Lenovo announces a smartwatch with a "secret" display plus a pair of smart shoes

published 28 May 2015

Just when we thought there was nothing new in the world of smartwatches, along comes Lenovo. It's announced a timepiece that has a second display on the strap. Not only is this handy for sexting and other messages you don't want anyone else to see, it also has special magnifying powers.

Confused? Wait until we get to the smart shoes.

Lenovo correctly identified a problem with most smartwatches – the screens are too small. Its solution is to bolt a second screen onto the strap, where only the wearer can see it. It can show private notifications and anything you don't want to be read by someone peeking over your shoulder on the Tube. But it can also enlarge images to 20 times the size of the standard screen.

Lenovo calls it a 'virtual interactive display'. According to the demo video, it uses 'optical reflection' to make the images look 20 times bigger, though you'll have to hold it up to your eye to achieve this. Socially speaking, that's almost as bad as talking into your watch.

You can look at maps on the second display, and pan around images (the video shows a brief tour of the Bird's Nest stadium in Beijing).

The device – which was shown off at Lenovo's TechWorld 2015 conference – also runs an OS that isn't Android Wear or standard Android, but somewhere in between. Curious.

It's just a concept for now, but seeing as Lenovo owns Motorola, and the device looks similar to the Moto 360, maybe we'll see the functionality built into a future Moto smartwatch.

But that wasn't the most crackers device Lenovo demoed. It showed off a smart shoes concept – basically a pair of trainers with built-in screens that show the wearer's mood. Of course they analyse the usual fitness data like heart rate, calories burned and the rest.