The potential of modular laptops has never fully translated to the real world. While companies like Framework have made major strides in recent years, there's still quite a bit of room for improvement. At MWC, Lenovo is looking to address that with its Modular AI PC concept. It features not one but two displays and a detachable keyboard to create something that strains the definition of a laptop, thanks to an innovative and very adaptable design.
Compared to Framework's gadgets, which primarily use modularity to make upgrading the system and extending its lifespan easier, Lenovo's concept is based around a 14-inch chassis with hot swappable components. This allows you to move its keyboard and secondary display around at will, so the system can better adjust to its environment or workload. By default, its bonus screen is mounted on its lid, allowing you to do easy face-to-face sharing with someone sitting opposite you. However, without even needing to turn the system off, you can yank away the notebook's keyboard and put the display in its place to provide additional real estate.
Or if you prefer a more traditional dual-screen setup, you can move it off to the side, prop it up via a built-in kickstand and connect to the laptop over USB-C. You even get the flexibility to arrange the display in vertical or landscape orientation, which is nice if you're doing stuff like coding or writing in a word doc (I feel targeted, but in a good way). And because the keyboard can connect to the notebook using pogo pins or Bluetooth, you have the freedom to position it practically anywhere you want.
Meanwhile, Lenovo borrowed one aspect of Framework's modularity by including the ability to swap ports on the fly. During my demo, the company showed off modules featuring USB-C, USB-A and HDMI connectors, though I was told there are a ton of additional possibilities for those who might need things like a proper Ethernet jack or additional ports for audio.
But what impressed me the most was that despite being a concept device, the whole setup felt quite polished. That almost suggests that this thing might be closer to becoming an actual retail product than some of the company's other demo gadgets. Build quality felt really sturdy and I had no issues changing out ports or moving the secondary display around without needing to troubleshoot or reboot the system. Everything just kind of worked. And while Lenovo isn't sharing details about what processor it's running or how much memory it has, its performance felt snappy too.
My only question is that I'm not quite sure where AI fits into all of this. I was able to break down and reconfigure the system without any help from machine learning or a digital assistant. That said, I'm not complaining, because even with a lot of moving parts, its modular design is very approachable and easy to use.
Unfortunately, Lenovo isn't planning on turning this concept into a true retail device. But even so, I hope the company will at least consider bringing some of the modular laptop's features like its hot swappable ports to future products.
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