Lenovo’s Foldable Gaming Handheld Is Too Coo...

Gaming handhelds are in a little bit of a tough spot proper now. The Nintendo Switch 2 costs significantly more than its predecessor, the Steam Deck is out of stock in most regions, and the Xbox handheld is prone to bugs. Plus, they’re all big.

Lenovo has been one of many higher corporations on this house of late, releasing two of my favorite gaming handhelds operating, however the firm apparently is not achieved with handhelds but. At Cellular World Congress, Lenovo confirmed off its latest idea, the modular Legion Go Fold handheld, a tool that tries to unravel just about each drawback in gaming handhelds by one neat trick: It is also a foldable pill.

Numerous methods to make use of the Lenovo Legion Go Fold Idea
Credit score: Michelle Ehrhardt

The machine is basically a pill with an 11.6-inch OLED display screen that may fold in half, but it surely comes with two controller halves that may connect to it in numerous methods. Whereas you should utilize the total display screen horizontally should you like, with one controller half on both aspect, you too can orient the pill vertically for a “dual-screen” expertise. Or, fold that vertical orientation over itself for a extra compact 7.7-inch display screen. There’s additionally a stand and Bluetooth keyboard you should utilize to show the pill right into a pseudo laptop computer, and you may even join the controller halves to a connector piece to show it right into a standalone controller that does not must be connected to the pill. I attempted all of those configurations, and so they principally felt comfy, though I am going to admit the “dual-screen” mode did really feel a bit of high heavy on the early prototype I examined.

Lenovo’s “FPS Mode” even makes a return, so you possibly can take the right-hand controller piece and slot it right into a particular dock to make use of it like a mouse. Basically, this factor can play in just about any orientation or kind issue you possibly can consider, which means you will not want to purchase a number of handhelds for various use circumstances anymore. The pill is Home windows-based, too, promising extra app compatibility than Android. And one of many controller halves even has its personal tiny OLED display screen, for maintaining a tally of necessary efficiency stats.

The catch? Like a variety of Lenovo’s more interesting devices, the Legion Go Fold is only a idea for now. If you wish to see it come to fruition, you will must make your voice heard with an electronic mail or social publish—Lenovo has a historical past of making good on its concepts, so that you by no means know if the corporate is simply testing the waters to gauge curiosity.

Sadly, as a result of it is a idea, there is no phrase on what the Legion Go Fold may cost, though I do know the prototype I noticed was decked out with an Intel Core Extremely 7 CPU, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage. Primarily based on Lenovo’s other gaming handhelds, I would must guess this may begin for at the least $600, and will go as excessive as $1,100, which is clearly pricier than the Change 2 or Steam Deck, however may be price it for all this machine can do.

Lenovo additionally confirmed off a Framework competitor

ThinkPad Modular AI PC Idea
Credit score: Michelle Ehrhardt

The Legion Go Fold is the clear standout amongst Lenovo’s MWC lineup, however there are a number of different noteworthy gadgets price calling out.

Alongside iterations on current laptops and shopper tablets that might be making their strategy to market later this yr, Lenovo additionally confirmed off the ThinkBook Modular AI PC idea, which reads like the corporate’s method to the Framework Laptop. This machine looks as if a standard laptop computer at first, however you possibly can swap out the keyboard for a second show if you would like. You’ll be able to then use that show for contact enter, or proceed to make use of the keyboard you simply eliminated wirelessly. There’s additionally an built-in kickstand, so you possibly can prop up the second show to turn out to be an exterior monitor as an alternative, and slot the second show into the laptop computer lid to make use of the machine like a pill whereas it is closed.

Up to now, none of that’s particularly Framework-y, however the kicker is that this idea’s ports are modular, so you possibly can combine and match what number of USB or ethernet connections you will have. That is one thing we’ve not actually seen from any firm aside from Framework, so it seemed like Lenovo determined to see that laptop computer’s wager after which elevate it.

Ideas for Lenovo AI Workmate (left), Lenovo AI Work Companion (heart), Yoga Wi-fi Webcam (proper)
Credit score: Lenovo

The Lenovo Workmate is an odd AI machine

Within the enterprise house, there’s the Lenovo AI Workmate, an idea that mainly attaches an AI chatbot to an animated touchscreen and places it on an articulating robotic arm. It is supposed to have the ability to do common laptop issues, like scan paperwork and even create PowerPoints, however wanting on the factor, I feel the thought is to make you greet your new robotic overlords with a smile.

Additionally, whereas I did not get to see them, Lenovo additionally confirmed off ideas for the AI Work Companion, which focuses extra on scheduling and appear to be a retro alarm clock, and the Yoga Wi-fi Webcam, which may stream 4K video to your laptop from a distance.

Lenovo Yoga Ebook Professional 3D Idea
Credit score: Michelle Ehrhardt

Lastly, the corporate confirmed off a glasses-free 3D laptop computer idea, referred to as the Yoga Ebook Professional 3D. Devices like these have turn out to be frequent amongst creatives up to now few years, however what units this one aside is that it comes with magnetic pucks you possibly can place on it to summon sure instruments in your modifying packages.

Once more, these ideas aren’t assured to come back to market, however they definitely convey some much-needed oddball vitality to the desk at a time when different huge corporations are sticking with tried-and-true designs. Here is hoping the RAM crisis would not maintain them within the lab longer than vital.