Lenovo teases modular laptop and foldable gaming device

Lenovo Group revealed several new proof-of-concept prototypes, including a “modular” laptop with two displays and detachable ports, along with a portable gaming device featuring a folding display.

- CHRIS WELCH

A Motorola Solutions logo is seen at a preview of the Mobile World Congress tech show in Barcelona, Spain, on Sunday.

(BLOOMBERG)

The devices, announced to coincide with the start of the MWC Barcelona conference in Spain on Monday, are not final and do not have a confirmed release date. In addition, the company unveiled a concept device resembling an alarm clock with an artificial intelligence-powered assistant built in.

The Chinese company, which also owns Motorola, has a history of showing off concept devices, not all of which have gone on to become commercially available. At CES, in January, it teased a Motorola-branded AI pendant with a builtin camera, smart glasses and a laptop prototype with a display that rolls out sideways. While many of these items never leave the proof-of-concept stage, they offer clues as to how the world’s leading PC maker is thinking about future products.

The idea of dual-screen laptops is not entirely new. Brands such as Asustek Computer have tried selling such models to consumers, making the pitch that double the screen space is a boon for productivity and multitasking. But Lenovo's “ThinkBook Modular AI PC Concept” goes further by letting users transform the entire machine by detaching and reconfiguring its components.