WTF?! The 2-in-1 form factor usually refers to a laptop with a touchscreen and a 360-degree hinge enabling the use of Windows in traditional and tablet-like modes. However, Lenovo’s new ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid aims to offer two distinct devices in one package, each with an independent processor, memory, and operating system – an Android tablet pulling double duty as the display for a Windows notebook.
Following an initial unveiling at CES 2024, Lenovo has begun shipping its ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid in China, with a Western launch possibly imminent. The combo device incorporates a Windows laptop and an Android tablet that work together or independently.
The Hybrid Station is what Lenovo calls the laptop component, which includes an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H CPU running Windows 11 Pro with up to 32GB of LPDDR5 memory, up to 1TB of PCIe 4.0 storage, and two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports. It is unclear whether the Intel Arc GPU is integrated or dedicated.
Meanwhile, the 14-inch 2,800 x 1,800 OLED screen is a separate Android tablet called the Hybrid Tab that docks with the bottom half. It features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC, a 1080p IR front-facing camera, a 13MP rear camera, a Lenovo Tab Pen Plus, 12GB of LPDDR5X, and 256GB of UFX 3.1 storage separate from the laptop. The tablet comes with Android 13 but users can upgrade it to Android 14.
When detached from the tablet, the bottom half can continue functioning as something resembling a 1980s keyboard microcomputer (which a few manufacturers and tinkerers have recently tried to resurrect). It can connect to external monitors through one of the Thunderbolt ports, allowing simultaneous use of the Android and Windows systems on different displays.
In the connected mode, switching between the OSs happens with one button, but a picture-in-picture mode enables simultaneous operation. Although each device has independent storage, they share a 10GB hybrid folder. Users might prefer the Hybrid to a typical 2-in-1 because Android is better suited to touch screens than Windows.
The Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid has appeared on Chinese storefronts for CNY 15,999 – around $2,200. At CES, Lenovo indicated that it would be available in the US for around $2,000 this summer, so it will likely be available soon.
