Lenovo continues to launch unique interpretations of family categories this year at CES. Last week it was the all-in-one screen and some AR glasses, and today (the first official day of the show), the company got an interesting upgrade to last year's dual-display ThinkBook Plus.
Like the original, the ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 i sports an e-ink display on the lid. Lenovo has pioneered the technology for a number of form factors, and this makes more sense than previous shots, essentially offering a quick notification center. I suppose you could also use it as an e-reader if you are so inclined.
Ultimately, like much of what Lenovo does, it's perhaps more interesting than honestly useful. However, as always, you aim to try something new. This time around the screen is noticeably larger, roughly the same size as the main screen. It now measures 12 inches and sports a resolution of 2560 x 1600 (which also matches the main screen). The refresh rate has been improved and you can now run some of the apps on the lid without opening it.
The laptop also features a built-in stylus for use with the touchscreen. Also interesting is the arrival of the new ThinkBook Charging Mat, which uses Energysquare's Power by Contact to power the battery. The battery itself gets 15 hours on a charge, or 24 if you're only using the e-ink screen. I suspect charging it using just the pad is a time-consuming process.
Dell in particular introduced its own version of the category at CES 2017. The technology, of course, didn't gain much traction in the following years.
ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 i arrives this quarter, starting at $ 1,549. No word on the price of the mat accessory.