Key Takeaways
- Lenovo introduces the ThinkBook Plus Gen 5, a hybrid laptop that can function as both a Windows laptop and an Android tablet. It offers a unique 2-in-1 experience.
- In laptop mode, users get a Windows 11 PC with a 14-inch 2.8K OLED display, while the removable display turns it into an Android tablet with stylus support.
- Pricing for the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid is expected to be around $1,999 when it becomes available in the second quarter.
The world of laptops isn’t short of a new product announcement and CES 2024 was always going to have plenty of those to go around. But not all laptops are created equal and in the same week Asus announced the 2024 Zenbook Duo, Lenovo has stepped up with a funky new laptop of its own.
That laptop is the ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid, a product that acts as both a traditional laptop running Windows and a tablet running Android. That means that while this is a 2-in-1 device as we’ve become increasingly accustomed to, its use of Android as an additional option offers something new. And it could make all the difference.
Two computers (and operating systems) in one
Lenovo’s press release detailing the laptop is keen to point out that the ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid is actually two products in one. The base of the machine is a Windows laptop and when the display is removed everything switches over to an Android-powered tablet. That might suggest that the two halves can’t communicate — you won’t be saving a file on one and accessing it on the other, perhaps — but the benefits are obvious.
In laptop mode, users get a Windows 11 PC complete with a 14-inch 2.8K OLED display. When the display is disconnected the laptop can still be used as a desktop computer of sorts, so long as you have a spare external display to plug it into. That machine will run Intel Core Ultra processes and Intel Arc graphics, but few details have been shared as to anything else like RAM or storage.
When the display is removed the Qualcomm-powered Android tablet takes over, complete with stylus support. It’s all pretty cool, but we’ll reserve judgment until we see how the incredibly long-named Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid pans out when we get our hands on one. For now, we’re told to expect pricing of around $1,999 when the 2-in-1 ships in the second quarter.
