I tested Lenovo's most ambitious dual-screen laptop yet

Price When Reviewed

$2,079.99

Best Prices Today: Lenovo Yoga Book 9i

$2199.99

Lenovo has a protracted historical past of weird ideas. But in contrast to many corporations that ship unusual prototypes straight to retailer cabinets, Lenovo typically sticks with these oddballs—and the Yoga Book 9i is simply the newest instance.

The newest model of the corporate’s dual-screen 2-in-1 isn’t a dramatic departure from prior fashions. It’s nonetheless a transportable all-in-one that pairs its twin OLED shows with an included Bluetooth keyboard, mouse, and stylus. However, the most recent Yoga Book 9i has surprisingly succesful CPU efficiency beneath the hood.

Lenovo Yoga Book 9i: Specs and options

The Yoga Book 9i Gen 10’s primary specs don’t look superb on paper. It has simply 16GB of RAM and a 512GB stable state drive. Most Windows units offered above $1,000 have 32GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage. However, the Yoga Book 9i’s Intel Core Ultra 7 255H deserves some consideration. It has a complete of 16 cores, six of that are efficiency cores—and because the benchmarks will present, it’s an enormous improve over laptops with an Intel Core Ultra 7 256V or 258V inside.

• CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 255H
• Memory: 16GB LPDDR5X
• Graphics/GPU: Intel Arc 140V
• NPU: Intel AI Boost as much as 13 TOPS
• Display: 2x 14-inch 2880×1800 OLED 120Hz
• Storage: 512GB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD
• Webcam: 1440p
• Connectivity: 3x Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C
• Networking: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
• Biometrics: Facial recognition
• Battery capability: 88 watt-hours
• Dimensions: 12.4 x 8.25 x 0.63 inches
• Weight: 2.69 kilos with out keyboard, 3.45 kilos with keyboard, 4.25 with all equipment included
• Operating System: Windows 11 Home
• Additional options: Bluetooth keyboard, mouse, and stylus
• Price: $2,079.99 MSRP

Despite the restricted RAM and storage, the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i’s $2,079.99 MSRP appears like a great worth. After all, this laptop computer has two OLED shows and ships with a Bluetooth keyboard, mouse, and stylus. That’s lots of further package most laptops don’t present.

Interestingly, Lenovo’s web site at present lists a Yoga Book 9i with 32GB of reminiscence and a 1TB of storage for $2,099.99. You learn that proper: you possibly can double the RAM and storage for $20. The catch is you could’t change or improve this variant however, for the overwhelming majority of consumers, it’s an apparent improve.

Lenovo Yoga Book 9i: Design and construct high quality

IDG / Matthew Smith

The Lenovo Yoga Book 9i is a smooth, futuristic piece of package. It’s principally two skinny slabs of glass linked by a broad, blue-chrome hinge which additionally accommodates the 2-in-1’s sound bar. While the highest and backside of the system are completed in a matte blue, the sides are gloss, which provides a contact of luxurious.

It’s price mentioning that the brand new Yoga Book 9i is barely totally different from its predecessors, although you wouldn’t comprehend it at a look (or perhaps a lengthy, shut look). The prior mannequin’s 13.3-inch OLED shows have grown to 14 inches.

That means the laptop computer is barely wider and deeper than earlier than, too, although no thicker at 0.63 inches in profile. The weight formally is available in at simply 2.69 kilos, however that doesn’t embody the equipment. If you bundle within the keyboard, carrying case, and pen, the full weight will increase to 3.55 kilos. That’s heavy for a 2-in-1 with a 14-inch show, although maybe anticipated on condition that the Yoga Book 9i has two of them.

Build high quality is top-notch. The Yoga Book 9i’s chassis is among the many most inflexible within the Windows area. While the higher show will flex if purposely twisted, it doesn’t noticeably flex when in regular use. The decrease chassis, in the meantime, appears chiseled from stable stone. I put it beneath as a lot stress as I felt comfy with and noticed completely zero motion throughout the system’s decrease half.

That’s to not say it’s extra sturdy than different 2-in-1s. There are sure dangers to a dual-display laptop computer, and an elevated potential for show injury is one in every of them. Still, Lenovo has accomplished as a lot as it will possibly to take away that concern. The result’s a 2-in-1 that feels luxurious.

Lenovo Yoga Book 9i: Keyboard, trackpad, mouse, and stylus

IDG / Matthew Smith

Lenovo markets the brand new Yoga Book 9i as a “portable creative studio.” What does that imply? Well, it’s advanced. The dual-display 2-in-1, removable keyboard, kickstand, mouse, and pen work collectively to supply many versatile modes.

Let’s begin with good old school clamshell laptop computer use.

