Every laptop user knows this feeling all too well. You open your device on a busy day and within minutes, juggling through multiple apps takes more time than actual work. A document on the left, a browser tab on the right, Slack somewhere in the background, and a spreadsheet you wish could just breathe a little. The screen suddenly feels too small, even on a so-called big laptop. For years, the solution has been simple but inconvenient. Plug in an external monitor or buy a larger machine and carry the extra weight.
At CES, Lenovo has been quietly asking a far more interesting question. What if your laptop could change its size when you needed it to?
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The moment Lenovo lifted the lid on the ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable at CES 2025, it was clear this was not a gimmick designed purely for stage applause. At first glance, the laptop looked ordinary. A clean aluminium chassis, a familiar 14-inch display, and proportions that would not look out of place in any modern office. Then someone pressed a button.
Slowly and smoothly, the display rose upward, expanding vertically into a tall 16.7-inch portrait panel. At the time, it felt less like a tech demo and more like watching a desk suddenly gain extra surface area. No snapping hinges, no awkward folds, just a fluid motion that made you rethink what a laptop screen could do.
What made the ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable special was not just the movement, but the intent behind it. Lenovo was solving a real problem faced by writers, developers, analysts, and anyone who scrolls more than they swipe. With nearly 50 percent more vertical screen space, long documents suddenly felt manageable, code windows stretched comfortably without constant scrolling and large spreadsheets became easier to work with.
When you were done, the display could just be rolled back into its compact 14-inch form, ready to slip into a backpack without demanding extra space. This was portability without compromise, and that balance is something laptop makers have struggled with for years.
Under the hood, the laptop featured Intel’s 14th-gen Lunar Lake CPUs, paired with up to 32GB of LPDDR5x RAM and Intel Xe2 graphics. Connectivity was future-ready with Wi-Fi 7 and Thunderbolt 4 ports, while a 5MP IR webcam handled video calls with ease. At 1.68kg, it was heavier than an ultraportable like a MacBook Air, but the trade-off felt justified when your laptop could literally grow when your workload demanded it.
The ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable was not just a concept for applause. It was Lenovo testing how adaptable hardware could redefine everyday productivity. The laptops also hit the markets a couple of months later and tech reviewers and enthusiasts were excited to try it out. And it set the stage for something much bigger in 2026.
Now, in 2026, Lenovo has taken the idea of rollable displays and is applying it to a very different audience- gamers.
The Legion Pro Rollable Concept can solve a unique esports problem. Professional players train on massive 24-inch or larger monitors, but when they travel for tournaments, they are forced to practise on comparatively tiny laptop screens. That disconnect between training conditions and competition environments can affect performance, muscle memory, and situational awareness.
Lenovo’s solution to this seems bold and unapologetically ambitious. Start with a 16-inch gaming laptop, then allow the display to expand horizontally. Not once, but twice. The screen can grow from 16 inches in Focus Mode to 21.5 inches in Tactical Mode, and finally to a full 24 inches in Arena Mode.
Performance-wise, the Legion Pro Rollable concept is based on the Legion Pro 7i platform, powered by top-tier Intel Core Ultra processors and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU. Built on NVIDIA’s Blackwell architecture, the RTX 50 Series promises serious AI horsepower, enabling features like DLSS 4, advanced frame generation, and next-level ray tracing.
Lenovo’s AI Engine+ also plays a key role here. Using the LA Core system, it detects real-time gaming scenarios and dynamically adjusts CPU and GPU performance to maximise FPS. Smart FPS tuning ensures smooth gameplay even in high-pressure competitive moments, while AI-driven optimisation pushes the system to deliver peak performance when it matters most.
This is not a laptop meant for mass production tomorrow. It is Lenovo asking what happens when gaming hardware adapts to players instead of forcing players to adapt to hardware.
If the Legion Pro Rollable ais for gamers, the ThinkPad Rollable XD Concept appears to be about redefining versatility altogether.
This concept device builds on Lenovo’s legacy of experimental PCs, including the ThinkPad X1 Fold. Starting as a compact 13.3-inch laptop, the ThinkPad Rollable XD expands into a near 16-inch workspace, offering over 50 percent more screen real estate without increasing the physical footprint of the device.
What makes this concept stand out is its out-folding design and world-facing display. It supports collaborative workflows, one-to-many presentations, and adaptive use cases that go beyond traditional laptop usage. The transparent 180-degree Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 cover, developed in partnership with Corning, not only promises durability but also showcases the intricate mechanics behind the rolling display.
Apart from rollable displays, Lenovo has also been experimenting with rotating laptop displays. More than a decade ago, the original ThinkPad Twist flirted with the idea, and while it was solidly built, it never broke out of its niche. Fast forward to CES 2026, and the ThinkBook Plus Gen 7 Auto Twist shows how far that idea has evolved.
First teased as an experimental concept in 2024, the Auto Twist mechanism is now part of a market-ready product. The headline feature is a motorised dual-rotation hinge that automatically shifts the 14-inch 2.8K OLED touchscreen between notebook, tablet, and sharing modes.
Lenovo claims the updated electromotor is faster, smoother, and quieter than the early concept, although real-world validation will only come once it is widely available.
Underneath the moving display, the laptop runs on Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors with integrated graphics, supports up to 32GB of memory and up to 2TB PCIe SSD storage, and packs a 75Wh battery. Connectivity options include Thunderbolt 4, USB-A, HDMI 2.1, Wi-Fi 7, and a 10MP webcam.
So from being on a roll to giving its laptops a twist, Lenovo so far has emerged as one of the most experimental brands out there. Along with these bold concepts, some other new gaming and productivity laptops have also been announced by the brand. But all eyes for now are on these concept devices which might soon make it to the market just like the ThinkBook Plus Gen 7 Auto Twist.