Lenovo unveils transparent laptop prototype as top PC maker explores new AI devices

The 17.3-inch ThinkBook Transparent Display Laptop Concept – unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain – features a microLED display that is 55 per cent transparent when turned off and opaque when set to peak brightness, the company said.

The base of the device is a transparent touch screen that doubles as a virtual keyboard and a drawing tablet. Also included in the computer is Lenovo’s artificial-intelligence (AI)-generated content software.

While the prototype notebook is just a “proof-of-concept” at the current stage, it has completed technical feasibility verifications, according to the Chinese company. The design targets users such as content creators, product experts and reviewers, it said.

Lenovo is not the first PC maker to integrate transparent displays into its products.

In 2010, South Korean giant Samsung Electronics showcased a transparent 14-inch laptop prototype that was 40 per cent see-through when the screen is turned off.

Developing see-through laptops is more difficult than building transparent television screens, because computers are used for word processing and therefore require screens with higher resolutions.

LG, another leading South Korean display manufacturer, unveiled a transparent 77-inch OLED TV at the CES expo in Las Vegas last month. The company said it aims to ship the product this year.

Chinese consumer electronics brand Xiaomi introduced the transparent Mi TV Lux in 2020, as part of its 10th anniversary celebration. The 55-inch OLED TV cost 49,999 yuan (US$6,950), the company’s official website showed.

Looking ahead, the company said it expects to sharpen its focus on AI, with plans to roll out new PCs built with semiconductors designed to perform generative AI tasks locally. Lenovo said its portfolio of AI devices will expand from the second half of 2024 to 2025.

The company believes that “the future of technology lies in AI-driven innovation”, said Eric Yu, a senior vice-president at Lenovo’s Intelligent Devices Group, in a statement on Monday.