In this mode, you will have the selection between utilizing the bundled removable keyboard or not. If used, the keyboard sits on high of the decrease show and a digital touchpad may be summoned on the show’s floor (alternatively, you possibly can simply use the higher touchscreen). Magnets are used to forestall the keyboard from sliding round whereas typing.

The keyboard is sweet however, because it sits on high of the decrease show, the keys are raised noticeably above the digital touchpad floor, which feels awkward. It was advantageous for lengthy typing periods however extra awkward once I needed to incessantly use the touchpad, because the digital touchpad offers no tactile sensation when my fingers are inside (or outdoors) its boundaries.

Alternatively, you possibly can ditch the bodily keyboard and use a digital keyboard on the decrease touchscreen. It’s summoned with an eight-finger faucet, and the keyboard seems the place you contact, permitting slight adjustment ahead, backward, left, or proper. That helps for locating a snug place. Still, the shortage of tactile suggestions makes for a flat, wood expertise, and I had issue typing at excessive pace with accuracy. Perhaps a couple of weeks or months with the system would finally construct my muscle reminiscence, but it surely nonetheless felt powerful after a stable week of use.

The Yoga Book 9i will get much more inventive once you transfer past clamshell use and into the distinctive modes solely 2-in-1s can provide. It can be utilized as:

• A transportable desktop all-in-one. The keyboard carrying case turns into a stand for the twin shows, which may sit flat side-by-side. The bundled Bluetooth keyboard and mouse can be utilized simply as if the 2-in-1 was a desktop pc.
• Stacked mode. The similar as above, however with the shows positioned one above the opposite (vertically) as a substitute of side-by-side.
• A pill. Fold over the shows and one floor turns into usable as a 14-inch Windows pill. A stylus is included.
• A desktop drawing and writing pill. Fold the system flat on a tabletop floor with each shows going through up. Stylus and contact enter can be utilized to attract, and to navigate Windows.
• Tent mode. Fold the higher show again to behave as a kickstand for the decrease show, which stays usable. This is nice for watching YouTube, Netflix, and different streaming content material.

The shock is that almost all of those modes work effectively. Tablet mode is the one one which stumbles, and for causes frequent to most Windows 2-in-1s; the Yoga Book 9i is just too massive and too heavy to make use of as a pill for various minutes.

I discovered the transportable all-in-one modes significantly convincing. You can submit up wherever you will have entry to a flat floor and use the Yoga Book 9i like a desktop pc. The twin 14-inch shows even present a show area that comes near a 24-inch desktop monitor although, after all, with a cut up between them.

The actual query, after all, is whether or not you’ll reap the benefits of that.

The Yoga Book 9i’s design isn’t nice in case you simply need a laptop computer to make use of like a laptop computer. The typing expertise is much less gratifying, the digital touchpad is annoying, and it’s cumbersome to pack each the laptop computer and the removable keyboard. But in case you’re a enterprise traveler, scholar, or in any other case must do lots of work whereas additionally away out of your everlasting desk setup, the Yoga Book 9i has benefits. It’s a transportable desktop in a laptop computer type issue.

It’s vital to notice, too, that the Yoga Book 9i’s design marks it as totally different from the Asus ZenBook Duo (and vice versa). While each are dual-screen laptops, the ZenBook Duo has a Bluetooth keyboard with built-in touchpad that totally covers the underside show in laptop computer mode. As a consequence, the ZenBook Duo feels far more like a standard laptop computer. The ZenBook doesn’t ship with a mouse, although, and the bigger Bluetooth keyboard with built-in touchpad can really feel a bit awkward once you set it to make use of like an all-in-one.

Lenovo Yoga Book 9i: Display, audio

IDG / Matthew Smith

Lenovo’s dual-screen design means the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i options two beautiful OLED shows. Each offers a decision of 2880×1800 for an all-in decision of 2880×3600. Combined, the twin 14-inch OLED shows present rather less than 180 sq. inches of show area, which is simply barely lower than a 21.5-inch 16:9 monitor.

The OLED shows present all the advantages typical of the breed. They have a large shade gamut, unsurpassed distinction, and glorious sharpness. Movies, video games, and photographs look splendidly vibrant and detailed. The shows additionally present a most refresh price of 120Hz, so movement readability is great. Fast-paced video games look crisp and scrolling textual content is less complicated to learn than on a 60Hz different.

It’s not all excellent news. Like most OLED panels—and significantly touchscreens—the Yoga’s shows have a shiny, mirror-like end that readily displays your environment. Even modest ambient lighting will trigger noticeable and distinct reflections. The panel brightness is spectacular with a most round 465 nits, however that’s nonetheless not sufficient for comfy use outdoor or reverse a shiny sunlit window.

