Lenovo ThinkBook Plus G2 i brings a bigger and faster e-Ink display on its back
By Sean Endicott published
Wireless charging and an e-Ink display make for one unique laptop.

What you need to know
- Lenovo announced the ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 i at CES 2021.
- The laptop features an improved e-Ink display on its back.
- The ThinkBook Plus G2 i will be available in Q1 2021 with a starting price of $1,299.
Lenovo announced the ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 i at CES 2021. We've seen plenty of new laptops at CES, including several from Lenovo, but we haven't seen anything like the ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 i this year. The laptop features an e-Ink display on its back in addition to its traditional display. The ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 i will be available in Q1 2021 with a starting price of $1,549.
Lenovo announced the first generation ThinkBook Plus last year at CES 2020. This year's ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 i has a bigger and faster e-Ink display. The display bumped up from a 48 percent screen-to-body ratio up to a 68 percent ratio, which results in a 12-inch usable area. The e-Ink display also got a resolution bump up to 2560 x 1600, which matches the laptop's main display. The e-Ink display also has a better refresh rate and user interface than last year's model.
Category | Lenovo ThinkBook Plus (Gen 2) |
---|---|
OS | Windows 10 Pro |
Processor | Up to 11th Gen Intel Core i7 |
RAM | 16GB LPDDR4x Dual-channel |
Graphics | Intel UHD (UMA) Integrated |
Storage | Up to 1TB M.2 PCIe Gen4 SSD |
Display | 13.3 inches (Main) 2560x1600 IPS, Touch, 400 nits, Dolby Vision 12 inches (E-Ink) 2560x1600 Monochromatic, Touch |
Pen | Lenovo Integrated Pen |
Ports | Two Thunderbolt 4 3.5mm audio |
Audio | Dual 2W speakers Dolby Atmos Four microphones |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6 Bluetooth 5 |
Camera | Front-facing 720p ThinkShutter |
Security | Fingerprint reader |
Battery | 53Wh |
Dimensions | 11.73 x 8.22 x 0.54 inches (298mm x 209mm x 13.9mm) |
Weight | 2.86 pounds (1.30kg) |
Color | Storm Gray |
In addition to an improved e-Ink display, the ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 i has a taller 16:10 aspect ratio, Dolby Vision HDR, and Dolby Atmos support on select models. It runs on up to an 11th Gen Intel Core i7 processors. The laptop also has a new garaged pen that can automatically launch select applications.
Like its e-Ink counterpart, the main display of the ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 i has a better screen-to-body ratio than its predecessor. It now has a 90 percent screen-to-body ratio compared to last year's 78 percent. The laptop has two Thunderbolt 4 ports and supports Wi-Fi 6.
As if an e-Ink display on a laptop wasn't already unique, the ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 i also has an optional ThinkBook Charging Mat. The mat allows you to wirelessly charge the laptop, which gets up to 15 hours on a charge, according to Lenovo. That battery life bumps up to 24 hours, according to Lenovo, if you only use the e-Ink display.
Sean Endicott is the news writer for Windows Central. If it runs Windows, is made by Microsoft, or has anything to do with either, he's on it. Sean's been with Windows Central since 2017 and is also our resident app expert. If you have a news tip or an app to review, hit him up at sean.endicott@futurenet.com.
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Eh, I don't get it. Is the pen for only the e-ink display? Is the e-ink display not running Windows or something? Isn't it awkward or impossible to use the keyboard with the e-ink display? What a weird product. I'm all for e-ink displays but I don't think this is the right implementation.
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Pen works on both displays. e-ink panel runs its own software, but it's on top of Windows 10 and you can actually see/run Win10 with it. re: keyboard, it's not meant that much for input, more about seeing / reading latest emails, calendar, weather, and more.
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This is something I wanted to see on the outside of the Microsoft Courier.
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I genuinely think a triple-layer on a single display (IPS + E-ink + stylus, touch layer) is the way to go, as demonstrated in the past with some e-ink tablets and smart watches. Better digital pen experience, works across various professional software, and saves battery life when switching display type while maintaining all other hardware functions.
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