not something we should dismiss as gimmicky. In fact, it could be exactly what you need to boost your productivity.<\/p>\n

You may like<\/p>\n

What\u2019s a \u201crollable\u201d laptop?<\/p>\n

\"Lenovo<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)<\/p>\n

As I mentioned earlier, not everyone is familiar with rollable devices. As a result, I\u2019ll provide a brief summary to help you understand what Lenovo\u2019s rollable laptop is.<\/p>\n

A rollable device uses a flexible display that allows the screen to be extended or retracted by rolling it in and out of a housing, usually through a motorized mechanism. You can think of it like a window shade or even a scroll. As we explained in our Foldable phones vs. rollable phones<\/a> piece, this technology differs from that of foldable phones, which fold in half.<\/p>\n

\"Lenovo<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)<\/p>\n

For the ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable, a portion of the display is inside the laptop. At the press of a button on the keyboard deck, the laptop\u2019s display rolls upward, extending the 120Hz OLED panel from 14 to 16.7 inches.<\/p>\n

You can even hear the motor whirr as the display extends or retracts, which is something I didn\u2019t originally hear on the busy CES show floor.<\/p>\n

Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.<\/p>\n

Now that we know how this laptop functions, let\u2019s get into what it\u2019s like using it.<\/p>\n

An unusual experience<\/p>\n

\"Lenovo<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)<\/p>\n

I probably shouldn\u2019t admit this as a tech journalist, but it\u2019s easy to become jaded about technology after you\u2019ve tested hundreds of devices. The magic of testing something new is a feeling that\u2019s sometimes hard to recapture. I didn\u2019t expect to be surprised by the ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable since I had already seen it at CES.<\/p>\n

Then I spent a good five minutes doing nothing but pressing the button that makes the display extend and retract. That might sound silly, but trust me, seeing the screen go up and down brings back that old magic I spoke about. You\u2019d have to be one super jaded person to think this rollable function isn\u2019t one of the coolest things you\u2019ve seen. It’ll put a smile on your face.<\/p>\n

Cool factor aside, having such a comically long display is actually beneficial for work. With the extra 50% screen real estate, you can scroll long pages or documents more efficiently than you would on a 16:9 or 16:10 display. You can have two (or more) apps on top of each other, which can be useful if you don\u2019t have an external display.<\/p>\n

\"Lenovo<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)<\/p>\n

Getting into specifics, the ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable effectively has two display modes. The primary one is 14 inches with a 2000 x 1600 resolution and a 5:4 aspect ratio. In extended mode, the screen is 16.7 inches with a 2000 x 2350 resolution with an 8:9 aspect ratio. Those resolutions and aspect ratios aren\u2019t the norm for laptops, but whether it’s rolled in or out, everything on the display appears sharp and vibrant.<\/p>\n

Based on my time so far, I haven’t been disappointed by this laptop’s performance. Thanks to its Intel Core Ultra 7 258V CPU, 32GB of RAM and 1TB SSD, it easily handles my average workflow. It also performed well in the Geekbench CPU benchmark. I’ll have a full account of its performance in my upcoming review.<\/p>\n

The downsides<\/p>\n

\"Lenovo<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)<\/p>\n

The Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable is undeniably unique, but it\u2019s certainly not perfect. With the understanding that I\u2019m still testing this laptop, I\u2019ve already noted some flaws that could be detrimental in both the long and short term. And I\u2019m not just talking about the steep $3,299 asking price.<\/p>\n

Measuring 11.9 x 9.08 x 0.75 (when rolled in and closed) and weighing 3.7 pounds, Lenovo\u2019s rollable laptop isn\u2019t too large or heavy. However, it\u2019s noticeably thicker than even a 14-inch MacBook Pro M4, which is 0.61 inches thick. I\u2019m not surprised at the laptop\u2019s thickness, given that it needs room for the display to roll into. But if you\u2019re looking for a thin laptop, this one isn\u2019t it.<\/p>\n

\"Lenovo<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)<\/p>\n

Another thing I\u2019m not enamored with is the inconsistency of using hand gestures to roll and unroll the display. You\u2019re supposed to place an open hand near the laptop\u2019s webcam and wait for an on-screen icon of a hand being scanned before you move your hand up or down for the appropriate action. However, this doesn\u2019t always work, if it even works at all. Maybe I\u2019ll eventually nail this action, but right now, let\u2019s just say I\u2019m glad there\u2019s a button so I don\u2019t have to rely on gestures to roll and unroll the display.<\/p>\n

Lastly, there\u2019s the question of durability. When we asked Lenovo, a company rep told us that this laptop\u2019s display is rated for around 20,000 opens. That might sound like a lot, but keep in mind that foldable phones like the Galaxy Z Fold 6<\/a> are rated for 250,000 opens.<\/p>\n

However, since you might not constantly extend the display like you would on a phone, 20,000 opens might be more than enough. Still, durability is something that could eventually be an issue.<\/p>\n

Outlook<\/p>\n

Lenovo is always willing to try something innovative, as we\u2019ve seen with the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i<\/a> and Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold 1<\/a>6 that we’ve reviewed. That\u2019s why I can appreciate what the company is doing with the ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable. Yes, it\u2019s expensive and strange, but it can also be the ideal laptop for folks who travel a lot and don\u2019t want to lug an external monitor around to get more screen space.<\/p>\n

Again, I\u2019ll have a full review of the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable, as well as additional related content, so stay tuned!<\/p>\n

Follow Tom’s Guide on Google News<\/a> to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.<\/p>\n

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