Identifying the white space for innovation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe \u2018work from anywhere<\/a>\u2019 trend was on the rise years before COVID-19 impacted routines. In 2019,\u00a0IWG reported<\/a> that 50 percent of employees globally were working outside of their main office headquarters at least 2.5 days per week. Knowing that the trend was only going to become more prevalent, Lenovo continued thinking about what the future of portable technology would look like.<\/p>\n\n\n\nOne key area of innovation was flexible and foldable OLED displays<\/a>, a market that is forecasted to grow by\u00a0US$ 167.7 Billion by 2024<\/a>. This sparked the PC concept of \u201ccarry small, use big\u201d that led to the creation of a whole new device category with the introduction of the world\u2019s first foldable PC.<\/p>\n\n\n\nDesigning an entirely new solution<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nOnce the need was identified, Lenovo\u2019s focus shifted to ideation and design. The key to a successful design was thinking of the end user experience and identifying the key components the device must have, then developing a blueprint to bring those components to life.\u00a0\u00a0The challenge for the X1 Fold design team became how to combine the size and portability of a smartphone, the power and functionality of a business device and the flexibility missing in the current market, to deliver on all fronts.\u00a0The answer was the foldable screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Lenovo](\"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/f1ac4b5a-6c4e-4413-bc8f-1ddaceb930c6.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nOvercoming engineering challenges<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nUpon first sketches in 2016 for the world\u2019s first foldable PC, Lenovo <\/a>entered the engineering phase where the creative vision is brought to life through technical architecture.\u00a0\u00a0Navigating engineering challenges required a diverse team that provided a variety of perspectives in order to effectively collaborate and develop solutions to deliver a product fit for market.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIn the case of the ThinkPad X1 Fold, Lenovo<\/a> and Intel engineering and sub-engineering teams collaborated to engineer solutions around the device\u2019s design, durability and usability. The main challenge was having all the system components fit within a very limited space, which was only compounded by the unique restrictions of the foldable mechanism.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe solution was identified as requiring eleven layers, inclusive of the bezel, folding OLED screen<\/a> made in collaboration with LG <\/a>Displays, carbon fiber shutter frame, unique cooling system and foldable graphite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"](\"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/a1e0c41f-2dc0-4b3a-9a81-0835b2171479.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nMultiple layers underneath the screen allow users to fully experience the benefits of the folding technology. What makes the ThinkPad X1 Fold truly \u201cfoldable\u201d is the unique multi-link hinge, which was designed to protect the OLED screen<\/a> when closed and provides the proper tension across the full range of motion, \u201cpulling\u201d the screen flat when fully opened. When combined, the layers and hinge create a positive user experience marked by durability. In addition to an unprecedented physical design, the ThinkPad X1 Fold also provides a new level of usability.<\/p>\n\n\n\nUnderstanding that users want an always on and always connected experience, the team designed the X1 Fold with advanced speakers and six antennas for 5G <\/a>and Wi-fi connectivity<\/a>. To maximize cooling, Lenovo<\/a>\u2019s team in Yokohama, Japan took inspiration from traditional Japanese mosaic woodworking, to create a revolutionary cooling system.<\/p>\n\n\n\nTested for durability<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nIn the last phase before the product goes to market, the end user experience needed to be refined, which requires thorough rigorous testing to ensure usability, durability, quality and functionality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One key area of innovation was flexible and foldable OLED displays<\/a>, a market that is forecasted to grow by\u00a0US$ 167.7 Billion by 2024<\/a>. This sparked the PC concept of \u201ccarry small, use big\u201d that led to the creation of a whole new device category with the introduction of the world\u2019s first foldable PC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once the need was identified, Lenovo\u2019s focus shifted to ideation and design. The key to a successful design was thinking of the end user experience and identifying the key components the device must have, then developing a blueprint to bring those components to life.\u00a0\u00a0The challenge for the X1 Fold design team became how to combine the size and portability of a smartphone, the power and functionality of a business device and the flexibility missing in the current market, to deliver on all fronts.\u00a0The answer was the foldable screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Upon first sketches in 2016 for the world\u2019s first foldable PC, Lenovo <\/a>entered the engineering phase where the creative vision is brought to life through technical architecture.\u00a0\u00a0Navigating engineering challenges required a diverse team that provided a variety of perspectives in order to effectively collaborate and develop solutions to deliver a product fit for market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the case of the ThinkPad X1 Fold, Lenovo<\/a> and Intel engineering and sub-engineering teams collaborated to engineer solutions around the device\u2019s design, durability and usability. The main challenge was having all the system components fit within a very limited space, which was only compounded by the unique restrictions of the foldable mechanism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The solution was identified as requiring eleven layers, inclusive of the bezel, folding OLED screen<\/a> made in collaboration with LG <\/a>Displays, carbon fiber shutter frame, unique cooling system and foldable graphite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Multiple layers underneath the screen allow users to fully experience the benefits of the folding technology. What makes the ThinkPad X1 Fold truly \u201cfoldable\u201d is the unique multi-link hinge, which was designed to protect the OLED screen<\/a> when closed and provides the proper tension across the full range of motion, \u201cpulling\u201d the screen flat when fully opened. When combined, the layers and hinge create a positive user experience marked by durability. In addition to an unprecedented physical design, the ThinkPad X1 Fold also provides a new level of usability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Understanding that users want an always on and always connected experience, the team designed the X1 Fold with advanced speakers and six antennas for 5G <\/a>and Wi-fi connectivity<\/a>. To maximize cooling, Lenovo<\/a>\u2019s team in Yokohama, Japan took inspiration from traditional Japanese mosaic woodworking, to create a revolutionary cooling system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the last phase before the product goes to market, the end user experience needed to be refined, which requires thorough rigorous testing to ensure usability, durability, quality and functionality.<\/p>\n\n\n\nDesigning an entirely new solution<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nOvercoming engineering challenges<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nTested for durability<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n