LogInNow the question is why you'd need something like this.
Lenovo has presented its ThinkBook proof-of-concept laptop with a transparent display, and it certainly looks awesome: very futuristic and like something you'd want to boast to your friends about. But is it useful?
Let's look at it first. Lenovo calls the device "the industry’s first laptop with a 17.3-inch Micro-LED transparent display, providing a completely borderless and see-through display experience."
Image credit: Lenovo
"The brilliance of this laptop lies in its intelligent integration of the virtual and real. Through the power of Artificial Intelligence Generated Content (AIGC), the transparent screen opens up new avenues of work collaboration and efficiency by enabling the interaction with physical objects and overlaying digital information to create unique user generated content."
The company promises high color saturation and 1000-nit brightness for great visibility even though you're supposed to look through the 720p-resolution screen. The image quality, durability, and adjustable transmittance will also be optimized in the future to provide more privacy or more transparency.
There is a touch keyboard, which can also be turned into a drawing pad – very handy considering Lenovo is targeting artists with this laptop. Moreover, it put a small camera on the rear side of the device for object recognition.
Image credit: The Verge
We haven't had a chance to test it ourselves, but The Verge notes that while you can read text on the screen, it's currently impossible to make the whole thing opaque. CNN mentioned that the display makes it impossible to hide what you're doing on your laptop when in public, which is a pretty serious concern. The keyboard is something everyone seems to have an issue with. It's just not comfortable to type and you will probably make tons of mistakes, at least at first.
Image credit: CNN Underscored
But don't worry too much about it as you will probably never get to try it out. Lenovo isn't planning to release this laptop but it might incorporate some of its features in its future devices. I think one of the reasons why it will not hit the shelves is simply a lack of demand. What can you possibly do with a transparent screen? Sure, artists can draw from real-life references or you can see the score while watching a match. Maybe it's useful for team projects or all kinds of overlays, but that's about it.
Samsung presented its own transparent display earlier this year, and while it looks cool as well, it suffers from the same problem: the price would likely be way too high for the number of its uses. The tech is definitely great, however, not many people would spend their money on it.
What would you use it for? Learn more about Lenovo's project here and join our 80 Level Talent platform and our Telegram channel, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.