Lenovo launches glass-free 3D monitor, AI-focused ThinkPad and ThinkBook laptops

MANILA, Philippines – With artificial intelligence becoming the hottest buzzword in tech, Lenovo is bringing to the Philippines its first ever AI-powered glass-free 3D monitor, and three laptops built around enabling AI functions.

The cutting-edge ThinkVision 27 3D allows a user to view content in 3D without the need for bulky virtual reality headsets. Using eye-tracking infrared cameras and switchable lenticular lenses, visual elements pop out of the screen and move with the user as they rotate their head.

“When it detects your eyes, automatically, the 3D will be floating out of the monitor without having any glasses,” Francis Judan, Lenovo Philippines visuals and accessories business development manager, said. “So para siyang nandoon ka sa loob ng experience (So it’s as if you’re inside the experience).”

The 27-inch monitor features an integrated 3D engine that offloads most of the processing from your computer, enabling 3D rendering to work even with mid-range Windows laptops.

Judan expects the 3D monitor to be particularly useful in the engineering, architecture, healthcare, education, and real estate industries. For instance, potential homebuyers could explore properties in 3D using the monitor instead of having to go on site. It can also convert 2D images, slideshows, and even YouTube videos into 3D using Lenovo’s “AI-powered real-time 2D-3D converter.”

In other countries where Lenovo has already launched the 3D monitor, major automotive companies have invested in it, while in the Philippines, top architectural firms have also shown interest, Judan told Rappler. And while the monitor is targeted at creatives and professionals who work with 3D models daily, it can still switch to a standard 2D monitor.

The ThinkVision 27 3D is expected to be available starting November 2024, with prices starting at P189,990. And though the price point might be steep now, Judan said that it could come down in the future as demand grows, hinting that Lenovo may even explore 3D monitors geared toward consumers.

“If lumaki ‘yung market natin to have a mass market na may adoption siya (the market grows such that there’s adoption in the mass market), eventually the price will actually go down,” Judan told Rappler on the sidelines of a media event on Friday, September 27.

‘AI-accelerated’ laptops

Alongside the 3D monitor, Lenovo also showcased three laptops focused on AI. They come equipped with Intel Core Ultra processors — Intel’s most powerful chips yet — that combine the central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU), and neural processing unit (NPU) to efficiently run various AI functions locally.

The ThinkPad E14 Gen 6 is Lenovo’s value for money version of the ThinkPad series. It features the iconic ThinkPad design with the red TrackPoint and a plastic or aluminum body. It comes with either an Intel Core Ultra 5 or Ultra 7 processor.

The ThinkPad P14s Gen 5 is Lenovo’s thinnest and lightest mobile workstation meant for architects, engineers, video editors, animators, and graphic designers. It can be equipped with up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor with Intel vPro, and an NVIDIA RTX 500 Ada graphics card to handle more complex AI workflows.

Lenovo also has its ThinkBook 14 Gen 7, catered to remote workers. This laptop features a sleek design without the TrackPoint and a larger trackpad. It houses either an Intel Core Ultra 5 or Ultra 7 processor. – Rappler.com