I didn’t have Lenovo rolling out the red carpet for transparent laptops on my bingo card, but here we are. A few weeks ago, I got a first-hand look at the ThinkBook transparent display concept laptop.I didn’t do much with it other than touch it, although I did sit there imagining how the device would soon look like it did on the six-season series vast.However, that’s not the case with Lenovo’s ThinkBook, and you need to keep reminding yourself that this is conceptual When you look at my pictures.
Lenovo also revealed details about other laptop updates at Mobile World Congress (MWC), the international trade show where it showcased all of these new devices for the first time. In addition to several updates to its ThinkPad range, Lenovo also announced that its laptops are becoming more repairable.
Lenovo ThinkBook transparent display laptop
Lenovo has released a new concept device called the Lenovo ThinkBook transparent display laptop. This is a 17.3-inch laptop with a transparent Micro-LED display and a projected transparent keyboard on the bottom. A full-length trackpad for pinching and scrolling is embedded, along with the necessary connectivity ports. There’s even a rear camera at the bottom of the back that helps scan people and objects so you can interact with them on the see-through display.
The ThinkBook is a proof-of-concept laptop, so while there are ports on the chassis and software installed on the device, these aren’t Lenovo’s final plans for this form factor. What I saw worked well – it ran Windows 11 and even triggered some AI queries, although it took a few tries to succeed. But this seems far away from the transparent laptop display people want. Projected keyboards are a huge hurdle.
I’m standing behind a transparent laptop showing the video. The image was mirrored on the other side, and I could read most of what was on the screen, even though the screen was backwards facing. In the wrong environment, I think this is a problem for less tech-savvy people who keep all program windows open even when quarterly results are being presented.
I’m still scratching my head about the embedded rear camera. In the demo, a digital butterfly attempted to land gently on a physical vase with a flower in the center that the laptop identified. Cool. I can see the attempt – the butterfly landing barely gracefully on the petals as it finds a place to rest – although it doesn’t resonate enough to carry me into a vision of the future.
This laptop doesn’t exist outside Lenovo’s test labs. At least this way, the company can claim to be one of the first laptops to consider using the technology. However, there’s still a lot more polish that needs to be done before a transparent laptop can be as enticing as a laptop. Transparent TV in living room.
You’ll soon be able to buy a real Lenovo laptop
Lenovo has indeed updated the models in its ThinkBook and ThinkPad series, and you’ll be able to buy them soon. ThinkPad T14 Gen 5, ThinkPad T14s Gen 5, ThinkPad T16 Gen 3, ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 2, and ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4 are all getting important updates. All models will feature newer Intel processors and general improvements in power efficiency and AI processing. The ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 and T16 Gen 3 also feature AMD Ryzen chips and graphics. The 14-inch T14 Gen 5 of the two laptops comes with up to 2.8K OLED panels, and the 16-inch T16 Gen 3 comes with up to 4K OLED panels. The ThinkPad T14s Gen 5 is another 14-inch device with up to 2.8K OLED. OLED display, although AMD isn’t available on this model.
The ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 2 is a 2-in-1 device, not to be confused with the actual ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4 that was relaunched this season. The Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 2 has a fully detachable display with a 3:2 ratio, so it feels more like a tablet than a laptop. The ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 4th generation is more suitable for laptop users who occasionally want to rotate to hide the keyboard. Both devices have also received a standard upgrade to their specs, including new Intel processors and up to 32GB of RAM. They also get new TrackPoint quick menu shortcuts that let you cut off microphone and camera access with a button (double click).
One final thing to note about Lenovo’s MWC announcement is that the company wants to be known for its repairability—it’s all the rage now and discuss right to repair. ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 and T16 Gen 3 have been reconfigured internally to make repairs easier. Lenovo worked with iFixit to “create new repair guides that include video procedures for all CRU parts and make these parts easier to order,” according to the press release. Both laptops have a repairability score of 9.3/10.
The fourth-generation Lenovo ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 will be available next month for $1,170. The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 5, ThinkPad T14s Gen 5, ThinkPad T16 Gen 3, and Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 2 will all be available in April 2024, starting at $1,200. The Lenovo ThinkBook transparent display laptop will never hit the market because it’s still in the proof-of-concept stage.