We’re filling out the CES 2025 prediction bingo card here at TechRadar right now, and I’m going to lose – because mine only has 25 boxes that all say “new” Lenovo ThinkBook Twist’.
Yes, I probably didn’t get what I wanted from Santa at this year’s CES, and that’s the return of Lenovo’s boldest (and weirdest) laptop design, the “swiveling” ThinkBook. This basically means that the display hinge is mounted right in the center of the panel’s base and can pivot – letting you rotate the screen and “close” the lid to turn it into a tablet.
We looked back at the old ThinkBook twist Back in 2013, I thought it was pretty good, although now the 360-degree hinge has effectively eliminated the form factor to make switching to “tablet mode” easier and more intuitive. But that’s not what I really want, no: I want a new and improved version of the winning entry ThinkBook Plus Twist I saw it at MWC 2023 Both Lid side: regular organic light emitting diodes Touchscreen with full-color e-ink panel on the back.
weird and wonderful
I know, at first glance, this seems like an extremely stupid design for a laptop. I’m not here to argue this; watch Windows 11 Running at around four frames per second on an e-ink display is a strange experience, even if it technically runs well.
But e-ink has huge potential as an alternative to more power-hungry (and therefore less environmentally damaging) display types. It’s also gentler on the eyes, making it perfect for any activity that doesn’t require a high refresh rate; Lenovo calls rotating the display to use the e-ink panel as the main screen “typewriter mode,” which, as a writer, I find really cute.
Of course, a more practical use for this external e-ink display would be to display information when the laptop is in sleep mode and the lid is closed; since the e-paper panel only requires power when changing what’s shown on the screen, it can provide you with Displays the time, battery life, local weather, notifications and more without even opening the laptop – and all of this can be used virtually while the battery is running out.
The future of electronic ink
In “standard mode,” with the lid open and the OLED display facing you, the ThinkBook Plus Twist feels like a regular (albeit quite premium) Lenovo laptop and does everything you’d expect. But when you switch to typewriter mode, the power-hungry OLED panel turns off, significantly extending battery life for longer periods of writing away from a wall outlet.
I’d like to see more laptop manufacturers and the tech industry in general commit more to the e-paper format. E-ink was revolutionary, but since its launch it has stagnated and been largely relegated to the overpriced Kindle.
Yet it has such potential: I can envision many use cases beyond simple handheld devices. Whenever I drive into a nearby city after dark, I’m drawn to the giant LED billboards for which I have a deep, burning passion. But if this billboard was made from e-paper, not only would it be less glaring (and thus make the roads safer) and reducing local light pollution), but also reducing electricity usage. If more tech companies took the time and effort to invest in improvements to this technology, this could become a reality.