News

Lenovo made a transparent laptop you will probably never buy

Lenovo revealed a see-through laptop called Project Crystal at MWC 2024, but don’t get your hopes up just yet.

by
Kevin Raposo
February 28, 2024

Two laptops with reflective transparent screens displaying a blue abstract wallpaper, against a dark background with a decorative plant to the left.

Image: Lleno

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

Lenovo dropped a bombshell at MWC 2024 with “Project Crystal,” the world’s first transparent laptop.

Wired paints Project Crystal, also known as the Lenovo ThinkBook Transparent Display Laptop Concept, as an unforgettable Windows 11 machine boasting a 17.3-inch Micro-LED display that’s as transparent as our intentions of binge-watching Netflix on it.

But let’s pump the brakes for a second and clarify a few things. This laptop isn’t real; it’s strictly proof of concept, a teaser of what could be rather than what is. And despite the futuristic appeal, there’s a catch – or rather, several.

For starters, it’s not 100% transparent. It doesn’t offer a completely clear see-through view, as if it were glass or air; its transparency is more nuanced, allowing some light and shapes to pass through without full visibility.

A modern laptop partially open with the screen showing a blue abstract wallpaper design, and the keyboard illuminated by blue light. The laptop is branded "ThinkBook" near the hinge. — Image: Lenovo

The “digital keyboard” is more of a novelty than a practical feature, lacking any form of tactile feedback for the user. I mean, cmon, in 2024, that’s borderline criminal.

Project Crystal’s display shines bright, perhaps too bright, and can hit 1,000 nits of brightness. But while it dazzles, it also baffles, raising the question, “Why would you want a transparent laptop?”

Lenovo’s response, as highlighted by Wired, was rather uninspired, suggesting it could help ensure attendees are following along in meetings. A questionable aspiration, indeed.

A side view of an open laptop with blue backlighting on the keyboard, placed on a dark surface with a subtle reflection on the screen. — Image: Lenovo

Yet, here we are, left spellbound by a laptop that’s simultaneously nowhere near production and the talk of the town.

Whether Project Crystal will crystallize into a product we can get our hands on remains to be seen. Personally speaking, transparent or not, we’re all going to be wearing computers on our faces, so go ahead and knock yourselves out, Lenovo.

Do you see yourself owning one of these? What are your thoughts on this concept? Let us know below in the comments!

Editors’ Recommendations: