Lenovo’s ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid ($2,464.99 as tested) redefines a 2-in-1 laptop by including two distinct computers in one: a Windows 11 laptop and an Android tablet. When the tablet is connected to the detachable base station, you can seamlessly switch between the operating systems, and both systems are usable simultaneously after connecting the base station to an external monitor. Despite some compromises, namely imperfect software integration between Windows and Android and a substantial carry weight, the ThinkBook is an impressive engineering achievement providing unique advantages not found in any other single device.
Configuration and Design: One Laptop, Two Computers
At first glance, this ThinkBook looks like a regular 14-inch 2-in-1 laptop, but when the screen is tilted vertically, the lid can detach from the base and work independently as an Android tablet. Meanwhile, the base station is still a functioning PC—simply connect a monitor. Lenovo even includes an easel-like stand for the tablet and a digital pen for inking.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
This hybrid concept aims at more seamless multitasking between operating systems, particularly when traveling, as the ThinkBook occupies less space than carrying both a laptop and a tablet. However, from a cost perspective, the ThinkBook is as expensive, if not more so, than purchasing a laptop and an Android tablet separately, even when it’s on sale. (I saw it discounted to $2,044 during the review period.) For example, an HP Pavilion Plus 14 ($899.99 as tested) and a premium Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra ($919.99 as tested) together would be cheaper.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
In terms of performance, the ThinkBook is well-suited for demanding tasks with its Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor, Intel Arc integrated graphics, 32GB of memory, and 1TB solid-state drive. The Android tablet is also highly capable, powered by Android 13 on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 CPU, 12GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. This is the only available configuration for either half of the system.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
The ThinkBook is notably heavy, with the base station weighing 2.14 pounds and the tablet 1.73 pounds, totaling 3.87 pounds—well above our three-pound threshold for an ultraportable. The lid holds much of this weight, more than typical laptops. Additionally, while its 12.3-by-8.8-inch dimensions are typical for a 14-inch laptop, it’s thicker than most 14-inchers at 0.63 inch, with 0.26 inch of that in the lid.
Although the ThinkBook has a somewhat bulky design, its Luna Grey chassis has a clean, professional look and is well-constructed. The aluminum that covers every surface is tough and resilient to flexing or bending.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
Lenovo’s port selection is limited to two Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C) ports, one on each edge, plus a 3.5mm audio jack on the left edge. The tablet portion itself has no accessible ports when it’s connected to the base station, though it does have a USB Type-C port along its bottom edge that can charge it independently. When the base station and the tablet are connected, either Thunderbolt 4 port on the base station works for charging, with the batteries in both the tablet and base station drawing power simultaneously. Both the base station and the tablet have Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
Using the ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid: Two Slick Systems in Need of Deeper Connection
Aside from its heavier-than-normal weight and thicker tablet screen, this ThinkBook can easily pass for a regular Windows laptop. It feels like one in daily use, and a casual observer would never know the screen portion is an Android tablet.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
This ThinkBook’s 14-inch OLED display is a stunner, with exceptional picture quality, ultra-high brightness, and rich colors. It supports touch and includes a pen for inking. The only potential downside is its 2,880-by-1,800-pixel resolution, which results in a 16:10 aspect ratio. While it works well for laptop use, it feels narrow for tablet use, where a squarer 3:2 aspect ratio is preferable.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
To detach the tablet, you need to open the device like a laptop, tilt the lid vertically, and then pull it upright. If it’s not in the upright position, the screen remains locked and can’t be removed. Magnets along the base help guide it back into place for reconnection, and it clicks securely with a satisfying snap.
Lenovo simplifies file sharing between the tablet and the base station with an A: drive, which gives you 23.9GB of shared space between the two devices. The devices require pairing first, and Lenovo includes a guide for that in the shared folder. You’ll find a dedicated Hybrid Folder app to access copied files on the tablet.
The Hybrid Stream app lets you emulate the Android tablet in Windows, essentially giving you an operating system within an operating system. Although it’s slightly sluggish, it’s a neat feature. However, considering you can simply press the unique star key (above the plus key) to switch the entire device over to using Android in about a second, I rarely use Hybrid Stream.
Aside from being able to stream your screen and share files, the software integration between Windows and Android is almost nonexistent. A simple example is that wireless network connections aren’t shared, so if you’re connecting to a new network, you must do so in Windows and Android separately.
You’ll also encounter a continuity-of-work issue. Connecting the tablet to the base station always reverts the display to Windows; if you want to work in Android, you must manually switch back. It’s a minor quibble, but this seems like something that could have been a configurable preference.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
Shocking no one, the ThinkBook’s keyboard and touchpad are excellent. On these keys, I achieved my personal best typing speed (around 125 words per minute) in the MonkeyType online typing test. The keys have a light, responsive feel that facilitates quick typing. The white backlighting effectively displays the keys in the dark. The touchpad is plenty large and produces satisfying tactile clicking action.
The ThinkBook’s 1080p webcam, located above the display, records in average quality but struggles in low light, like most small-sensor cams. The rear-facing cameras include a 13MP autofocus and a 5MP wide-angle lens with flash. While they capture clear photos, an average smartphone performs better. Given the tablet’s bulk, using it for photography seems impractical, and I question the utility of including the cameras at all.
This ThinkBook also features four speakers, with two in the base station and two in the tablet. With the tablet connected, all four speakers are active. They deliver deep and full sound; the bass is noticeable, and the electronic music I sampled has crisp vocals. Movie trailers sound particularly well with the device’s decent soundstage. The Dolby Atmos app includes an equalizer and presets; I find Balanced the best-sounding preset for most use.
Lenovo Vantage is the other included app. It governs user preferences, system settings, updates, and access to support. Lenovo backs the ThinkBook with a one-year warranty.
Testing the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid: It’s a PC—or Is It?
I’m evaluating the ThinkPad Plus Gen 5 Hybrid in its only available configuration, which includes an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor (16 total cores, 4.8GHz turbo, 28W base power), Intel Arc integrated graphics, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. The RAM isn’t upgradable, but the base station’s bottom cover is removable for SSD upgrades and battery swaps.
Our benchmarks will focus only on the Windows PC aspect. The comparison systems I chose include the Asus ZenBook OLED UX3405 ($1,299 as tested), the Dell XPS 14 9440 ($2,099 as tested), the HP Envy x360 14 2-in-1 ($1,399 as tested), and the HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 ($1,249 as tested). Most of these laptops use an H-class CPU, with the OmniBook using a newer Core Ultra 2-series CPU. The HP Envy is the exception, using a lower-power U-series chip.
Productivity and Content Creation Tests
Our primary overall benchmark, UL’s PCMark 10, puts a system through its paces in productivity apps ranging from web browsing to word processing and spreadsheet work. Its Full System Drive subtest measures a PC’s storage throughput.
Three more tests are CPU-centric or processor-intensive: Maxon’s Cinebench 2024 uses that company’s Cinema 4D engine to render a complex scene; Primate Labs’ Geekbench 6.3 Pro simulates popular apps ranging from PDF rendering and speech recognition to machine learning; and we see how long it takes the video editing tool HandBrake 1.8 to convert a 12-minute clip from 4K to 1080p resolution.
Finally, workstation maker Puget Systems’ PugetBench for Creators rates a PC’s image editing prowess with a variety of automated operations in Adobe Photoshop 25.
The ThinkBook ranked mid-pack in PCMark’s main test and performed well in the storage test. While it met expectations in the other tests, the Asus may have more effective cooling, as indicated by its higher scores in the long-running Cinebench multi-core and HandBrake tests. Nonetheless, the ThinkBook was second only to the OmniBook in the Photoshop creative test. The result is a competitive computer, but I wouldn’t blame you for expecting more at such a steep price.
Graphics Tests
We challenge each laptop’s and desktop’s graphics with a quartet of animations or gaming simulations from UL’s 3DMark test suite. The first two, Wild Life (1440p) and Wild Life Extreme (4K), use the Vulkan graphics API to measure GPU speeds. The others, the Steel Nomad regular (4K) and Light (1440p) subtests, focus on APIs more commonly used for game development, like Metal and DirectX 12 in addition to Vulkan, to assess gaming geometry and particle effects. A fifth test within the 3DMark suite, Solar Bay, emphasizes ray-tracing performance using Vulkan or Metal APIs at 1440p resolution.
While the Dell, with its dedicated Nvidia GeForce GPU, naturally scored the highest in these tests, the ThinkBook outperformed the others in the remaining tests. Although it’s not a gaming PC, its Arc integrated graphics should handle almost anything short of gaming.
The ThinkBook was notably quiet during testing. Its twin cooling fans exhaust out the sides of the base station almost silently, and the entire device rarely gets more than lukewarm. Consider it a silver lining to the laptop’s competitive, if not standout, performance.
Battery and Display Tests
We test each laptop and tablet’s battery life by playing a locally stored 720p video file (the open-source Blender movie Tears of Steel) with display brightness at 50% and audio volume at 100%. We make sure the battery is fully charged before the test, with Wi-Fi and keyboard backlighting turned off.
To gauge display performance, we also use a Datacolor SpyderX Elite monitor calibration sensor and its Windows software to measure a laptop screen’s color saturation—what percentage of the sRGB, Adobe RGB, and DCI-P3 color gamuts or palettes the display can show—and its 50% and peak brightness in nits (candelas per square meter).
Battery life isn’t the ThinkBook’s strongest point, falling several hours short of the competition. Its display is also quite dim at the 50% setting we use for testing, which should have helped here. However, I only measured the battery life of the PC portion; the tablet has its own battery, allowing you to detach it and continue working for many more hours. (We don’t have a formal battery life measurement for just the tablet.) Admittedly, this assumes you can seamlessly continue your work in Android, but it’s a distinct advantage none of the other laptops can claim.
Inversely, the ThinkBook showed off impressive display quality, with nearly complete color coverage of our tested gamuts and a peak brightness of 411 nits, which is high for an OLED panel. (We consider 400 nits on an OLED equivalent to 500 nits on an IPS panel, like the one on the XPS.) This is an inarguably stellar display.
Verdict: A Mostly Happy Marriage in Mobile Computing
With the ThinkBook Plus Gen 5, Lenovo cleverly merged a Windows laptop with an Android tablet into a single device. It’s an excellent choice for those who need to multitask across operating systems or appreciate the convenience of having two devices in one, particularly for traveling.
The physical integration is well done; most people wouldn’t realize the screen is an Android tablet. The tablet itself is commendable for its performance in use and stunning OLED display. Lenovo also includes a stylus for inking and an easel stand for the tablet.
However, this clever combination isn’t flawless: It is heavier and thicker than a typical 14-inch laptop, and you’ll find minimal software integration between Windows and Android. Plus, the whole device is more expensive than buying a Windows laptop and an Android tablet separately. These drawbacks are enough to keep the ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 from higher honors, but if you value the unique 2-in-1 experience the device provides, you surely won’t find that anywhere else.
Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid
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The Bottom Line
Lenovo’s ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid is a 2-in-1 within a 2-in-1, combining a Windows laptop and an Android tablet into one gorgeous professional device that’s a bit heftier and costlier than we’d like.
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About Charles Jefferies
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