I just went hands-on with Lenovo's first rollable laptop at CES 2025 — this is nuts

I've been coming to CES for over 20 years, so when I say the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 at CES 2025 is one of the most innovative laptops I've ever seen, that means a lot.

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As the world's first rollable laptop, it's hard not to be impressed with this device. The ThinkBook Plus Gen 6's 120Hz OLED display grows from 14 inches to 16.7 inches with the push of a button on the keyboard, and it is sort of magical to watch it unfurl — giving you 50% more screen real estate.

Then again, this is a device that starts at $3,499. Gulp. For Those scoring at home, that's Apple Vision Pro territory. But I can see some early adopters gravitating towards this very unique laptop.

Unrolling to new heights

Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 with the display unfurled at CES 2025 — (Image credit: Future)

At its full height the display on the ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 is almost comically tall, but there's some practical uses for this additional real estate. You can scroll long pages or documents with ease while being able to see much more info on screen at once.

Or you can easily load two apps right on top of each other. For instance, we put the web browser up top and Microsoft Word down below. I could see myself stacking Chrome and Slack, for example.

Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 with the display fully elongated — (Image credit: Future)

Or you could hold a video call up top while putting a presentation or another app down below. And because you're not going from side to side to multitask, you can maintain eye contact. When you are in full-screen mode it's cool to see how much more immersive TikTok is.

What about durability?

Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 with display unrolled from behind showing the laptop case — (Image credit: Future)

I know what you're thinking. Is this thing durable? I asked Lenovo and a rep told me that the display is rated for about 20,000 opens, which doesn't seem like a lot when you consider that foldable phones like the Galaxy Z Fold 6 are rated for 250,000 opens. But then again this is not an action you're going to be taking dozens of times a day on this laptop.

I will say though that the whirring sound that the ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 makes is a bit loud and the action itself is a bit slow. But the device is not yet final. It will be available by the end of Q12 2025 and I'm sure there's still some kinks to be worked out in terms of the hardware and software.

Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 specs and AI

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Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 with TikTok on the display — (Image credit: Future)

For such a premium laptop you should expect high-end specs and that's what you get with the ThinkBook Plus Gen 6. It's powered by the latest Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, along with up to 32GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD. You also get two Thunderbolt 4 ports as well as Wi-Fi 7.

Not surprisingly, this system offers a range of AI tools, including Lenovo AI Now (a built-in smart assistant of sorts) as well as CoPilot+ generative AI.

The weight is a manageable 3.7 pounds, compared to 3.4 pounds for the 14-inch MacBook Pro M4. And the thickness is 0.78 inches, which is a bit beefy compared to 0.61 inches for the MacBook Pro. But that's the price of having two displays in one laptop.

Outlook

Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 in the large display mode showing the Windows 11 desktop — (Image credit: Future)

The ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 is clearly not for the masses. It's for people who want the freedom to have an extra large display on command without having to lug around a separate portable monitor. Honestly, I could see myself using a laptop like this on business trips in my hotel room, including at CES.

However, $3,499 is a lot to spend on a laptop, even one as innovative as this one. I look forward to reviewing the ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 to see how practical it is in day-to-day use and if it can make our best laptop list. One thing's for sure, though. It will definitely turn heads at Starbucks.

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Mark Spoonauer is the global editor in chief of Tom's Guide and has covered technology for over 20 years. In addition to overseeing the direction of Tom's Guide, Mark specializes in covering all things mobile, having reviewed dozens of smartphones and other gadgets. He has spoken at key industry events and appears regularly on TV to discuss the latest trends, including Cheddar, Fox Business and other outlets. Mark was previously editor in chief of Laptop Mag, and his work has appeared in Wired, Popular Science and Inc. Follow him on Twitter at @mspoonauer.