Audio efficiency is a perk the newest Yoga Book 9i carries over from its predecessors. The audio system are nestled within the hinge, which acts as a soundbar and delivers sturdy, clear, gratifying, and direct sound. This design additionally has the advantage of making the audio helpful in many of the Yoga Book 9i’s many modes, because the speaker stays pointed on the consumer in most conditions. Tablet mode is the exception, as your palms are more likely to partially hinder the speaker.

Compared to the options, the Yoga Book 9i’s audio is among the many greatest in its class. While it’s been a couple of months since I final heard the MacBook Pro 14’s glorious audio system, my reminiscence suggests the Yoga Book 9i can match it.

Lenovo Yoga Book 9i: Webcam, microphone, biometrics

A digicam hump above the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i’s high show offers room for a 1440p webcam and dual-array microphone. Both are stable. The webcam is sharp, detailed, and offers good shade saturation, whereas the microphone picked up my voice clearly even once I spoke softly. You gained’t discover a bodily privateness shutter, however Lenovo offers an digital privateness change which, unusually, is on their lonesome on the laptop computer’s ahead proper flank.

Biometric login is on the market by way of Windows Hello facial recognition. It works effectively, although no higher or worse than with the tons of of different Windows laptops that supply the function. A fingerprint reader will not be out there.

Lenovo Yoga Book 9i: Connectivity

The Lenovo Yoga Book 9i goes all-in on trendy connectivity. It has simply three bodily ports, all of that are Thunderbolt / USB-C ports that help 40Gbps of knowledge, DisplayPort, and Power Delivery. All the ports can cost the laptop computer or connect with an exterior show.

With that stated, the shortage of USB-A, HDMI, Ethernet, or perhaps a 3.5mm audio jack presents apparent limitations. You’ll want an adapter or dock to attach a wired keyboard and mouse, use an older monitor, and even to make use of wired headphones. Whether that works for you’ll depend upon the peripherals you utilize day-to-day, however I believe most individuals will nonetheless have no less than one system that requires one in every of these ports.

At least Lenovo doesn’t skimp on wi-fi connectivity. The laptop computer helps Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, the newest model of every wi-fi customary. Remember, too, that the Yoga Book 9i ships with a Bluetooth keyboard, mouse, and stylus within the field. While the shortage of USB-A is a bummer, it helps that the 2-in-1 ships with every part it’s worthwhile to kind, level, and draw wirelessly.

Lenovo Yoga Book 9i: Performance

The newest Lenovo Yoga Book 9i (Gen 10, for these counting) is on the market with only one processor: the Intel Core Ultra 7 255H. And it’s price your consideration.

It’d be straightforward to confuse the Core Ultra 7 255H with one thing just like the Core Ultra 7 256V. After all, they’ve very related names; the 256V would possibly even appear extra premium. Yet the other is true. The 255H has extra cores than the 256V (16 vs. eight), and extra of these cores are efficiency cores (six vs 4). The 255H additionally has the next Turbo clock pace, twice as a lot cache, and is rated to make use of considerably extra energy.

IDG / Matthew Smith

Our first benchmark is PCMark 10, a holistic system benchmark. Here the Yoga Book 9i scores a good 7,520. That’s a mid-pack consequence among the many rivals chosen, however they’re quite stiff competitors—the HP OmniBook Ultra 14 particularly ranks among the many strongest 14-inch Windows laptops with out discrete graphics. The Yoga Book 9i additionally scored a small win over the Asus ZenBook Duo, regardless of the Asus having a chip that ranks greater in Intel’s line-up.

IDG / Matthew Smith

The Lenovo Yoga Book 9i really blazed away in Handbrake, the place it transcoded a function size movie in slightly below 14 minutes. As the graph reveals, that is an exceptionally fast consequence on this take a look at, and it’s the one benchmark the place the Yoga Book 9i takes an edge even over the HP OmniBook Ultra 14.

IDG / Matthew Smith

Cinebench R23, a closely multi-threaded CPU benchmark, speaks favorably of the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i. It reaches a rating of 14,836 which, because the graph reveals, is defeated solely by the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 within the HP OmniBook Ultra 14. The Yoga Book 9i notches one other win over the Asus ZenBook Duo, as effectively.

IDG / Matthew Smith

Clearly, the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i performs effectively in CPU exams. But what about GPU benchmarks?

The Yoga Book 9i does effectively right here, too, although it doesn’t stand out from the pack. Intel’s 140V is a robust built-in graphics choice that may usually go toe-to-toe with AMD’s Radeon 890M in related laptops and 2-in-1s, and the Book 9i is not any exception. The Yoga Book 9i posted scores that have been a hair behind another Intel-powered laptops PC World not too long ago examined, however the variations are quite small.

