We’ve seen LCD screens flex into curves and fold in half by now, but we’ve never seen a laptop screen pull a full 180-degree turn before. Alongside a host of ready-for-sale products at CES 2026, Lenovo showcased an experimental rollable-display laptop concept, the ThinkPad Rollable XD, that made our eyes flat-out bug out.
Lenovo has an existing rolling-screen laptop on the market, the ThinkBook Plus Gen 6, that stretches the screen taller on command, raising the display and pulling more of a flexible LCD screen out from under the keyboard. The Rollable XD, well, rolls in a different way. Its flexy screen winds up and over the top of the panel, making a super-sharp U-turn into the lid, rather than beneath the keyboard, allowing the display’s height to expand and contract.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
I was able to go hands on with this in-development prototype at a preview event in New York before CES 2026. The video here gives a quick tour; we’ve got lots more details and pictures below.
An Over-the-Top Display? Yes, Literally
Before I proceed, I would like to reiterate that this is a prototype device. I say this for two reasons. First, I found that the Rollable XD had some issues with consistency, and I have a few concerns I’d like to bring to your attention. Second, the laptop may never see the light of day as a real product, so any issues (positive or negative) may be moot. However, I always appreciate attempts at innovation and experimentation, which Lenovo consistently brings to us in these concept laptops, even if the features ultimately may end up only as a part of another future device.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
The Rollable XD’s screen is made of the same flexible display material as the ThinkBook Plus Gen 6’s panel, but the screen-stretch mechanism is entirely different. With the ThinkBook, you press a button, and the screen expands upward, unrolling and pulling the rest of the display out from beneath the keyboard. At maximum height, the screen expands from 14 inches to nearly 17 inches, making it particularly useful for vertical workflows.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
The Rollable XD flips the idea around, running the display over the top of the laptop lid and down into the back, in a “U”-shaped pathway. A mechanism slowly extends the lid vertically on a set of tracks, and more of the screen itself is released from the back side of the lid, making a tight 180-degree turn over the top to the user-facing side.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
On this prototype, the lid back is transparent, so you can see the clips and pulleys that keep the screen taut and gradually roll it forward. While I’m not sure a theoretical final product would ship with a transparent lid like this, it was cool to see the complex innards in action.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
The setup had its bugs, though. To trigger the screen-expanding action, you must press a “button” on the top edge of the panel—and that proved a bit finicky in practice…
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(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
The “press” is more like a short hold and then swipe, which took some getting used to, and it didn’t always work. While filming the video above, I had to cut away and retry the action a few times.
To make the screen shrink back to its smaller size, you press the same button, and the mechanism pulls the extra display back down into the lid, away from the user side.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
What Would the Rollable XD Be Good For? Use Cases and Benefits
Adding vertical screen real estate is beneficial for a wide range of mobile computing scenarios. Even with desktop monitors, some professions benefit from turning one or both screens vertically for specific workflows—such as those who read long documents. As the many attempts at dual-screen laptops have demonstrated, more screen space in a compact footprint can be appealing.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
What’s the benefit of the Rollable XD over the existing ThinkBook Rollable’s method? The existing ThinkBook model retracts its screen beneath the keyboard, which means less drastic screen bending and an arguably more practical, less complex design. But the screen and its mechanisms occupy space inside the laptop’s lower half that engineers could utilize for improved thermals or a more efficient interior design. When you put the panel, doubled up, wholly in the lid, you free up more room under the keyboard for interior componentry and cooling gear that can improve performance.
Clearly, there are some kinks to work out. As mentioned, the touch button that controls the action wasn’t always responsive. Additionally, one of the two prototype units we tried saw the lid’s motors becoming stuck halfway through extension. This was possibly due to a low battery, but it interrupted use (even if it’s exactly the type of stumble you’d expect from a prototype).
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
The dreaded display dimple that we often see on foldable screens was also present when the XD’s panel was fully extended. It was especially visible when it caught the light at a certain angle or when viewed from the side. The infamous panel indent that plagued some dual-screen phones—and two-screen laptops—isn’t too bad when viewed head-on, but it is a blemish you’d spot at times. Additionally, some warping was visible on the part of the screen you could see through the transparent lid on the back. It appeared as if the display had made contact with the plastic at certain points and was pressed against it, or had left a mark on it.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
But these are quibbles about a work-in-progress device that may never be sold, ultimately. This technology and mechanism may ultimately be refined into a different device entirely down the line, or Lenovo could abandon the idea altogether. The existing ThinkBook Rollable is impressive and succeeds in adding screen size on demand, but at more than $3,000, it’s quite expensive for the level of laptop performance it offers—so it remains to be seen if this or another solution can roll to the right balance.
About Our Expert
Matthew Buzzi
Principal Writer, Hardware
Experience
I’ve been a consumer PC expert at PCMag for 10 years, and I love PC gaming. I’ve played games on my computer for as long as I can remember, which eventually (as it does for many) led me to build and upgrade my own desktops to this day. Through my years at PCMag, I’ve tested and reviewed many, many dozens of laptops and desktops, and I am always happy to recommend a PC for your needs and budget.
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