There are a couple of ways to look at a proof-of-concept device. You could be a negative Nancy, complain that it isn’t actually available to buy, and shrug it off as a pointless experiment. Or you could look at a concept with a little more optimism, appreciating that it shows what kind of technology you could see in future devices, whether that’s a phone, a laptop or something else entirely. I choose the latter.
Some companies wouldn’t even dream of showing off a concept, but Lenovo is far from one of them. The company loves a proof of concept, and why not? If you can and you’re not afraid of putting yourself out there a little, it’s great to show off what you can do and what your fancy R&D teams have been dreaming up over the last few years.
In the past, Lenovo has given us the gift of the rollable laptop, which saw the screen expand vertically from 14 inches to 16.7 inches, and this is apparently going to be available to actually buy soon, according to Lenovo’s website. At CES 2026, we saw an expandable Legion Pro laptop that moves from a 16-inch laptop to 21 inches and then to 24.5 inches. We’ve also seen a rollable phone from its sister company, Motorola, called the Rizr (not to be confused with the foldable Razr), with the screen curving around to the rear at the push of a button. This year for IFA, though, Lenovo has shown off Project Swan, and this is one concept I wouldn’t be surprised to see arrive in the future.
Some of the past rollable concepts have felt flimsy, as if they’d eventually snap if you pressed the button a few too many times. But the concepts are improving, and Swan feels solid and considered, as though it were already on the shelf of your favourite gadget shop. So what does it do? Well, the name gives it away a little if you consider a swan spreading its wings; only the wings are a screen instead. Not too dissimilar from the Legion Pro Rollable, but on a smaller scale.
The Project Swan concept “explores a future where the workspace expands when users need it,” Lenovo said in its press release. In its normal state, Project Swan is a 14-inch notebook, compact and easy to slip into a backpack or bag. But hit the ‘Insert’ button, and the display expands to a 17-inch 16:9 display so you can watch content, view documents side by side, or simply have a larger viewing area without carrying around a massive brick in your bag.
The Project Swan concept is 17.9mm thin and weighs 1.6kg, which is roughly the same as Apple’s 15-inch MacBook Air. It’s not as light as other 14-inch laptops, such as Lenovo’s IdeaPad Vibe, which weighs just 1.3kg, but that colourful delight doesn’t expand to a 17-inch display. The process was smooth, took around nine seconds, and looked great when expanded. Whether it will ever launch is a different story, but the idea is there, and this is one I think has more legs than others.
Lenovo also revealed the Project AeroBlade concept at IFA, a laptop designed for maximum portability. It weighs under 830g – not quite as light as Acer’s new Swift Blade 14 (799g), but not far off – and measures under 10mm thick when closed (Acer’s is 12.9mm). This has been achieved thanks to a fanless design that uses Lenovo’s Active Flow thermal solution, developed in collaboration with Frore Systems, instead of traditional fan-based cooling. Where normal fans would sit, you’ll find Active Flow solid-state active cooling architecture powered by AirJet technology. The result is said to be a laptop that can still handle sustained AI performance while reducing noise and dust intake.
Elsewhere, the Project AeroBlade concept features magnesium-aluminium construction, an OLED display, and connectivity including Thunderbolt 4 and Wi-Fi 7. Like Project Swan, Project AeroBlade is currently just a concept, but Lenovo is showcasing its vision for the future, and a thinner, lighter laptop that is still capable of doing everything you want it to do isn’t something many of us would argue with.
Read more: The MacBook Neo could learn a thing or two from Lenovo’s new IdeaPad Vibe
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