MWC 2024: Lenovo's new transparent laptop is straight out of sci-fi movie

Lenovo took the spotlight at the ongoing Mobile World Congress (MWC) when it unveiled its new laptop that has a transparent display. The new Lenovo ThinkBook Transparent Display is exactly like gadgets you have seen in sci-fi movies, letting you see through both of its displays. These are not technically two displays, but since the lid and the base both feature transparent panels, you can use them interchangeably. Lenovo says this is a concept device, which means you cannot buy it yet, but the company’s hopeful the ThinkPad Transparent Display will be ready for the market in the next five years.

The biggest attraction on the display is a 17.3-inch MicroLED display that can offer up to 55 percent transparency, but only when certain conditions are met. According to Lenovo, this display will work at its full transparency when the pixels are set to black and turned off. However, the transparency begins to reduce when the pixels begin to light up. That means anything displayed on it will reduce the transparency, making it less see-through. The display can turn completely opaque, in which case the pixels can offer a peak brightness of 1,000 nits.

But these are the possible scenarios for a future version of the ThinkPad Display Transparency. The existing prototype cannot become entirely opaque, irrespective of what is showing on the laptop screen. But Lenovo’s executive director for ThinkPad portfolio and product, Tom Butler, said this is something “we would want if we were going into production.”

Lenovo’s new transparent laptop has a lot going on, but the appeal is hard to justify — at least considering its current state. It makes you think about what you can achieve with a transparent display. Maybe you can see people sitting across you even when the laptop is between you both. Maybe you can keep a check on your cat or dog right looking right through the display. Lenovo has a different idea, however — and it makes some sense.

According to Butler, this form factor could be useful for digital artists, who can see the world behind the laptop’s screen and use it as a reference when sketching or doodling. He argued this setup would be best suited for someone like an architect who can sketch a building without taking their eyes off their surroundings. Butler told The Verge that this transparent display laptop is a form of augmented reality.