In any case, the Yoga Book 9i may be anticipated to play many video games from the prior console era at 1080p and medium to excessive element, with a framerate of 30 to 60 FPS. Older and fewer demanding video games—whether or not it’s an indie action-RPG like Grim Dawn or the best-selling traditional Minecraft (with out ray-traced eye sweet on)—can exceed 60 FPS.

The Yoga Book 9i is an especially sturdy performer total. While the HP OmniBook Ultra 14 with AMD Ryzen AI 9 395HX was faster in multi-threaded CPU efficiency, the Yoga Book 9i in any other case scored victories in lots of exams. Notably, it matched or beat the Asus ZenBook Duo. The ZenBook Duo is inexpensive with an as-tested MSRP of $1,699, however ships with an Intel Core Ultra 9 285H. That proves, as soon as once more, {that a} system’s spec sheet can’t inform the complete story about its efficiency.

Lenovo Yoga Book 9i: Battery life and portability

There’s so much to love in regards to the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i. It’s versatile, engaging, and performs effectively in benchmarks. However, the laptop computer has one main weak point. Battery life.

IDG / Matthew Smith

I measured simply seven hours and 9 minutes in PC World’s customary battery take a look at, which loops a 4K trailer of the quick movie Tears of Steel. This take a look at was performed in laptop computer mode, although my testing means that the mode used doesn’t have an effect on battery life.

This consequence each did—and didn’t—shock me.

Lenovo ships the Yoga Book 9i with an 88-watt-hour battery, which is very large for a 14-inch Windows 2-in-1. That alone would appear to counsel glorious endurance.

However, that battery should help two screens, each of that are OLED (typically, OLED tends to be extra power-hungry than LCD-IPS). And the Intel Core Ultra 7 255H is a beefy Intel chip. While that bodes effectively for the Yoga Book 9i’s efficiency, it additionally means greater energy consumption.

It’s price point out that the brand new Yoga Book 9i doesn’t final so long as previous fashions. The version I tested in 2023 endured the PC World battery take a look at for 10 hours and 23 minutes. On the flip aspect, although, the brand new Yoga Book 9i is way faster than that predecessor, delivering 50 % to over 100 % higher efficiency in benchmarks. The older mannequin may be price a glance in case you choose battery life, however the brand new mannequin takes an enormous lead in efficiency.

The Asus ZenBook Duo additionally deserves point out, because it’s additionally a dual-screen laptop computer, and lasted a bit longer on battery in dual-screen mode. On high of that, the Duo can last as long as 15 hours and 40 minutes in laptop computer mode, as solely a single display screen is utilized in that mode.

That’s doable as a result of the Duo’s Bluetooth keyboard features a touchpad and totally covers the decrease show in laptop computer mode, permitting Asus to disable the decrease show in that mode. Lenovo’s reliance on a digital touchpad in laptop computer mode means the decrease show stays on in laptop computer mode, which negatively impacts battery life. It’s technically doable to make use of Windows’ settings to power the Yoga Book 9i’s decrease show off when in laptop computer mode, which presumably may improve battery life. However, doing this implies the laptop computer lacks a touchpad, which is hardly excellent. 

Lenovo Yoga Book 9i: Conclusion

The Lenovo Yoga Book 9i is a laptop computer that’s additionally a 2-in-1, and an all-in-one, additionally a pill. It ships with not solely the laptop computer itself but in addition with a Bluetooth keyboard, mouse, and stylus. This versatility makes it a novel providing, and whereas the Yoga Book 9i’s $2,079.99 MSRP is hardly cheap, it appears like good worth contemplating every part the Yoga Book 9i delivers.

Yet the Yoga Book 9i isn’t with out compromise. Lenovo’s resolution to make use of a Bluetooth keyboard that lacks a touchpad—as a substitute of a keyboard and touchpad mixture, as discovered with the Asus ZenBook Duo—is consequential. It’s arguably higher when utilizing the Yoga Book 9i as an all-in-one, however inarguably worse when utilizing the Yoga Book 9i as a laptop computer. The Yoga Book 9i additionally struggles with disappointing battery life that reduces its portability.

The Yoga Book 9i is price shopping for, however just for a really particular and distinctive shopper. It’s distinctive in offering an important transportable all-in-one expertise alongside a good, although compromised laptop computer mode. That makes it a good selection in case you typically transfer between places of work or desks and may submit up with a connection to an influence outlet. But in case you largely wish to use your system as a laptop computer, and can solely sometimes use the all-in-one mode, the Asus ZenBook Duo is the higher alternative.