Sustainability is near and dear to our hearts, and the Yoga Solar PC Laptop Concept showcased at this year's Mobile World Congress expo is a fascinating look at how recent advances in solar technology and ultra-efficient processors intersect to make a laptop that is nearly self-sustaining in broad daylight.
That's right, you didn't misread. Lenovo has designed a laptop that runs on the power of the sun. This was no pie-in-the-sky idea or bold claim, either. Lenovo brought the laptop to MWC 2025 and proudly displayed a fully realized model.
While it's not the first solar-powered laptop we've ever seen (RIP Sol), it is an impressive revival of that concept that seems all the more fitting as companies chase down ways to minimize carbon footprints and bolster battery efficiency beyond making sure your devices come in recyclable boxes.
With that in mind, how could we not award the Yoga Solar laptop our Laptop Laurel award for the best concept of MWC 2025?
MWC 2025 Best Concept: Lenovo Yoga Solar
Thanks to the 84 solar cells in the Yoga’s top panel lid, just 20 minutes of charging in direct sunlight allows the Yoga Solar to charge enough battery power for 1 hour of video playback. Lenovo is reporting a 24.3% conversion rate on the Yoga Solar’s back-contact solar cells, which can absorb light from any source above 0.3 watts.
Combined with an Intel Core Ultra “Lunar Lake” chipset, those 84 solar cells create a laptop that might never need to charge at an outlet. The Yoga Solar concept laptop already has a spec sheet, though it is naturally a bit vague, listing Intel Core Ultra processors, integrated Intel Graphics, up to 32GB of memory, up to 1TB of SSD storage, and a 14-inch OLED display panel.
But the Yoga Solar doesn’t just sound cool from a sustainability perspective, it also looks fantastic.
Lenovo’s Yoga series is often the more stylish, premium Lenovo consumer laptop, and the Solar concept is no different. Thanks to a gloss panel over the 84 solar cells, the Yoga Solar looks sleek and modern, even with solar panels on the lid.
Many tradeshow concepts exist just to prove a design point and push boundaries, but they won’t ever make it into the world. While it may be a few years before we see a full production version of the Yoga Solar, Lenovo does have a history of bringing various concept laptops to life.
The ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 debuted as a concept laptop at MWC 2023, but the rollable laptop is shipping later this year. Lenovo’s MagicBay system was a CES 2024 concept, but some of the accessories have already hit the shelves.
With a little luck, Lenovo will eventually bring the Yoga Solar to full production. Strap MIL-STD rating on this laptop and you may have one of the most impressive bits of travel tech on the market.
More importantly, it may kickstart a sustainability trend in tech that benefits the user just as much as it does the environment.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
