CES 2021: Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 i laptop has a useful E Ink display on its lid

This story is part of CES, where CNET covers the latest news on the most incredible tech coming soon.

Lenovo’s revamped its dual-display work laptop for CES 2021. The ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 i laptop is an update to the model it launched at CES 2020, which features an E Ink touchscreen display embedded in the lid so you can check on your work without opening the laptop.

The E Ink display gives you a way to do everything from checking your calendar and notifications to taking notes with the included active pen. The display is larger for the new model, with 12 inches of usable area compared to the 10.8-inch display on the original, and its resolution now matches the main display at 2560×1600 pixels. Lenovo says it’s improved the performance along with the interface, and now you can run productivity apps without using the main display. 

The Gen 2 i’s body is thinner and lighter — it weighs just 2.9 pounds (1.3 kg) — and it’s running Intel’s 11th-gen Core processors, which add Thunderbolt 4 ports and Wi-Fi 6. It’ll also work with Lenovo’s new ThinkBook Charging Mat so you can keep it charged on your desk without ever plugging it in. The laptop can run for up to 15 hours or up to 24 hours when using just the E Ink display. 

The Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 i is expected to be available sometime in the first quarter of 2021 starting at $1,549. (International pricing wasn’t announced but that’s about £1,140 or AU$2,010.) Lenovo is also introducing the ThinkBook 13x i, a thinner and lighter version of the ThinkBook Plus without the E Ink display. Prices will start at $1,199. 

For AMD fans looking for a high-performance work laptop, Lenovo will also have the ThinkBook 14p and 16p out in the first quarter. Both models feature taller 16:10 displays, which means you have more vertical space to work. The 14p can be configured with a 14-inch 2.8K OLED while the 16p has a 16-inch 2560×1600-pixel IPS panel. They’ll be precalibrated for color accuracy out of the box. They’ll be using the latest AMD Ryzen processors and the 16p can be configured with next-gen Nvidia GeForce RTX mobile discrete graphics. 

The Lenovo ThinkBook 14p and 16p will be available in Q1 2021 starting at $849 for the 14p and $1,299 for the 16p.