Lenovo's latest concept laptop lets you vertically rotate the screen
We went hands-on with the new ThinkBook VertiFlex concept ahead of IFA 2025
š» Lenovoās newest concept laptop seems surprisingly practical
ā¤“ļø The ThinkBook VertiFlx lets you rotate the screen vertically 90 degrees
š This allows for much more vertical room while working
š± It also uses a special app for controlling your phone at the same time
ā Lenovo says this particular model wonāt be going on sale
For yet another year, Lenovo has the coolest laptop at IFA. Ahead of the big show in Berlin, we got to go hands-on with the new ThinkBook VertiFlex, a concept laptop has one really cool and convenient trick: the screen can rotate 90 degrees and stand vertically, giving you a ton more room to do work than a normal 16:10 display would.
This futuristic ThinkBook is the latest in Lenovoās line of concept laptops itās shown off before. Last year at IFA, the company introduced a laptop with a 180-degree rotating screen, which enabled features such as facial tracking for video calls. At CES in January, Lenovo unveiled its first rollable laptop, which had a screen that physically grows. For IFA, the screen doesnāt grow or spin to the front, but it does offer practical benefits that certain users will notice.
From bloggers to developers to short-form video creators, having a vertical screen to work on can be a necessity in your toolkit. Virtually every laptop fails to deliver it, but Lenovo has figured out a hinge mechanism that allows the screen to rotate and retain a semi-normal design at the same time. The ThinkBook VertiFlex was relatively thin and lightweight, and the 14-inch panel looked just as good as other screens weāve seen from the brand.
Youāre stuck with some dead space on the left and right after you rotate the display upwards, but Lenovo has a way to maximize it (kind of). Using the Smart Connect app, you can pair your smartphone and laptop to transfer files and mirror your phone on the laptop screen. Neat.
Other than the rotating display, this laptop feels like any ordinary ThinkBook. Unfortunately, that doesnāt mean itāll be easy to produce. Lenovo said it has no plans to ship this device, at least not in its current stage. Perhaps weāll get something similar to it in the future.
In addition to the VertiFlex concept, Lenovo also unveiled the Smart Motion Concept, a laptop stand that can intelligently adjust itself so that your laptop is in the perfect position to use. It can automatically adjust its height, the position of your display, and more using a bunch of different sensors. Thereās even a ring you can wear that lets you control it with air gestures. This concept seemed more far-fetched than the ThinkBook, but somewhat practical nonetheless.
Max Buondonno is an editor at The Shortcut. Heās been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.