CES 2023 Hands-On: Lenovo’s ThinkBook 16p Gen 4 Has ‘Magic Bay’ Snap-On Cameras, WAN Modules, More

Lenovo's ThinkBook line has always been something of an experimental zone. With a handful of past ThinkBook models featuring dual displays and funky form factors, the ThinkBook name seems to mean “great laptops for small business… but, sometimes, with a twist.” In this case, with the ThinkBook 16p Gen 4, that twist is the addition of Lenovo's Magic Bay technology, a line of snap-on modular accessories that add all sorts of functionality to an already capable laptop.

(Credit: John Burek)

The Magic Bay modules snap onto the back of this ThinkBook's lid. We got to go hands-on with the Lenovo ThinkBook 16p Gen 4 laptop at CES 2023. Check it out above, and read on for more.

An Inside Preview

The ThinkBook 16p Gen 4 laptop is powered by Intel's just-announced 13th Generation Core H-series processors, which provide fast and efficient performance for high-core-count tasks and content creation work. Additionally, the laptop has optional Nvidia GeForce RTX graphics, perfect for graphics-intensive tasks, and even a bit of gaming after work.

(Credit: John Burek)

DDR5 memory and dual SSD support allow for lightning-fast data transfer speeds, and with up to 2TB of storage, you'll have plenty of space for all of your files and documents. In addition to its impressive hardware, the ThinkBook 16p Gen 4 has a large glass touchpad and an FHD camera for video conferencing.

(Credit: John Burek)

The 16-inch laptop is available with up to a 165Hz, 3.2K, 16-inch panel, complete with Dolby Vision support for enjoying HDR content, along with four Harman Kardon speakers for equally impressive sound. The ThinkBook 16p also has dual noise-canceling microphones that are specifically made to help your teammates hear you clearly, even if there's a lot of background noise. So whether you're working or playing, you can have clear communication with your team.

The Mildly Modular Magic Bay

Overall, the Lenovo ThinkBook 16p Gen 4 is a powerful and versatile business laptop, but that's before you bring in Magic Bay, Lenovo's new line of modular add-ons. They connect to the laptop through a magnetic pogo-pin connector strip built into the rear lid of the laptop…

(Credit: John Burek)

These clip-on accessories give you a simple way to add a flexible 4K webcam, a 200-lux LED light bar for better-looking video calls, or even a 4G LTE hotspot that can give you mobile connectivity anywhere—even for other devices.

(Credit: John Burek)

This modular approach to niche-feature support is an intriguing way to handle a world where even the humble business laptop may need to take on extra duties, whether it's traveling and working on the go, producing high-quality video content, or just facilitating the video conferencing that has become such a big part of the modern workplace. You can flip the 4K camera around, for instance, to take in the view of others in a conference room (while still using the user-facing camera), like so…

(Credit: John Burek)

Or you can use both cameras in tandem and have software enhance the image beyond the capability of either one alone.

The WAN module, meanwhile, can be attached to the 16p's pogo connector, or work on its own as a standalone mobile hotspot.

(Credit: John Burek)

The Lenovo ThinkBook 16p Gen 4 will begin selling in May 2023, with a starting price of $1,349. Magic Bay accessories will be available exclusively with the ThinkBook 16p, and Lenovo says it will be offering bundle deals that let you purchase your laptop and Magic Bay accessories in a single purchase.