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Lenovo's leaked ThinkBook shows a rollable OLED display that expands horizontally

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Why This Matters

Lenovo's leaked ThinkBook with a rollable OLED display represents a significant innovation in portable computing, offering users a flexible screen that expands horizontally for enhanced multitasking and productivity. This development signals the company's exploration of adaptable display technology, potentially transforming how laptops are used in professional settings.

Key Takeaways

Rumor mill: Lenovo is working on a ThinkBook laptop with a display that expands from both sides of the screen, according to newly obtained images. The device, known internally as Project Swan, appears to be a new attempt to bring rollable-screen technology to a business laptop. The design offers an early look at Lenovo's approach to rollable-display engineering and its place in the company's broader PC lineup.

According to Windows Latest, in its unexpanded form, the machine looks much like a standard ThinkBook. The palm rest carries ThinkBook branding, and the display has a centered webcam housing along the top bezel. Two USB-C ports are visible on the left side. The images do not show the right side of the system, so it is unclear whether it has more ports.

The rear of the display gives a better look at the rollable design. The lid has cutouts on each side, along with a two-tone finish and Lenovo branding. Those openings appear to be part of a rail system that stores and extends the flexible OLED display.

The design looks related to the approach Lenovo used for its Legion Pro Rollable gaming laptop. In that system, sections of the OLED panel are kept in housings at the sides of the display. When a larger screen is needed, motorized rails pull the hidden screen area outward and flatten it.

Project Swan seems to use the same basic idea in a ThinkBook aimed at work and productivity. The screen would expand horizontally rather than vertically, giving users more room for documents, spreadsheets, browser windows and other multitasking work.

The laptop's hinge also appears different from the hinge on a typical ThinkBook. It is shorter and sits closer to the center of the chassis. A full-width hinge could interfere with the hardware needed to move the screen outward from both sides.

Lenovo has shown other rollable PC concepts in recent months. The Legion Pro Rollable uses a horizontally expanding 21:9 display, while the ThinkPad Rollable XD concept expands vertically from 13.3 inches to 16 inches. Lenovo later showed both devices on stage, supporting earlier reports about the products.

The Project Swan images indicate that Lenovo is still developing several versions of rollable-display hardware rather than treating the technology as a one-off concept. The company has not yet announced a release date, specifications or pricing for the ThinkBook.

The system shown in the images is running Windows 11. Recall is pinned to the taskbar and appears active near the system tray. At the same time, the keyboard does not appear to include a Copilot key, which is interesting as Microsoft has pushed the Copilot key on newer PCs, even as it tests an option that would allow users to assign the key to do nothing.

The missing key may simply reflect the fact that Project Swan is early hardware or a marketing render. Its internal name also suggests the device may still be in the concept or pre-production stage.

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