Lenovo Magic View First Impressions

Lenovo introduced today at the Lenovo Tech World the Magic View – the company’s smartwatch concept that features a secondary display and powered by Android.

The Magic View looks like your regular smartwatch with a circular body. It has a metal build with hour marks on the bezel. Encased inside is the display and glass protection.

Found on the right side are the power / lock button and microphone, while on the left is the speaker. Flip it on its back. And you’ll see the charging ports.

The feature that makes the Magic View unique is the second display found below the main screen which Lenovo calls a virtual interactive display. The screen is rectangular which allows it to display content (like photos and videos) properly that otherwise would look inappropriate on a circular display.

As for the interactive part, you can load Photo Spheres and Panoramas and view its entirety by moving the watch around. We tested it and although we liked the way we can interact with the content, we found the feature to be gimmicky and not compelling enough. In the addition, the resolution is not high-res and the colors seem dull.

Fortunately, the Magic View is still a concept and is expected to become better before it launches.