Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 8 review: A stunning 2-in-1 with a beautiful OLED display

Price When Reviewed

$1,700.00

Best Prices Today: Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 8

Lenovo’s Yoga 9i, the corporate’s client laptop computer flagship, is usually unchanged for 2023 however receives a couple of notable upgrades together with Intel Core 13th-gen processors and an ordinary OLED show (which was an choice earlier than). These enhancements preserve tempo with the competitors, although additionally they result in a better price ticket.

Looking for extra 2-in-1 choices? Check out our roundup of the best 2-in-1 laptops obtainable at the moment.

Lenovo Yoga 9i: Specs and options

The Lenovo Yoga 9i is powered by Intel’s new Core i7-1360P processor accompanied by 16GB of LPDDR5 reminiscence and Intel Iris Xe graphics. This is without doubt one of the first Intel Core i7-1360P laptops to reach for overview, so I’m desirous to see the way it performs.

• CPU: Intel Core i7-1360P
• Memory: 16GB LPDDR5
• Graphics/GPU: Intel Iris Xe (96 EUs)
• Display: 2880×1880 OLED 16:10 90Hz
• Storage: 512GB PCIe Gen4 SSD
• Webcam: 1080 with IR 
• Connectivity: 2x Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C 3.2 with DisplayPort Alternate Mode and Power Delivery, 1x USB-C 3.2 with DisplayPort Alternate Mode and Power Delivery, 1x 3.5mm audio 
• Networking: WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.1
• Biometrics: Windows Hello Facial Recognition, Fingerprint Reader
• Battery capability: 75 watt-hours
• Dimensions: 12.52 inches x 9.06 inches x 0.6 inches
• Weight: 3.09 kilos
• MSRP: $1,700

Lenovo additionally improves the bottom show to a 2880×1880 OLED, which was an non-compulsory improve on the prior mannequin. A 3840×2400 OLED is accessible as an improve. That’s good to see, however making the OLED show customary will increase the bottom MSRP: the earlier mannequin was obtainable beginning at simply $1,230.

Lenovo Yoga 9i: Design and construct high quality

IDG / Matthew Smith

I had excessive reward for 2022’s Lenovo Yoga 9i, which I known as “the pinnacle of design,” and this extends to the practically an identical 2023 mannequin. Lenovo’s specs recommend the brand new Yoga 9i is barely thinner and smaller than its predecessor, in addition to a tad heavier, however I couldn’t discover a distinction. 

What I did discover is the 2-in-1’s glossy, svelte, and fashionable exterior. The Yoga 9i pairs a sexy silver exterior with a chrome end that traces the perimeters of the system. This gives a contact of sophistication and luxurious, but doesn’t look gaudy. Lenovo’s design selections are sensible, too, with curved surfaces and edges that show nice to deal with. 

The Yoga 9i is a 2-in-1 with 360-degree hinge, which suggests the laptop computer’s show can fold again till it converts right into a pill. Lenovo opts for a sturdy, clean hinge that extends practically your entire width of the show. It’s straightforward to maneuver into pill mode and also can assist the laptop computer in “tent” mode, which makes use of the keyboard as a kickstand. 

The system is simply too heavy to make use of as a real iPad different (it’s roughly thrice heavier than the bottom iPad), but it surely’s an appropriate substitute briefly bursts. It helps that Lenovo bundles an energetic stylus, giving each proprietor entry to Windows’ surprisingly good handwriting recognition. 

Lenovo Yoga 9i: Keyboard, trackpad, pen

IDG / Matthew Smith

The Yoga 9i has a superb set of keys with good key journey, taut key motion, and refined however noticeable tactile suggestions as keys attain their activation level. The format is spacious, too, because the keys span practically your entire width of the keyboard. Lenovo places the additional house to work with a further row of perform keys, which features a fingerprint reader, on the keyboard’s proper flank.

The touchpad is excellent. It measures about 5 inches extensive and three inches deep. That’s large for a 14-inch Windows laptop computer and equal to Apple’s MacBook Pro 14. The touchpad’s floor is clean, responsive, and gives loads of room for utilizing Windows’ glorious multi-touch gestures. It’s positively among the many greatest touchpads at present obtainable on a 14-inch laptop computer.

