Lenovo, the Chinese tech giant, is known for embracing their unique identity and showcasing it at events like MWC. Their booth in the back of Hall 3 always catches my eye, with a crowd of curious onlookers filming the latest oddity on display.
This year, the buzz was all about Lenovo’s highly anticipated see-through laptop. Yes, it’s real. And surprisingly, it functions quite well. However, its purpose seems to be more about aesthetics than practicality. But as a concept device, that’s totally acceptable. When it comes to actually producing and selling a product, the conversation shifts.
Capturing a good photo of the laptop can be challenging on a busy show floor, with people swarming to get a glimpse. It resembles a traditional laptop, but the screen is transparent, creating a visual overlay of graphics onto whatever is behind it. It has a futuristic appeal, invoking images of sci-fi technology. And while transparent displays have been used in TV screens, this is the first time it’s been seen in a laptop form. Though it may make more sense in public spaces, like hotel lobbies, or as signage.
I’m struggling to think of a real-world use for this product beyond its unique appearance. When I work on my laptop, I’m usually facing a wall, or occasionally a window. I wonder how the transparent screen would fare in direct sunlight, despite its maximum brightness of 1,000. And currently, as I write this in the MWC media lounge, the view in front of me is just another person’s laptop. In this instance, transparency wouldn’t add much value. Plus, they would be able to see me through the back of my laptop!
The bottom of the device features a large touch surface, which serves as both a keyboard and drawing surface compatible with a stylus. However, this flat surface cannot compare to the real thing when it comes to typing. Previous Lenovo laptops with dual screens prove this trade-off. But the versatility of a virtual keyboard may be worth it.
Despite Lenovo’s love for creating strange tech simply for the sake of it, it’s unlikely that this concept will make it to market. However, the company has surprised us in the past with weird products, such as the X1 Fold. So who knows, anything is possible.
