Forget Foldables, Lenovo Just Made a Rollable Laptop

Introduction

At CES 2025, Lenovo unveiled what may be one of the boldest leaps in laptop innovation: the ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable. It’s not just another incremental update, it is the world’s first laptop with a motorized rollable OLED screen, which is can expand from a 14 inch standard notebook into a 16.7 inch portrait mode at the press of a button or even a hand gesture. About 50% more screen without compromising portability.

This announcement did not just turn heads because of its futuristic design, it was the highlight of CES 2025, an event already known for showcasing next-generation concepts. Lenovo has pushed boundaries with its dual display ThinkBook Plus series and the foldable ThinkPad X1 Fold. But with the Gen 6 Rollable, the company is moving into uncharted territory, moving beyond prototypes and making rollable laptops a reality.

ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 is a premium device aimed at professionals who demand cutting-edge technology, extra vertical workspace, and seamless AI-driven performance. This is more than a laptop, it is Lenovo’s vision of how personal computing will develop over the years.

Design and Display

By default, the ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 offers a 14 inch display with 2,000 × 1,600 resolution and a 5:4 aspect ratio. With a simple press of a button or a palm movement the screen expands vertically into a 16.7 inch panel with a 2,000 × 2,350 resolution, approximating an 8:9 aspect ratio. This means nearly 50% more usable screen area, which opens new possibilities for multitasking and productivity. For coders, this means seeing dozens of additional lines of code without constant scrolling. Financial analysts can display longer spreadsheets. Writers and researchers can read several paragraphs on a page, and social media managers can preview vertical content like facebook, twitter without black bars. In short, it merges the functionality of a dual-monitor setup into a single, portable device. With 120 Hz refresh rate, 400-nit brightness, and 100% DCI-P3 color accuracy, it provides smooth motion and professional grade visuals. This makes it equally valuable for content creators, photo editors, and designers.

The engineering behind the rolling mechanism is quite impressive. Lenovo designed it to withstand around 20,000 roll cycles, which means 10 years of use if expanded five times a day. Still the questions remain about long term durability, especially for business users who push their laptops hard. This innovation comes with physical trade-offs. At 1.69 kg (3.73 lbs) and 19.9 mm thick, the Gen 6 Rollable is bulkier than most 14-inch laptops. Compared to a MacBook Pro 14” (1.6 kg, 15.5 mm), it is heavier and thicker, even though not unreasonably so considering its groundbreaking technology.

Hardware and Performance

The core has the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V (Lunar Lake) processor, which is built on the latest architecture of Intel optimized for AI acceleration and efficiency. It is paired with 32GB of LPDDR5x-8533 RAM and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD, which delivers fast performance for demanding workloads. The graphics are controlled by Intel Arc 140V integrated graphics, which works better than the traditional integrated GPUs. Although it is not a replacement for high-end discrete GPUs, it is able to handle light gaming, video editing, and creative workloads which is perfect for professionals who prefer mobility over raw gaming power. One of the standout features is the on-device AI acceleration. The integrated NPU for the laptop delivers 47–48 TOPS (trillions of operations per second), so that it can qualify as a Microsoft Copilot+ PC. This means built-in support for AI-driven tasks such as live transcription, intelligent content summarization, background blur, and image generation. Lenovo layers on its own AI Now assistant, further extending productivity features. Connectivity is next-gen: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. Audio is enhanced by Harman Kardon speakers with Dolby Atmos, which is delivering immersive sound for calls, movies, or gaming.

Other features include a 5 MP IR webcam with Windows Hello support, a fingerprint reader, and a haptic trackpad. These details round out the premium experience. Battery life is equally solid: 66 Wh battery can last up to 9 hours in mixed usage. Intelligent power sharing between the CPU, NPU, and the display’s motor ensures efficiency, though frequent screen expansion naturally consumes more energy. In short, the Gen 6 Rollable is not just a tech demo, it is a serious, high performance laptop ready for real world workloads.

Real World Use and User Experience

Early reviews and hands-on impressions describe the rollable screen as nothing short of extraordinary. The smooth, motorized transition and vertical expansion provide a real productivity boost. Unlike foldable laptops, which increase width, the rollable focuses on height, making it uniquely suited to certain workflows. Coders can work more efficiently, editors can view long documents, and analysts can crunch data without resizing windows constantly. Multitaskers can stack apps like Slack above Excel, or Zoom above notes reducing the need for external monitors. For entertainment, the portrait orientation feels natural for e-books, comics, and scrolling social media feeds. It also provides an edge for creators working on vertical first content for TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram. The physical build garners praise: the aluminum chassis feels premium, the keyboard and haptic track pad are comfortable, and the webcam quality is excellent. A few drawbacks exist: the lid is not as rigid as some competitors, and the motor emits a noticeable sound during expansion, a minor distraction in quiet environments. Lenovo’s ThinkBook Workspace app helps optimize multitasking across changing screen ratios, but Windows 11 still struggles with dynamic aspect shifts. Some apps do not resize gracefully, forcing users to rely on snapping tools. Over time, software updates are expected to improve this experience. Compared to foldables like Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Fold, the rollable feels more natural. They widen, but rollables extend height, keeping a traditional laptop feel intact.

Price, Availability and Verdict

The ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable became available in mid-2025, with prices from $3,299 to $3,499 depending on region and configuration. This places it in the ultra-premium laptop market, with high-end models like the MacBook Pro 14, Dell XPS 14, and Asus Zenbook Duo. However, unlike those models, Lenovo’s rollable is not just competing on specs, it is offering a new category of computing experience. The extra vertical real estate is a unique value proposition that no other mainstream laptop currently provides. Who is it for? Primarily professionals, programmers, analysts, designers, and content creators who will directly benefit from the taller display. Enterprises may also adopt it for niche workflows, though its price and durability questions may keep it limited to enthusiasts and innovators for now. Drawbacks include added weight and thickness, limited port selection, audible motor noise, and Windows inconsistent handling of aspect ratio changes. But these are trade-offs inherent to first generation products.

Final Thoughts

By bringing rollable technology from concept to commercial reality in under two years, Lenovo has demonstrated what’s possible when ambition meets execution. Is it perfect? No. The price is steep, the mechanism adds bulk, and long term durability remains a question mark. But the productivity benefits are undeniable. For professionals craving extra vertical space without juggling external monitors, this laptop provides a new kind of freedom. Looking ahead, rollables may evolve into thinner, quieter, and more affordable machines. We could see hybrid foldable-rollables or even rollable tablets in the future. For now, the ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 stands as a first generation pioneer not a gimmick, but a genuine glimpse into the future of mobile computing.