At MWC, Lenovo explores the boundaries of business experimentation with the unveiling of Magic Bay Tiko. It’s an unusual extension for the business-oriented ThinkBook p16. Some more logical Magic Bay products, focused on additional screen space, are also being showcased.
Laptop manufacturer Lenovo, originating from the acquisition of IBM, has strong American roots coupled with a local presence in the EU. The company doesn’t particularly advertise that its headquarters are in China, but at MWC, its Chinese DNA is unmistakable today.
With the Magic Bay Tiko concept, and its Tiko Pro variant, Lenovo essentially showcases a love child of Clippy and a Tamagotchi (our words, not Lenovo’s). Tiko is a small round screen that clicks onto the top of the business-oriented ThinkBook p16. There, it drives interactions via emoji-like displays. The whole system is AI-driven and aims to keep people personally connected to their work throughout the day.
We find the concept fascinating, especially because Lenovo is explicitly targeting business users with this emoji-ball. The thing looks undeniably cute and responds to movements. And yes, of course, there’s an accessory available to dress up the ball as a cat.
Pro Variant and Extra Screen Space
For those who prefer less emoji-oriented options, there’s the Magic Bay Tiko Pro. It’s a small elongated screen, again powered by AI. An assistant-like interface is supposed to appear on it, which can, for example, show live transcriptions of meetings.
Lenovo also uses the Magic Bay concept for some more practical applications, mainly focused on expanding screen space. Additional screen space is a theme for the manufacturer, who showcases another concept addressing this with the ThinkBook Flip.
With the Magic Bay Dual Display, you can attach extra 13.3-inch screens to the left and right of the laptop. If you want a bit of extra screen space, but not that much, you can click on a kind of 8-inch tablet screen with the Magic Bay 2nd Display. For those who frequently travel and feel somewhat limited with one screen, these provide options.
It’s unclear to what extent these concepts will ever appear on the market. We certainly hope that the AI-driven emoji cat for on top of your laptop becomes a universal standard.