Lenovo's ideas for laptop displays: expandable, fold-out or clickable
More screen, more possibilities: At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Lenovo is presenting creative laptop concepts with extendable and fold-out displays as well as attachable AI assistants.
Notebooks are practical, but the more compact and lighter they are, the more the work surface suffers. But working on a small screen is no fun. That's why many people work from home with a large screen as an extension. However, working life is changing: many people can or need to use their laptop flexibly while travelling.
At the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Lenovo is showcasing several concepts for exactly this target group: how a portable computer can be expanded so that you have the same level of comfort on the go as you do in your home office. However, it is still unclear whether and when the ideas will actually be integrated into products that are actually available.
ThinkBook codename Flip: open at the top
At first glance, this notebook is a classic 13-incher - a compact business notebook in the classic ThinkBook style. However, the screen can be extended vertically and opened up. This creates a large, uninterrupted workspace with an 18-inch diagonal in just a few seconds.
Source: Lorenz Keller
You can switch seamlessly between five different modes: normal laptop, extended screen or tablet use. There is also a share mode, where the front and back of the folded screen can be used by two people at the same time, as well as a reading mode that allows you to use the large surface for documents. AI helps to arrange several applications next to each other. Another new feature is the touchpad, which can be illuminated in three layers. This also allows numeric keys and control elements for media to be displayed.
In the first hands-on, the design still looks a little fragile, but the size of the screen is impressive. And above all the seamless transition thanks to the foldable screen. For example, you can view documents in portrait format in full size.
ThinkBook Magic Bay: expandable in all directions
Lenovo has developed a whole set of expansion options for the ThinkBook 16p Gen 6 - but these are still just concepts. First of all, there are two attachable screens, each measuring 13.3 inches, which are attached to the sides of the laptop. This allows you to use three times the space to work and run other applications on each screen at the same time.
Source: Lorenz Keller
The click system worked well the first time I tried it out. The additional screens can be put into operation in ten seconds. Really an added value for the mobile office.
The Magic Bay 2nd Display Concept is significantly smaller. Here, an 8-inch screen in wide format is attached to the notebook. It is specially designed as a dashboard for AI applications and offers quick access to selected apps, such as messengers. Notifications and information compiled by the artificial intelligence can also be called up.
Source: Lorenz Keller
Under the codename Tiko, Lenovo also has a playful version of the second screen on sale. This is also plugged in and consists of a small, round display. This shows the status as an emoji, responds to AI requests with gesture-based answers and displays messages. In the Pro version, widgets can also be displayed on the small screen to enable multitasking. Lenovo's AI assistant is also directly integrated here.
Source: Lorenz Keller
A laptop back made from solar cells
At first glance, I can't see a thing about this ThinkPad. Only when I hold the back of the screen at a slight angle do I notice a regular pattern. These are the solar cells that Lenovo has built into the lid of this prototype. They are supposed to extend the battery life - and that's just by the way, when the notebook is in everyday use.
Source: Lorenz Keller
The manufacturer does not reveal exact performance data, but 20 minutes of light should be enough for an additional hour of video playback. Despite the panel, the laptop is neither larger nor thicker or heavier than comparable other devices.
Header image: Jan Johannsen
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Lorenz Keller
Senior Editor
Lorenz.Keller@digitecgalaxus.chGadgets are my passion - whether you need them for the home office, for the household, for sport and pleasure or for the smart home. Or, of course, for the big hobby next to the family, namely fishing.
