Analyst(s): Olivier Blanchard
Publication Date: January 20, 2025
What is Covered in this Article:
- What sets the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus 6 Rollable PC apart from other Copilot+ PCs?
- Real world common use cases for the rollable display feature.
- The demand generation case for laptop PCs with rollable or otherwise expandable displays.
The News: Lenovo turned a lot of heads at CES with one of the most singular Laptop designs of the show: the ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable, with its vertically expandable display. Hailed as the world’s first rollable display AI PC, and developed in cooperation with Lenovo Research, the ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable has transitioned from groundbreaking proof of concept to a fully realized product.
Here’s what sets it apart: Either by pressing a dedicated key or through hand gestures to the camera, the display can vertically expand from its compact 14-inch format to a 16.7-inch display. This allows users to, at will, gain nearly 50% additional screen space in a portable form factor. This rollable feature allows professionals to adapt their screen size based on task demands (such as document editing, data analysis, coding, and making presentations) on an otherwise ultra-slim 14-inch laptop with a 19.9mm profile and weighing just 1.7kg.
ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable: A Rollable AI-Enhanced PC for Professionals with Hybrid Needs
First showcased as the “Lenovo rollable laptop” concept two years ago, the device demonstrates Lenovo’s ability to turn forward-thinking concepts into practical, high-performance solutions for business professionals. At the time, consensus was essentially “cool, but who asked for this?” Well, several types of users, as it turns out.
- Road warriors who enjoy a small form factor in a laptop but wish they could expand their screen when they need it.
- Laptop users who would like to have the advantages of carrying two screens with them but without the inconvenience of doing so.
- Laptop users who would like to be able to adjust the height of their screen and camera for video calls without having to prop their laptops up on a stand or a pile of books.
Those three groups, which aren’t mutually exclusive, form a significant enough sliver of the market to make this feature far less niche than it might initially seem.
One of the more interesting aspects of this laptop, which I think helps it transcend predictable market skepticism, is that the vertically expandable screen encourages better posture, reducing strain for professionals working long hours. This becomes especially noticeable for workers who spend any amount of time on the road, and have to spend hours working in cramped conditions (in an airplane seat, for example), or with their laptop on their lap. The value of a vertically expandable screen becomes immediately obvious in these types of situations, which are far more common than average office workers may realize.
I am also impressed with the enhanced user experience that came from being able to better align the camera and screen with a natural eye level. This creates more natural, pleasant, personable interactions during calls. While this might not seem like the most critical value of this feature, I would argue that any feature that makes people feel more connected during video calls is going to lead to better outcomes – whether those involve sales, creative brainstorms, crisis management, training, or just feeling more connected to a team.
Additionally, Lenovo’s own ThinkBook Workspace feature enhances user experience by enabling split-screen functionality and providing dedicated widgets for easy access to frequently used apps and tools. This adaptable display solution includes virtual display technology, allowing users to create a second virtual display that can be uniquely shared in meetings, reducing the need for external monitors, making the device a practical choice for those who prioritize both portability and efficiency. Professionals in creative fields and technical roles will appreciate this split-screen functionality, which supports multiple window layouts without sacrificing screen space.
The caveat, of course, is that most PV users aren’t going to go out of their way to test one of these PCs, let alone rush out to buy one. Lenovo is going to have to put this device into a lot of influential hands to kickstart adoption and the type of word-of-mouth momentum it will need for it to gain traction in the market. This includes tech influencers, obviously, and IT decision-makers, but that won’t be enough. Lenovo may have to seed these rollable laptops so that they become ubiquitous at conferences and airports. Seeing them in use in the real world, and ideally getting a chance to get their hands on them, is the best way to jumpstart a scalable demand motion among prospective users. Lenovo is going to have to invest in a pull strategy (demand generation) for this to work. A push strategy won’t be enough to help this product break out of the niche market segments where it already naturally fits.
But the more I look at this design, and the more I think about how it improves certain types of use cases (in ways far more elegant than carrying an additional screen, requiring separate monitors, or even having to travel with ergonomic accessories to making working on a plane or at a conference a less terrible experience), the more I realize that this could be a mainstream product if Lenovo can pull the right psychological and ROI levers in the market. (It might need to borrow a few tricks from Apple to make it work, however.)
Obviously, the price-point will be a critical factor here, but cool is cool, useful is useful, and again, because to use this PC’s expanding display feature in a real world setting is to love it, Lenovo has to get as many eyes and hands on these laptops as it can to generate curiosity, interest, and demand.
Additional Features
The ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable is powered by Intel Core Ultra processors and Intel Arc graphics, and features solid connectivity options such as Thunderbolt 4 and Intel Wi-Fi 7 (5 Gig) for reliable, high-speed performance. The ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 also includes an edge-to-edge keyboard, a 120Hz OLED display with 400 nits brightness, and 100% DCI-P3 color accuracy, ensuring a vibrant, responsive user experience despite the screen being rollable.
As a Copilot+ PC, the ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable also comes with AI-enabled features such as Lenovo AI Now and Cocreator from Paint. Lenovo AI Now acts as a smart assistant, streamlining workflows and offering personalized task suggestions, while its Copilot+ PC features enable advanced generative AI capabilities and support tasks from content creation to data processing. Together, these AI-enabled features help users to efficiently handle demanding tasks, even when offline. There is currently no Aura Edition version of ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable, but I can imagine a world in which Lenovo might create a premium Aura Edition rollable laptop should the category find its momentum in the market. Big “if,” but possible.
This unique AI PC highlights Lenovo’s ability to turn ambitious concepts into fully functional, market-ready products. It also happens to be one of the first truly credible use cases for rollable screen technology in commercial PCs that I have seen yet. Even if it turns out that Lenovo isn’t really onto something here (or entered the market too early), this type of bold, innovative design bet can help further position the company as a segment leader, and the type of device OEM partner that can help develop purpose-built solutions for commercial customers at scale. And that may very well be the longer-term objective here: Not only pushing the limits of PC functionality, but showcasing, year after year, an ability to challenge the tyranny of traditional form factors. And in doing so, consistently flex design and execution muscles that could open the door to the types of highly specialized industry partnerships that Lenovo may be uniquely positioned to capitalize on.
Disclosure: The Futurum Group is a research and advisory firm that engages or has engaged in research, analysis, and advisory services with many technology companies, including those mentioned in this article. The author does not hold any equity positions with any company mentioned in this article.
Analysis and opinions expressed herein are specific to the analyst individually and data and other information that might have been provided for validation, not those of The Futurum Group as a whole.
Other insights from The Futurum Group:
Lenovo Picks Up Copilot+ Momentum with New Consumer PC Releases
New Professional Copilot+ PCs Launch at Lenovo Innovation World 2024
Lenovo Q2 FY24/25 Earnings: Growth in AI Segments and Strategic Investments
Lenovo Tech World 2024: Lenovo Unleashes Hybrid AI Advantage with NVIDIA
Image Credit: Lenovo
Author Information
Olivier Blanchard is Research Director, Intelligent Devices. He covers edge semiconductors and intelligent AI-capable devices for Futurum. In addition to having co-authored several books about digital transformation and AI with Futurum Group CEO Daniel Newman, Blanchard brings considerable experience demystifying new and emerging technologies, advising clients on how best to future-proof their organizations, and helping maximize the positive impacts of technology disruption while mitigating their potentially negative effects. Follow his extended analysis on X and LinkedIn.
