Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 3 review (hands on)

For

• Ultra-wide principal display for multitasking
• Innovative second 8-inch screen
• Digital pen included
• Powerful 12th gen Intel Core CPU

Against

• Could be too wide for some backpacks
• Rated for only 8 hours of bombardment life

Pros

• +

  Ultra-wide main brandish for multitasking

• +

  Innovative 2d 8-inch screen

• +

  Digital pen included

• +

  Powerful 12th gen Intel Core CPU

Cons

• -

  Could be too wide for some backpacks

• -

  Rated for just 8 hours of battery life

The Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 3 is a automobile that will brand you practice a double take. It'south the start laptop e'er with a 17.3-inch ultra-wide display, which makes it ideal for running two or iii apps side by side. But the existent headline is a secondary 8-inch color screen right next to the keyboard that tin pull off all sorts of tricks.

Yup, the ThinkBook Plus Gen iii is easily the most innovative laptop at CES 2022. Information technology's much more practical than the secondary E-Ink display on the ThinkBook Plus Gen two, but what tin can you do with this new laptop'southward 2nd screen?

• Check out all the latest news at our CES live weblog.

I spent some hands-on time with an early version of the ThnkBook Plus Gen 3, which is coming in May for $ane,399, and it could be a game changer for multitaskers. Here'due south what I think and then far of this very unique system, which could have what it takes to make our best laptop list.

ThinkBook Plus Gen 3 release date and price

(Image credit: Future)

The ThinkBook Plus Gen 3 will be released in May and start at $1,399. That's fairly affordable given the ultra-wide display and secondary brandish. Other specs include a 12th-gen Intel Core H-Series CPU, up to 32GB of RAM and up to 2TB of storage. There'southward as well an integrated digital pen.

ThinkBook Plus Gen 3: What'south with the 8-inch screen?

(Image credit: Future)

Before we go into the residue of the laptop, let'south talk about the secondary 8-inch LCD. Information technology has a resolution of 1280 x 800 and a number of use cases. You lot can use it as a computer, or use a digital pen to take quick notes on the secondary screen during meetings. But things really get interesting when you offset using application sub tools.

(Epitome credit: Future)

For example, during one demo using Adobe Lightroom, you tin can utilize the eight-inch display to select from multiple thumbnail images without sacrificing the ultra-wide view of the chief panel.

Or you can perform fine edits to a photo with a pen on the smaller screen while seeing the changes beingness fabricated in real time on the larger screen. Plus, the digital pen uses ColorKing Plus technology for authentic color matching.

(Image credit: Future)

The eight-inch LCD has other handy uses also. Y'all tin can engage a "waterfall mode" for scrolling through longer documents that extend from the principal screen to the secondary display. And you can customize your own Magic Launcher for placing frequently used app icons for like shooting fish in a barrel admission.

There's also a smartphone-mirroring office for the second display, simply for at present information technology supports only select Motorola phones.

During our demo, the software was a bit glitchy when switching betwixt the various modes. But assuming that Lenovo works out the kinks, the secondary display could be a very powerful tool.

ThinkBook Plus Gen 3: Main display

(Image credit: Futurity)

The second near unique thing most the ThinkBook Plus Gen iii is its 17.3-inch display, which has a resolution of 3072 10 1440 (3K) and an ultra-wide aspect ratio of 21:x. Seen in person, the panel seems like it's tailor-made for the various Snap desktop layouts in Windows eleven, assuasive yous to run 2 or more than apps side by side.

Lenovo says that this aspect ratio gives y'all 30% extra screen existent estate versus a 14-inch laptop. The 90% screen-to-torso ratio is welcome, and you get Dolby Vision support and Low Bluish Lite certification for keeping things easy on your eyes.

ThinkBook Plus Gen 3: Design and ports

(Prototype credit: Futurity)

The near surprising thing about the ThinkBook Gen 3 — other than its second screen — is how portable it is a for a 17.3-inch laptop. It weighs most iv.4 pounds, which makes it fairly easy to conduct around. However, at 16.1 x 9 x 0.7 inches, it's a bit on the thick side and could exist as well broad for some backpacks.

In terms of ports, the ThinkBook Gen three packs one Thunderbolt 4, 1 USB-C (DisplayPort and ability delivery), 2 USB-A ports, an HDMI jack and a headphone jack. The HDMI, USB-A and USB-C ports line the dorsum of the machine, which may annoy some users but I see this machine beingness used generally at a desk.

Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 3 specs

Price	from $one,399
Display	17.3 inches (3072 10 1440), 120Hz
Second brandish	8 inches (1200 ten 800) with pen support
CPU	12th gen Intel Core H-Series
RAM	upward to 32GB
Storage	Up to 1TB PCIe SSD
GPU	Intel Iris Xe
Battery	69WHr
Size	16.1 x nine ten 0.seven inches
Weight	4.4 pounds

Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 3 performance

(Image credit: Future)

The ThinkBook Plus Gen 3 should offer plenty of speed in solar day-to-day employ, and it will demand that speed if this thing is going to be powering two displays at once. A 12th-gen Intel Core H series processor will be running the show, along with up to 32GB of dual channel LPDDR5 memory and upwards to a 1TB PCIe SSD.

You can as well expect fast networking, thanks to integrated 2 x 2 AX Wi-Fi 6e connectivity.

Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 3 bombardment life and charging

(Epitome credit: Time to come)

The ThinkBook Plus Gen 3 features a 69WHr battery. Lenovo says the early estimate is that the laptop will get about 8 hours of endurance, which is decent but not neat. We expect that the second brandish being on about of the time will be a power drain, just we looking frontwards to testing it out.

Lenovo includes a 100W Blazon-C slim adapter with RapidCharge capability.

Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 3 outlook

(Image credit: Hereafter)

Lenovo has tried some wacky stuff before with the ThinkBook Plus line, but the Gen 3 is the all-time combination of innovation and practicality I've seen notwithstanding. The ultra-wide main display paired with the second 8-inch screen could be a benefaction for productivity, provided Lenovo can refine the software further.

This laptop likewise packs a good amount of power for the price, and I like that a digital pen is included for making the most out of the secondary display. We expect forward to testing this laptop to see if it can aid united states piece of work smarter and better in day-to-solar day utilise.

Mark Spoonauer is the global editor in primary of Tom's Guide and has covered engineering for nearly 20 years. In addition to overseeing the direction of Tom'southward Guide, Mark specializes in covering all things mobile, having reviewed dozens of smartphones and other gadgets. He has spoken at fundamental manufacture events and appears regularly on Goggle box to hash out the latest trends. Marker was previously editor in chief of Laptop Mag, and his work has appeared in Wired, Popular Science and Inc. Follow him on Twitter at @mspoonauer.

Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/lenovo-thinkbook-plus-gen-3

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