Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i (Gen 7) review

In contrast to most of Lenovo’s Yoga laptops, Slim 9i (Gen 7) isn’t a 2-in-1 gadget. Nevertheless, it’s a premium pc with a putting design that performs nearly as good because it appears.  

With a blinding show, succesful Intel processor and a few spectacular audio system, this laptop computer is simply nearly as good for work as it’s for play – particularly for those who work within the inventive industries. However is it well worth the hefty price ticket? 

Design & construct 

• Oatmeal end
• No USB-A or HDMI ports
• Weighs 1.37kg 

The very best factor about this 14in laptop computer is its premium feel and appear, which is up there with among the greatest within the enterprise.  

What Lenovo dubs as an ‘Oatmeal’ color is an uncommon but extraordinarily aesthetically pleasing end. The outer shell is constructed from shiny white glass with a quite simple Lenovo brand on the facet, while the keyboard and chassis all are available in a shiny champagne shade. Amongst a sea of primary black and silver laptops, the Yoga Slim 9i makes a real assertion, though there are not any various color choices.

The laptop computer is 14.9mm thick, so it could possibly slip inside a backpack or duffle bag and nonetheless offer you loads of room. At 1.37kg it isn’t the lightest in the marketplace, however nonetheless doesn’t really feel hefty when carrying round. Regardless of not being a convertible, the 9i has a large 180-degree radius and lives as much as its Yoga title by feeling each versatile and powerful.  

There are three USB-C ports (all of which help Thunderbolt 4 for quick knowledge switch), plus a 3.5mm headphone jack and bodily privateness shutter for the webcam. There’s additionally a side-mounted energy button, however no HDMI or USB-A ports.

Lenovo does provide an adaptor within the field, nevertheless it solely consists of one HDMI port, one USB-A port and an old-school VGA port – so when you’ve got two units that join by way of USB-A, you’ll have to fork out for an additional adaptor. 

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The built-in fan does a superb job at retaining the gadget cool throughout every day duties resembling net looking, and is for essentially the most half whisper quiet. That stated, underneath extra strenuous exercise like gaming, it does get noticeably louder.  

The field additionally features a material pockets that matches the shade of the laptop computer, permitting you to guard it while taking it on the go. Nevertheless, it’s not fairly massive sufficient to suit each the laptop computer and the charger comfortably.  

Keyboard, trackpad & webcam 

• A lot of keyboard shortcuts out there 
• Key journey feels fairly shallow 
• Odd stutter from the trackpad 

Keys on the Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i have a curved, huge form with responsive fireback. The important thing journey is on the shallow facet, which can be a bug bear for those who kind aggressively. Nevertheless, they’re fairly quiet. The keyboard can both have the backlight set to at all times on, automated or off, with two ranges of brightness out there.

Many shortcut keys are included on this gadget, with the spacebar doubling up as a backlight key, and the F keys additionally appearing as controls for the altering the sound and brightness, extending the shows, turning on airplane mode and extra. There are various shortcuts to get used to, however general, I discovered them to be sensible additions.  

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The trackpad takes up a superb quantity of area. I had a few events the place it stuttered when booting the laptop computer up, however these had been far and few between. 

The webcam is situated above the show within the centre, inside a bezel which protrudes from the highest barely. It’s 1080p in high quality and is mixed with an infra-red sensor for Home windows Hi there face unlock, plus twin microphones to assist enhance video calls. There may be additionally a privateness shutter button on the keyboard to your piece of thoughts.  

I discovered face recognition to work fairly properly. It could actually have have hassle recognising you for those who’re carrying glasses, so I’d suggest bettering recognition with a second scan by way of Settings. Nevertheless, No fingerprint reader is included.

Display & audio system 

• 2.8K touchscreen OLED show 
• Show picks up marks 
• Spectacular audio 

The Yoga Slim 9i has a 2.8K (2880×1800) OLED show with a 16:10 facet ratio. This ends in a transparent and shiny display screen the place colors pop and shine – even with the brightness turned down.  

Viewing angles are nice on this gadget, although it could possibly endure from some glare for those who’re utilizing it close to a window, or outdoor underneath shiny daylight. 

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When measuring the display screen with a Spyder Elite, the Yoga Slim 9i achieved 100% sRGB, 95% AdobeRGB, 100% DCI-P3 protection and a most brightness of 392 nits. For an OLED show, that AdobeRGB rating is especially spectacular – which means that not solely does this gadget look good, however it is usually a viable possibility for creators and designers.  

The utmost refresh price on the 9i is 90Hz. The laptop computer routinely defaults to 60Hz, so that you’ll want to go into the show settings if you wish to alter this. This shall be a welcome addition for individuals who get pleasure from a little bit of informal gaming or simply smoother scrolling, however it can hit battery life barely.

The show is touchscreen appropriate. While I discovered this to be fast and conscious of gestures, swipes and presses, the display screen does decide up fingerprints and marks very simply – you’ll have to take care of repairs on this gadget to maintain it smudge free.  

