New Lenovo Tablet Integrates Synaptics TouchPad, Natural ID Scanner

Synaptics technology is going to provide the touch-based user interface for Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 product line, the company has announced. The offerings will start with the ThinkPad X1 Tablet, a device aiming to bridge the mobile and PC worlds by acting as both a tablet and a laptop.

Synaptics’ TouchPad solution will provide the touchpad, while its Natural ID fingerprint scanner will be used for user authentication. Enabling fingerprint scanning through a layer of glass, the Natural ID was among the major solutions that the company demoed at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show.

For its part, Lenovo has shown an increasing interest in integrating biometric authentication into its devices. Its Lenovo B5030, Lenovo ThinkPad E550, and Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 15 all offered infrared facial recognition via Windows Hello, and the company’s interest in embedding Natural ID into its new tablet may be another example of how the company will leverage Windows Hello authentication, though it could also use the scanner with other software, of course.

Commenting on this new integration in a press release, Synaptics SVP and general manager Ritu Favre said it “demonstrates our proven ability to build products that scale across multiple markets,” adding, “Lenovo is a valuable Synaptics partner and shares our vision for ensuring robust security and an incredible user experience.”