It’s CES 2021 and Lenovo has a couple of ThinkBook devices to show off, with the most interesting among them being the ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 i. It’s a laptop the sort of which we’d expect it to be though the reason the new ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 i is unique is that it comes with a secondary E Ink display on its lid. Lenovo first launched such a device – the first-gen ThinkBook Plus – back in 2020.
The new ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 i is a further improvement over the same in that it comes with a bigger E Ink display this time. It is all of 12-inch on the latest model compared to the 10.8-inch E Ink display on its predecessor. The display also has a better resolution, which at 2560 x 1600 pixels makes it on par with the primary display on the inside.
Also, the benefits to having an E Ink display on top are manifold, primary among which is that you will be spared from opening the lid each time you need to use it. You can catch up with all your notifications right on the E Ink display itself, or take some quick notes using the attached active pen. Maybe you will want to get along with some eBook reading as well.
The laptop has also seen a lot of improvements in almost all aspects. For instance, it is thinner and lighter, tipping the scales at just 2.9 pounds. The latest 11th generation Intel Core processors provides the processing grunt while battery life is quite impressive 15 hours from the 53-Whr battery. That can stretch to even 24 hours when working entirely on the E Ink display. The laptop comes bundled with the 65W USB-C adapter with RapidCharge tech to replenish quickly enough.
Open the lid and you will be greeted with an IPS touchscreen panel measuring 13.3-inches and having the same 2560 x 1600 pixel resolution. The display complies with Dolby Vision tech and offers 400 nits of brightness. The display also carries TUV low blue light certification, making it safe for the eyes.
Complimenting the 11th-gen Intel Core i7 CPU is a 16 GB dual-channel LPDDR4x RAM and 1 TB PCIe Gen4 SSD storage. Then there are a pair of Dolby Atmos compatible 2W Harmon Kardon speakers on board too along with four mics to aid in audio and video calls.
Lenovo has also introduced a new ThinkBook Charging Mat and you can charge the laptop simply by placing it on the Mat. There are Thunderbolt 4 ports too while being Wi-Fi 6 compliant to provide for faster connectivity.
As for the price, the new ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 i will set you back $1,549 when it goes on sale sometime during the first quarter of 2021.
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.
