Lenovo ThinkPhone Windows 365 cloud PC demo

Demo: Lenovo ThinkPhone running Windows 365 Cloud PC

You never know quite what you’re going to see at IFA, a huge trade show dedicated to consumer tech and household appliances. In the maelstrom of events happening on day one, we stumbled upon this surprise: a neat demo of a Lenovo ThinkPhone running Windows 365 Cloud PC.

The idea behind Windows 365 Cloud PC is straightforward. You have an instance of Windows (either Windows 10 or 11) that you can access from any device. This makes it easier for an IT team to manage, whether that’s setting it up or removing instances for people who leave the business.

Each cloud PC includes two virtual CPUs, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of “local” storage. So, this is aimed at people who use Microsoft Office rather than 3D content creators.

Demonstration of Lenovo ThinkPhone running Windows 365 Cloud PC

What struck us with the ThinkPhone demonstration below — our thanks to Sudhir Chadaga, Chief Strategy Officer at Motorola Mobility — was its simplicity. If we were travelling, all we need to bring is a phone and the optional dock and we can access our Windows 365 Cloud PC anywhere.

Well, anywhere there is also a USB-C display, keyboard and mouse — but that brings remote working spaces into play, for instance. And it’s now easy to buy a mobile keyboard (Lenovo sells its own for the ThinkPad range, shown in the video) and a portable monitor.

Sudhir Chadaga, Chief Strategy Officer at Motorola Mobility, demos the ThinkPhone at IFA

Perhaps more to the point, many offices are shifting to this structure. Modern hot desks include a monitor, keyboard and mouse. Simply add a docking station to complete the set. So, rather than bringing a laptop into the office, with all the security risks and costs that are involved, employees only need to carry their phones.

It’s all very neat and simplifies life for everyone. Employee, employer and office manager alike.

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Tim Danton

Tim has worked in IT publishing since the days when all PCs were beige, and is editor-in-chief of the UK's PC Pro magazine. He has been writing about hardware for TechFinitive since 2023.

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