I Can’t Stop Thinking About Lenovo’s Hybrid Windows and Android Laptop

I’m a sucker for a 2-in-1, and doubly so if it’s featuring the two operating systems I rely on daily. Lenovo has announced its laptop lineup for the year in tandem with CES 2024. The upcoming refreshes include updates to its gaming and work laptops and the ThinkBook series, including the ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid, which boasts Android and Windows. There’s also a new affordable Android tablet on the horizon, plus colorful accessories that give me hope Lenovo is finally adopting color into its products.

Android tablet and Windows laptop in one

I saw the ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid and immediately gravitated toward it. The laptop is dubbed a “flexible hybrid solution,” where one side of the computer features Windows components and the other houses what’s necessary to run Android. The bottom part of the laptop has all the requisite Windows 11 specs, including an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, up to 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. The laptop’s 14-inch OLED touch display can be removed from the bottom part and used as an Android 13 tablet; it has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor, 12GB of RAM, and front and rear cameras. Both sides feature a battery, so you can use them as separate devices by docking the keyboard base to a monitor and mouse. The ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 starts at $2,000 and will be available soon.

The ThinkBook 14i Gen 6+ (that is a mouthful) is sleeker than its name suggests. It’s available with up to 32GB of memory, built-in Intel Arc graphics, and an 85Wh battery. There’s also human presence detection through its IR camera, which works with Windows Hello. The real kicker is the Lenovo LA3 AI chip for on-device processing for things like optimized video for conference calls and the ability to adjust the display brightness and keyboard backlighting based on your use. You’ll see that chip pop up in more Lenovo laptops. The ThinkBook 14i Gen6+ will be available later this year, starting at $2,200.

If you want a small Windows laptop, there’s the ThinkBook 13x Gen 4. The ultra-light notebook has a 13.5-inch screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 74Wh battery to power it all. It features the latest Intel Core Ultra processors, up to 32GB of memory, three Thunderbolt 4 ports, and Wi-Fi 6E. Magic Bay accessories are also available, which help add functionality to an otherwise very slim device. The ThinkBook 13x Gen 4 will be available soon, starting at $1400.

Lastly, the Lenovo ThinkBook 16p Gen 5 is the one to get if you need power. The ThinkBook 16p features the latest 14th-generation Intel Core i9 processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU. There’s an additional AI boost from the Lenovo LA3 AI chip and Nvidia’s TensorRT. The display is a 16-inch 3.2K screen with a 165Hz refresh rate and Dolby Atmos-enabled speakers. There are also plenty of ports: two Thunderbolt 4, one headphone jack, three USB-A slots, an SD Card reader, HDMI 2.1, and Magic Bay pogo pins. It’ll be available soon starting at $1,600.

Lenovo adopts the Windows Copilot key

You won’t be able to escape AI at CES 2024. The Lenovo Yoga laptops mainly drive the point home as creator-focused machines with AI enhancements to make your final creation look good. And they have the new Microsoft Copilot key built right into the board.

The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i and the Yoga 9i 2-in-1 feature the physical Lenovo AI chip bundled with the ThinkBooks. You can use Lenovo X Power, a “tuning solution” that helps with 3D rendering, film color correction, battery life, and cooling. The Pro 9i has a GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, a PureSight Pro Mini-LED 3.2K display, and six speakers. The 9i 2-in-1 comes bundled with the Lenovo Smart Pen and Sleeve and a dual-screen OLED display. Both laptops will be available in April, starting at $1,700 for the Yoga Pro 9i and $1,450 for the Yoga 9i 2-in-1.

The Lenovo Slim 7i is a thin little thing with a WUXGA OLED display. It’s available with up to an Intel Core ULT7 155H and up to 32GB of RAM. It starts at $1,050. The Lenovo Yoga Pro 7i and Yoga Pro 7 will also launch alongside its brethren and feature Intel or AMD Ryzen processors. And then there’s the Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 and Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1, both convertible laptops with the Copilot key. All these new configurations will be available with updated specifications starting in April.

Some people like the dual-screen laptop experience, so Lenovo keeps it going with the Yoga Book 9i. This dual-screen 13.3-inch OLED laptop features a 360-degree hinge to get into the dual-screen mode, and you can use one side with a stylus. It’ll be available in April starting at $2,000.

A new budget Android tablet

Lenovo has updated its ultra-affordable M-series Android tablet. The $180 Lenovo M11 is for kids, folks who want to binge video and text, and digital doodlers. It comes with the Lenovo Tab Pen and is powered by a budget MediaTek Helio G88 processor and a 7,040mAh battery with up to ten hours of use.

Don’t forget the accessories

Lenovo is sticking with the Magic Bay accessories it announced last year. The Magic Bay Studio will debut in April for $200. It’s a 4K camera infused with AI and has two extra speakers that can work with the ThinkBook’s speakers when connected. The Magic Bay Studio is $200 and will be available in April.

Finally, Lenovo adopts some colors. In addition to two new colorways for its laptops, the company has announced the Lenovo Yoga True Wireless Stereo Earbuds and the Yoga Pro Mouse. I share them for no other reason than that they’re pretty to look at. They cost $70 for the earbuds and $40 for the mouse. They’ll be available in June and April, respectively.