During the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Lenovo, a renowned electronics brand, presented a laptop concept featuring a transparent screen, enabling users to peer through the device.
The ThinkBook Transparent Display Laptop Concept, also known as Project Crystal, is characterized by Lenovo as the first-ever laptop with a 17.3-inch Micro-LED transparent display in the industry.
The proof-of-concept device boasts a display with modifiable transparency and a removable transparent base that doubles as a keyboard or tablet.
In lieu of physical buttons, keys are projected onto a sleek, flat surface made of nano-optical glass.
Lenovo’s transparent laptop is a glimpse into the future. This concept was first introduced to the world at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
When a stylus is brought near the keyboard, the keys vanish, transforming it into a drawing pad. This feature allows artists and designers to sketch directly onto the surface, with their creations appearing on the screen.
The laptop’s design also includes a rear-facing camera. This camera, combined with generative AI and AR software, enables the device to identify and interact with objects placed behind it.
At the Mobile World Congress (MCW), Lenovo showcased the AR capabilities of their concept device by placing a flower in a vase behind the screen and simulating a virtual butterfly fluttering around it.
This technology could empower digital artists to visualize what’s directly behind the laptop while sketching on the drawing pad with a dedicated stylus. Similarly, interior designers could superimpose virtual furniture or decor onto an existing space.
Lenovo stated, “The transparent screen paves the way for new forms of work collaboration and efficiency by facilitating interaction with physical objects and superimposing digital information to create unique user-generated content.” This concept marks Lenovo’s initial venture into the realm of transparent displays, a technology that several companies have already incorporated into televisions.
In 2020, Chinese electronics company Xiaomi introduced a TV with a transparent, edge-to-edge display. Meanwhile, LG’s Signature OLED T was a highlight at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show.
Project Crystal’s display utilizes MicroLED technology, which employs microscopic LEDs for pixel-level light control and a high contrast ratio.
The transparent screen of Lenovo’s concept laptop is indeed detachable. Lenovo asserts that the display’s high colour saturation and brightness of 1,000 nits guarantee excellent visibility in any lighting condition, whether indoors or outdoors.
When the pixels are at their maximum brightness, the display appears as a completely opaque surface. However, reducing the brightness increases the transparency of the display.
Although the prototype device currently features a relatively low resolution of 720 pixels, Lenovo is optimistic that the MicroLED technology will continue to advance, leading to improved image quality and durability in the future.
In this innovative concept, keys are projected onto the base of the laptop.
As of now, Lenovo does not have any immediate plans to commercialize the Project Crystal laptop. The aim is to showcase the potential applications of such technologies in future products.
Lenovo has a history of unveiling experimental projects. For instance, at the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show, they introduced the Yoga Book 9i, touted as the “world’s first” laptop featuring two full-sized screens.
The Mobile World Congress is being held at the Gran Via convention centre in Barcelona, Spain, from February 26 to 29, 2024. For an updated list of architecture and design events happening globally, refer to the Dezeen Events Guide.
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