Lenovo’s Smart Cast phone has a built-in laser projector that puts apps on any surface

Who wouldn't want this? Photo: Lenovo

Who wouldn’t want this? Photo: Lenovo

If Marty McFly brought a smartphone back from the future, it would likely be a lot like the Lenovo Smart Cast, the world’s first smartphone with a built-in laser projector that’s capable of displaying a virtual keyboard and apps on almost any surface.

Announced at the Lenovo Tech World conference today, the Smart Cast doesn’t look too futuristic at first glance; it’s kind of big and bulky, almost like a super affordable Android device. But it’s the only smartphone that can “transform any display into a touch display.”

The Smart Cast has two display modes — one of which works like a traditional projector, beaming movies and TV shows onto walls for super-sized viewing. But if you turn it upside down and stand it on a desk, it can also project apps, keyboards, and other content into desks and tables.

It might sound crazy, but imagine how much fun it would be to play a giant game of Angry Birds on your dinner table, or having a virtual piano — like the one in the graphic above — that’s actually big enough to play properly.

The Smart Cast is still a work in progress for now, so Lenovo hasn’t announced a price or a release date yet, but hopefully we’ll hear more very soon. If Lenovo can improve upon its design and the technology actually works, I think it’s onto a winner.