No one is surprised by laptops with flexible screens that fold in half or stretch, so Lenovo, searching for new ideas, has imagined a futuristic mobile PC with a transparent display and a massive touchpad instead of a traditional keyboard. The images of the potential novelty, which is currently only a concept, are as follows, shared by famous insider Evan Blass (@evleaks).
Transparent screens are one of the most visible modern trends in the mobile and electronics industry. The technology is by no means new — the first concepts of transparent laptops were demonstrated back at CES 2010 along with transparent TVs, which have been consistently present at Samsung and LG stands at various industry exhibitions for the past 10 years (here is a more detailed description of the background here). And the January CES 2024, among other things, was remembered for the presentations of Samsung and LG, where both showed the latest transparent screens for the next generation of TVs — MicroLED and OLED. Judging by this, the technology is finally ready for commercialization and the first mass-produced devices are not far off.
Lenovo’s transparent laptop concept
This is the second look at Lenovo’s transparent laptop concept — the first images were published a week ago, by WindowsReport. As you can see, they all showcase the same design. A new image shows two concept laptops on a table, with one of the devices turned on and visible through the transparent screen of the other. Judging by these renders, the laptop will have a completely flat touchscreen keyboard instead of the usual one with physical keys. Support for a stylus and Windows 11 is included.
This Lenovo transparent laptop is expected to be announced along with others at the MWC exhibition, which will be held on February 26-29 in Barcelona. So far, there are no full specifications or other details. It is unclear at what stage the project is and whether Lenovo plans to turn this concept eventually into a production device. Between announcement and start of sales Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold laptop has been around for almost two years, and as for the unusual laptop with a sliding screen, which stretches from 12.7 inches (4:3) to 15.3 inches (8:9) at the touch of a button, there has been no news since the show was broadcast in October 2022.
We’ll find out in two weeks whether Lenovo will bring a working prototype of a laptop with a transparent screen to MWC 2024 — it will be interesting to see if the manufacturer has managed to get rid of the compromises inherent in previous devices with transparent screens (the balance between transparency and brightness). It is also fascinating to hear how Lenovo will sell such a laptop and how not to “light up” personal data if everything that happens on the screen is visible to others from the back.