Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 4 review: 2-in-1 laptop for business people

Taking home the "Best of CES 2023" award, Lenovo's ThinkBook Plus Gen 4 (introduced as the "ThinkBook Plus Twist"), is a premium business laptop suitable for work, video meetings and general web browsing . It has a great speaker setup, a vibrant and rotatable primary OLED display, and especially a secondary e-ink display.

Let's analyze this laptop in more detail to see if it is an option worth considering through the following article!

Specifications

1. Operating system:
2. CPU: 13th generation Intel Core i7-1355U
3. GPU: Integrated Intel Iris Xe
4. RAM: 16GB DDR5
5. Memory: 512GB
6. Battery: 56Wh
7. Screen (size, resolution): 13.3 inches, 2880 x 1800
8. Camera: FHD 1080p
9. Ports: 2x Thunderbolt 4, 1x 3.5mm headphone and mic jack
10. Weight: 2.98lbs (1.35kg)
11. Brand: Lenovo

Design

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Arguably the most important aspect of the ThinkBook Plus Gen 4, the rotating hinge and dual screens are great in theory.

The swivel screen design is ideal for presenting to an audience or showing quick graphics to colleagues sitting next to you. The OLED screen is amazing. With an eye-catching gray chassis and all-metal design, it's a sleek and attractive design.

At 2.98lbs (1.35kg), this is not a light laptop, but it is a respectable weight that gives it a premium feel in the hand.

OLED screen

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The 13.3-inch OLED screen is where this 2-in-1 laptop really shines. Whether you're working hard or relaxing to enjoy a few episodes, the brilliant and respectably bright display (at 400 nits) won't disappoint.

Colors pop, the 60hz refresh rate isn't too smooth but not too bad either, and 13.3 inches is the right size for most tasks.

E-ink screen

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Seriously, this screen is almost unusable for productivity. It seems like it's doing the exact opposite, wasting your productive time.

Efficiency

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One area where the ThinkBook Plus Gen 4 does not disappoint is performance. Equipped with premium Intel hardware, this laptop has enough power to handle most daily tasks with ease. Checking emails, taking notes, web browsing, and some light to moderate photo and video editing are no problem for the 13th generation Intel Core i7-1355U and 16GB of DDR5X RAM found in this laptop.

You can even run some lighter games like Minecraft or Rocket League, however, thanks to the integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics, you shouldn't expect to crank up the settings in your favorite titles and maintain 60FPS ( or even 30FPS in many cases).

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I ran the ThinkBook Plus Gen 4 through both PCMark and Geekbench and as you can see from the results, the overall performance is certainly respectable but doesn't beat higher-end systems.

The MacBook Air 2022, another popular laptop for productivity, achieved a single-core score of 2,575 on Geekbench compared to the ThinkBook's 1,838. The multi-core scores between the two laptops are also not the same, the Air reached 9,649 and the ThinkBook scored 6,799.

The OpenCL GPU score is the big differentiator here (unsurprisingly), with the MacBook Air's 25,256 more than double the ThinkBook Plus Gen 4's rating of 12,660.

The average PCMark score is around 5,100, so the ThinkBook outperforms the average laptop with a rating of 5,662.

Loudspeaker

The sound from the ThinkBook Plus Gen 4 speakers is surprising. At maximum volume, the volume is definitely too loud to enjoy comfortably unless the laptop is placed significantly far away. This makes it a great choice for listening to music during the holidays or family gatherings.

Dolby Atmos delivers rich, full sound quality on the ThinkBook Plus Gen 4. This is a big plus for this 2-in-1 device.

Webcam and Microphone

The FHD 1080p webcam is nothing to scoff at. They do the job with the usual amount of chaasst you'd find on most built-in laptop webcams, enough for video conferencing with a group of coworkers.

As for the dual mic array, you will see a clear improvement in webcam quality. During the test call, the recipient said they could understand the speaker's meaning clearly without adjusting the position or settings.

Keyboard and trackpad

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When it comes to business laptops, typing experience is a very important factor. That's exactly why many people wish the ThinkBook Plus Gen 4's keyboard wasn't so cramped.

Typing errors often occur. Worse still, the keyboard's typing feel is not as expected. The Plus Gen 4 feels stiff and robotic; makes many people unable to help but think "it's better to use an external keyboard" when placing their hands on its cold gray exterior.

The trackpad also received many similar complaints. The trackpad is just the right size and shouldn't cause you any problems scrolling or using tap gestures to left click. However, pressing down on the touchpad is when the discomfort begins. The tactile feedback from the clicks is also stiff and uncomfortable.

Lenovo Base Pen 4.0

As a convenience feature, the Lenovo Base Pen 4.0 can support note-taking or impromptu sketching, but opening a blank text file and using your fingers to type is almost always easier. However, when combined with an OLED display, the Lenovo Base Pen 4.0 makes for a speedy digital art tablet.

There's also no place to store the pen on the laptop, meaning you'll need to buy an additional bag to carry it or put the stylus with the charger.

The battery

The 56Wh battery included in the ThinkBook Plus Gen 4 is only average, you can use the battery for 5 to 6 hours on a single charge, depending on the task you need to do on the laptop.

If you want to be productive, keep your charger nearby. The good news is that the 65W charger works quite quickly, can fully charge the device in about 45 minutes.

So if you can connect to an outlet or carry a spare battery, the fast charging capability can help in case the battery runs low while at work.

Connect

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Looking at the sides of the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 4, chances are you won't be impressed with the available port selection. You'll find a total of two Thunderbolt 4 ports (one on either side), a headphone jack, and a 3.5mm microphone.

Luckily, it's easy to expand this connection selection. Plug in an affordable USB-C hub and you have access to everything you need for work and leisure.

So should I buy Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 4?

Unless you really need a 2-in-1 laptop with both an OLED screen and a color e-ink screen, you should not choose the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 4.

The $3,000-plus price tag is simply too high to justify the laptop's numerous shortcomings in some key aspects. You're better off saving a significant amount of money by choosing another 2-in-1 device like the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 or Lenovo's Yoga 9i.

Advantage

1. The main OLED screen is great
2. Great speakers
3. Rotating hinge design

Defect

1. Horrible e-ink screen
2. The keyboard and trackpad are uncomfortable
3. Price is too high

Jessica Tanner

Update 12 December 2023