Lenovo is present at MWC in Barcelona and takes the opportunity to present its futuristic concepts. Among the attractions, a PC with a transparent screen. A glimpse of the future of computing? We were able to approach him.
In science fiction films, we sometimes see the heroes using computers with a transparent screen. This is no longer in the realm of fantasy, since Lenovo developed a PC equipped with a panel of this type, as transparent as a window.
Although it was announced at the end of 2023, we were unable to see this strange terminal in real life. We remedied the problem, Lenovo having exhibited it on its stand at MWC. We jostled to get close to him.
An impressive transparent slab, but its use is still uncertain
The 17.3-inch transparent MicroLed screen is mounted on a faux PC. For the moment, the technical characteristics are limited (60 Hz and 720p), but the promise is there. The principle is simple: when a pixel is black, it becomes transparent. The illuminated pixels, for their part, are displayed with a brightness of up to 1000 nits, while maintaining this diaphanous appearance. Everything is included in a slab just a few millimeters thick.
This is not the first time that we have seen a transparent screen, several manufacturers having already presented their innovation on the subject in recent years, such as Samsung, Xiaomi or LG. But for this model, Lenovo wants to go further by finding use cases where the technology is used wisely. Here, AI is used, since a rear camera is capable of identifying objects and then displaying information on the screen.
It is true that the technology is impressive. Even more: it works and offers a new use. But the question remains if all this will bring added value on a daily basis. For the moment, this question will remain unanswered, since it is only a concept and the marketing of a product with a transparent screen is not currently planned at Lenovo.
The manufacturer also exhibited its flexible panel on its MWC stand. This 6.9-inch pOLED screen has the particularity of rolling up to be worn on the wrist. Again, this is a prototype and therefore does not have a release date.
