Skip to main content

This is the Windows/Android hybrid device I’ve always wanted

The ThinkBook Plus Hybrid plugged into a monitor with the tablet detached.
Lenovo
CES 2024
Read and watch our complete CES coverage here

Lenovo has brought a new 2-in-1 device to CES 2024 that solves the biggest problem with the current crop of 2-in-1s out there.

It’s called the ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid, and the “hybrid” in the name refers to the fact that this truly is two devices in one. Not a single device with two modes, but two fully functioning computers in a single package — one a Windows 11 laptop and the other an Android tablet. Now there’s something that hasn’t been tried before.

Android and Windows in ONE device! | CES 2024

Heck, you can even put both to use at the same time using something called “Hybrid Stream.” Once enabled, you’ll get a picture-in-picture window right on your laptop screen of streamed Android apps, which Lenovo claims is “high quality” and “low latency.” It’s not hard to imagine how immensely convenient this could be, although, at the demo I used, it was extremely slow to respond and laggy.

The side profile of the ThinkBook Plus Hybrid.
Lenovo

From the outside, the 14-inch device looks like any other ThinkBook laptop, and in that form, it uses an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor running Windows 11. Lenovo calls this mode the “Hybrid Station,” where it functions more or less like a basic clamshell laptop. It weighs just 2.1 pounds and is only 0.37 inches thick. That makes it an extremely compact device just on its own.

Recommended Videos

But yank the screen off, and you’ll ignite an entirely different system, run by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip and Android 13. It makes for quite a large tablet to hold at 14 inches, 1.7 pounds, and 0.26 inches thick.

The lid of the ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid on a white table.
Digital Trends

Fortunately, you can use the keyboard and touchpad while it’s disconnected as wireless peripherals for the Android tablet too.

The screen looks crisp with its 2.8K resolution and OLED panel, though the refresh rate is locked at 60Hz.

I like the concept of this design because the tablet mode in Windows 11 has always felt half-baked. Despite the small tweaks Microsoft has made to improve its touch functionality, it still feels like something that wasn’t designed to be used without a cursor. It’s what has made Windows tablets as a category completely collapse.

The tablet of the ThinkBook Plus Hybrid removed from the laptop showing Android running on the screen.
Lenovo

But with a working version of Android — and dedicated hardware to support it — this could be the first 2-in-1 device that doesn’t sacrifice something in either mode.

There appears to be just a single configuration available, which comes with 32GB of memory and 1TB of storage. The tablet itself also has 12GB of memory and 256GB of storage.

The ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid will be available at an expected price of $1,999 starting in the second quarter of 2024.

Luke Larsen
Luke Larsen is the Senior Editor of Computing, managing all content covering laptops, monitors, PC hardware, Macs, and more.
I’ve lost all hope in PC hardware this year
MSI RTX 4090 Suprim X on a pink background.

Going into 2024, I felt excited. With all the different releases slated for the second half of the year, it looked like 2024 would be a fantastic time for PC hardware. After all, AMD, Nvidia, and Intel were all rumored to launch new products, and you know what that means: lots of competition for who gets to rule the rankings of the best graphics cards and processors.

As we're now well into the second half of the year, the rumors have grown far less optimistic -- as have I. With delays on the horizon, and the ongoing Intel CPU instability crisis, it seems like 2024 may turn out to be a complete downer for PC hardware enthusiasts.
AMD may wait with RDNA 4

Read more
I never recommend buying Windows laptops under $250 — except this one
Asus ZenBook 14 OLED front angled view showing display and keyboard.

I never recommend people buy laptops under $250. That's even more true if you're talking about Windows laptops rather than Chromebooks. As a laptop reviewer, I just can't in good conscience recommend that people buy these old, cheap laptops that will inevitably end up in the trash in a few months.

But this year, there's an absolutely killer deal on a laptop that overcomes that advice. As part of the counter-programming for Prime Day 2024, Best Buy is offering the Asus Zenbook 14, a laptop with an OLED screen, for $235. You read that right -- $235. That's $515 off the normal price.

Read more
I’ve been using the first macOS Sequoia public beta. Here’s my take on it so far
The iPhone Mirroring feature from macOS Sequoia being demonstrated at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024.

Apple today launched the macOS Sequoia public beta, opening the doors to app developers, bug hunters, and curious users alike. With the full release not expected until much later this year, it’s a good opportunity to get a sneak peek at what Apple has in store for us.

Or at least, a sneak peek at most of what’s planned. Despite being packed with features, macOS Sequoia is missing the headline-grabbing Apple Intelligence feature, at least for the time being. Without that, is it still worth downloading and installing the public beta?

Read more