Buzz
After Lenovo unveiled the laptop that can rotate 360 degrees thanks to its unique hinge at CES 2023, the most pressing question is whether it has enough practicality to appeal to users. This article aims to provide users with a more comprehensive view of this fascinating new technology from the Chinese manufacturer.
Lenovo's ThinkBook Plus Twist boasts a unique 360-degree rotating hinge360-Degree Rotating Laptop, Dual Unique Screens
The interesting mechanism mentioned in the article belongs to the ThinkBook Plus Twist, Lenovo's new premium laptop unveiled at CES 2023. The machine
Introducing Lenovo's ThinkBookportrayed as possessing 2 unique main screens that can interchangeably replace each other.
ThinkBook Plus Twist comes equipped with two primary screensBetween an excellent screen for digital content reading like e-ink and a high-quality screen convenient for regular work, users find it challenging to choose. So, there's always a portion of tech enthusiasts asking, 'Why can't we have both?'That's also the idea behind the ThinkBook Plus Twist, a laptop encapsulating Lenovo's distinct message.In 2020, the ThinkBook Plus Twist made its debut as a first trial with an e-ink screen on side A. However, in the CES 2023 version, Lenovo added an additional twist hinge in the middle, allowing users to rotate the screen with just one hand. The position of the screen can also be swapped between a 13.3-inch 2.8K OLED screen and a 12-inch e-ink screen. The new e-ink screen on the ThinkBook Plus Twist has also been upgraded with a 12Hz refresh rate compared to its predecessor.
The hinge in the middle allows users to rotate the screen with just one handFurthermore, this is also the first color e-ink screen to appear on a laptop. What's more, Lenovo aims to elevate the e-ink technology for more purposes than just reading PDF files. It can be said that the innovative use of the 360-degree horizontal twist hinge has made switching between the two screens extremely convenient. The rotation on the ThinkBook Plus Twist is quite smooth and doesn't feel frictional or rigid like some other devices on the market.
The twist hinge enhances the utility of the e-ink screen
It's known that Lenovo faced many challenges in making the e-ink screen usable as a laptop display. Next is the issue of color display and brightness level of this type of screen. Another important thing, the e-ink screen is upgraded with a refresh rate of 2 modes: “quality mode” looks better but only for reading, locked at 6Hz and “speed mode” faster at 12Hz, aiding in the switch to a work screen.
According to Lenovo, there are two reasons why users would use the e-ink screen as the main display, specifically they help users concentrate more and significantly increase battery life compared to the OLED screen. For battery life extension usage scenarios, for example: you can work on the standard OLED screen until the battery drops to 25% or lower, then continue working on the e-ink screen even longer. Unfortunately, Lenovo has not provided any specific figures on total battery life when used in this way.
Two screens while still ensuring long battery lifeThe 360-degree twist hinge is a brilliant technical design in the truest sense to enhance Lenovo's intention with the ThinkBook Plus Twist; it's simply a special case compared to the rest, making the device compact and refined. Besides the hinge and e-ink screen, this is a premium 13-inch business laptop in Lenovo's small-screen laptop lineup. The ThinkBook Plus Twist features Intel's 13th-generation processor, a 13.3-inch 2.8K OLED screen, and a 1080p resolution webcam.
With their relentless creative efforts, it seems like everything has finally been combined almost perfectly. A business laptop with two main screens both using the same keyboard, usable for extended periods without adversely affecting battery life.
Unique, yes, but who will buy?
Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Twist brings a fresh breeze to the foldable laptop marketOverall, the price that Lenovo offers is not excessively high compared to the general market level, especially when compared to the expensive Mac devices from Apple. However, having an additional e-ink screen is great, but not everyone will necessarily need this feature. The ThinkBook Plus Twist will essentially be quite selective in its buyers unless they genuinely work extensively or require frequent digital content reading. Additionally, durability is also a question to be answered over time, as instead of just protecting one screen, using Lenovo's new laptop requires attention to both to avoid any unwarranted scratches.
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