The audio {hardware} on the Yoga Slim 9i is spectacular. The laptop computer comes with 4 audio system, with sound by Bowers & Wilkins and Dolby Atmos help. Altogether, this ends in vibrant, loud audio with punchy bass ranges. It’s a pleasure for watching Netflix, enjoying video games and listening to music on. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Specs & efficiency 

The Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i options an Intel Core i7 processor from the newest (at time of writing) Twelfth-gen vary, alongside 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. You may create customized configurations on the Lenovo web site, and in different markets such because the US, the laptop computer comes with larger RAM and storage choices.

The precise chip used on this mannequin is the Core i7-1280P. A part of the Alder Lake-P collection, this chip delivers a steadiness between effectivity and efficiency right into a slim and light-weight laptop computer. It additionally options built-in Intel Iris Xe graphics, however there’s no possibility for a discrete GPU.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Day-to-day efficiency is strong, fast and responsive. I’ve used this gadget for quite a few duties without delay, modifying images, taking video calls and even some mild gaming, and it was capable of do all of it and not using a hitch.  

Underneath our benchmarking checks, you’ll be able to see that the Yoga Slim 9i manages to maintain tempo with different laptops of an identical value from the likes of Huawei and LG.  

Battery & charging 

• Not the very best battery life 
• 65W charging by way of USB-C
• Quick speeds helps juice the laptop computer shortly 

Underneath our steady video loop battery check, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i achieved 8 hours and 37 minutes. Nevertheless, the actual world battery life doesn’t at all times match as much as these ranges. I used to be capable of make it round 4 hours with the very best efficiency enabled, utilizing a number of functions and listening to music all through the day. 

After all, there are issues you are able to do to preserve the battery. Lenovo’s personal Vantage software program allows you to select battery saver or adaptive efficiency modes, relatively than excessive efficiency. You can too activate conservation mode within the fast settings bar to guard the battery long run.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The laptop computer comes with 65W charger, which can be utilized with any of the three USB-C ports. Lenovo consists of fast cost function (this have to be enabled in Lenovo Vantage), which the corporate claims may give the gadget as much as two hours’ price of use in simply quarter-hour.  

With this enabled, I used to be capable of juice the laptop computer to 39% from flat in half-hour, which isn’t fairly as quick as what we’ve seen from rival units.

Software program & options 

• Home windows 11 Residence 
• Some software program bloat 

The Yoga 9i ships with Home windows 11 Residence, so that you get all of the Microsoft applications included and many standard apps resembling WhatsApp, Disney+ and Xbox included on the gadget as commonplace. 

This laptop computer comes with a free 30-day trial of McAfee LiveSafe, and a month of Microsoft 365 for full entry to Phrase, Excel, PowerPoint and extra. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

There are some preinstalled Lenovo apps resembling Lenovo Vantage for info in your gadget, Lenovo Hotkeys for locating keyboard shortcuts and Lenovo Voice for controlling your PC by way of voice instructions.  

Lenovo just isn’t fairly the worst offender for bloatware, however for some these apps could get in your nerves – particularly when the notifications pop up while you least need them (don’t make this author’s mistake of not turning them off and having annoying pings throughout a Zoom name).  

Lenovo features a one yr PremiumCare guarantee with buy – you’ll be able to learn up on the guarantee on the Lenovo web site.

Value & availability 

Within the UK, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i begins from £1,499 – although you’ll be able to add further configurations resembling a 4K display screen and extra storage for an extra price. On the time of writing, Lenovo has some Black Friday affords out there.

US readers can solely get this laptop computer with a 4K display screen and double the quantity of RAM, which signifies that the beginning value is a tad costlier at $2,070. Nevertheless, the processor and design stay the identical.  

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For the efficiency and design, this value falls largely consistent with what’s on provide from rivals. The primary let-down is battery life – so if that could be a concern, it’s price both the Huawei MateBook 14s and even the Apple MacBook Air (M1) for those who’re completely happy to let go of the Home windows expertise.  Neither of those are the newest mannequin anymore, which means there needs to be some helpful reductions.

You can too learn up on Tech Advisor’s picks of the very best laptops general.  

Verdict 

The Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i has a beautiful, distinctive design and pairs it with aggressive efficiency that’s suited each for work and for leisure, particularly with its highly effective audio system and shiny, high-quality display screen.   

The sub-standard battery life could also be an annoyance to some, as will the shortage of bodily ports for individuals who join a number of units without delay. The touchscreen can be susceptible to selecting up fingerprint marks.  

Nonetheless, that is general an excellent all-round gadget from Lenovo, and one to contemplate for those who’re trying to make an funding in your subsequent laptop computer.  

Specs

• Home windows 11 Residence
• 14in 2880×1880 OLED touchscreen, As much as 90Hz
• Intel Core i7-1280P processor
• Intel Iris Xe Graphics
• 16GB RAM
• 512GB SSD storage
• 1080p webcam
• 3x USB-C ports (adaptor included for HDMI/USB-A)
• Headphone jack
• Webcam privateness shutter button
• Wi-Fi 6E
• Bluetooth 5.2
• Quad audio system
• Twin microphones
• 75Wh battery
• 65W charger
• 14.9x315x214.4mm
• 1.37kg
• Oatmeal color