Lenovo fuses Windows and Android together into hybrid tablet

Lenovo has created a 2-in-1 hybrid tablet system that combines Windows and Android into a single device – with some drawbacks.

The Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 hybrid uses a combination of laptop and mobile technology to create a versatile device that can use Android or Windows. This product was originally presented at CES 2024 as a proof-of-concept, though it was not clear if it was planned for the market.

Now, Lenovo is introducing this unique hybrid tablet to the Chinese market. The company plans to roll the tablet out to other regions in the future.

At the most basic, it is an Android tablet that can be converted into a Windows device by plugging in a keyboard. This is not just any keyboard but a device dock containing a separate Intel CPU.

It is not necessary to disconnect the tablet from the keyboard dock, however. The two systems can be used in parallel, side-by-side on the same screen if needed.

Lenovo, Pexels

There are some drawbacks to this approach. The two systems share a special 10GB storage module and camera module but are otherwise not integrated. Users therefore need to log in to both systems.

The lack of total integration could be spun as an advantage. As in the advent of a Windows update problem, or a global outage like Crowdstrike, a user could just switch to the other system.

With the Android and Windows sides being separate, this means they have different specifications. The Windows section has an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H Meteor Lake CPU located inside the keyboard section. Packed alongside the CPU is 32GB of LPDDR5X-7467 RAM and a 1TB M.2 SSD.

The tablet part is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, which runs a 14-inch 2.8k OLED screen. Memory and storage come in the form of 12 GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage.

All of this costs a pretty penny, though. It is currently listed at 15,999 RMB, or roughly $2000.