What you need to know
- Lenovo announced Show Mode For PC.
- Show Mode turns your PC into a full-screen Alexa device.
- The feature will roll out to select Lenovo laptops in Q2 2021.
Lenovo announced several new laptops and devices today, but the company also has a software announcement. Select Lenovo laptops, including certain Yoga and IdeaPad models, will gain access to a new feature called Show Mode for PC. The feature brings a full-screen Alexa experience to PCs, allowing them to act like an Amazon Echo Show.
The feature is already available for some Android devices, but it will start rolling out to supported PCS in Q2 2021. When your PC is in Show Mode, you can control Alexa-enabled devices with your voice. For example, you can play music, ask questions, and control smart home devices that you've connected to Alexa.
Show Mode is a clever combination of technology, allowing people to take advantage of a device they already own to perform tasks rather than having to purchase dedicated hardware. The laptops that support Show Mode for PC already have microphones and displays, so it makes sense to use hardware that's already in place to connect to other devices.
Show Mode will at least be available on the Yoga Slim 9i, Yoga 9i, Yoga 7i, Yoga AIO 7, and the IdeaPad 5 Series. To use Show Mode, a PC has to be unlocked and have its lid open.
When Show Mode launches in Q2 2021, it will be available in select markets, including the U.S. and Canada, with the U.K., Germany, Austria, Ireland, France, Spain, Italy, Japan, India, Australia, and New Zealand gaining support later.
