Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid Can Switch Between Android and Windows
You get an Android tablet and a Windows 11 laptop for $2,000.
There are plenty of laptops that can double as tablets, but it's rare that those two-in-ones run both Windows and Android. That's exactly what the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid, just announced at CES 2024, promises to deliver.
Lenovo's new hybrid device can switch between the two operating systems depending on how you're using it. Want to use it as a tablet? Just detach the 14-inch 2.8K OLED screen from its base and it turns into an Android tablet. Reattach it to the keyboard base and it kicks back into Windows mode. The ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid launches in the second quarter and is expected to start at $2,000.
It's not the first time Lenovo has tried something like this: There was the IdeaPad U1 from 2011, which similarly blended Windows and Android into one device. Samsung's Ativ Q from 2013 also allowed you to switch between Windows and Android with the press of an icon. Still, even in 2024, a device that can run both Android and Windows is rare, and it's interesting to see Lenovo revive this concept now that laptop-tablet hybrids have matured.
Read more: Best Android Tablets of 2024
Similar to Lenovo's old IdeaPad U1, the new ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid has a Qualcomm processor powering the tablet and an Intel chip in the base. That means the two pieces can function independently when needed, with the base serving as a standalone Windows machine when connected to an external monitor. There's an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor in the base, which Lenovo calls the Hybrid Station, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chip in the Hybrid Tab tablet. The Tab runs on Android 13 and has a 38-watt-hour battery, while the Station is powered by Windows 11 and has a 75Whr battery.
Lenovo's Thinkbook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid can function as a Windows computer and an Android tablet. The tablet portion is detached in this photo, while the base is powering Windows on an external display.
The ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid jumped between Windows and Android seamlessly during my brief time trying the device. Once I pulled the Tab off its base (which admittedly took a little bit of force at first), the Windows interface I had been browsing just a moment ago switched to Android after a brief pause.
The Tab itself is slim and relatively light for a tablet of its size, weighing roughly 1.7 pounds compared with the 1.5-pound, 12.9-inch iPad Pro. But at 14 inches, the Lenovo feels cumbersome to hold for more than just a few moments. It's likely best suited for those who want to use their tablet with a kickstand while they're watching movies or playing games.
When I snapped the Hybrid Tab back onto the Hybrid Station, the screen briefly went blank before Windows once again appeared on the screen almost instantly. The process seems smooth and simple so far, but it's difficult to tell how well it will hold up without extended use.
The tablet portion of Lenovo's Thinkbook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid.
The ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid comes after tech companies including Apple have attempted to find a middle ground between positioning tablets as a larger extension of your smartphone and a laptop replacement. There's more cross functionality than ever between Windows and Android, for example, and Apple has gradually customized the iPad's operating system to make it better equipped for productivity, multitasking and entertainment.
In a sense, the ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid feels like the result of these efforts over the past 10 years. But at the same time, it's a decidedly different approach from making Windows more mobile-friendly and Android more productivity-oriented. Instead, Lenovo is giving you the full version of both. We look forward to seeing whether it lives up to its promise.