Lenovo bundles the Yoga 9i with an energetic stylus that helps 4,096 ranges of stress sensitivity, tilt detection, and the WGP, AES 2.0, and MPP 2.0 protocols. It additionally has a built-in rechargeable battery. The pen felt nice when writing notes and appeared acceptable for digital artwork and illustration (although my creative expertise are missing). The Yoga 9i doesn’t embody a spot to retailer the pen, nevertheless, so it might show straightforward to lose. A alternative will set you again $59.99.

Lenovo Yoga 9i: Display, audio

IDG / Matthew Smith

The 2023 Yoga 9i upgrades the bottom show choice from a 1920 x 1200 IPS LCD touchscreen to a 2800 x 1800 OLED show. This is the show that arrived in my overview unit. Lenovo additionally presents a 3840×2400 OLED for simply $100.

Image high quality is great. The OLED display screen gives superb distinction, very good luminance uniformity, and vivid coloration throughout a variety of content material. Everyone will take pleasure in its efficiency when streaming exhibits, enjoying video games, or watching motion pictures. Content creators will respect the show’s extensive coloration gamut, which spans 99 % of DCI-P3, and exact coloration accuracy. 

Sharpness is nice, too, with a pixel density of 323 pixels per inch. Fine textual content appears to be like crisp and refined with no signal of pixelation. The non-compulsory 3840×2400 OLED’s meager price ticket makes it a tempting improve for content material creators who wish to view and edit 4K content material at native decision.

The show has a 16:10 side ratio, which is a bit taller than a 16:9 widescreen. This gives extra vertical show house and makes multitasking simpler. Snapping paperwork to every fringe of the show gives a usable view of every. Nearly all laptops and 2-in-1s within the Yoga 9i’s value bracket have moved to a 16:10 side ratio, so this isn’t a bonus over the competitors—but it surely stays a perk.

HDR is supported and works fairly properly, however the Yoga 9i’s OLED display screen maxes out round 410 nits fullscreen. That’s not sufficient to disclose the total vary of luminance element that HDR can present. It’s a good expertise, although, and I’d typically advocate utilizing HDR when it’s obtainable from streaming exhibits, motion pictures, and video games (although not on the Windows desktop). The Yoga 9’s brightness may also be a problem when touring. 410 nits isn’t dangerous, however the OLED show is extremely reflective and a shiny gentle supply can overpower its luminance. 

Interestingly, the 2880×1800 OLED show has a 90Hz refresh charge, which is faster than most OLED laptops (the non-compulsory 3840×2400 OLED is simply 60Hz). This presents a smoother expertise even on the Windows desktop, the place scrolling by way of net pages and shifting home windows feels a tad extra responsive. It’s a minor distinction, however I discovered it noticeable. 

IDG / Matthew Smith

Lenovo delivers a top-notch audio expertise with a miniature soundbar constructed into the hinge. It packs a pair of two-watt tweets and a pair of three-watt woofers. The result’s loud, voluminous sound with physique and heft usually unavailable from a laptop computer. It’s so loud, actually, that utilizing it at most quantity can develop into a bit odd—you’ll really feel the bass pumping by way of your palms! It’s simply the perfect audio I’ve ever heard from a 13-inch to 15-inch class laptop computer.

Lenovo Yoga 9i: Webcam, microphone, biometrics

The Yoga 9i has a strong 1080p webcam. Video high quality is nice with crisp presentation and engaging coloration. Exposure stays a problem, as any blended lighting will confuse the digicam, and the picture can nonetheless seem grainy in low gentle. Lenovo presents a built-in background blurring utility that may be turned on with a keyboard shortcut. It’s a useful solution to rapidly blur your background in video calls. 

Lenovo additionally delivers on microphone high quality with an important dual-microphone array. It gives loads of quantity and crisp dialogue. Repetitive background noises are properly subdued, as properly, permitting solely the loudest and most irregular noise by way of. The microphone high quality is nice for a laptop computer and higher than most standalone webcams beneath $100.

Biometric login is accessible by way of each Windows Hello and a fingerprint reader on the fitting facet of the keyboard. Windows Hello is faster and dependable in most conditions, however each biometric login strategies work properly. 

Lenovo Yoga 9i: Connectivity

The Lenovo Yoga 9i goes all-in on forward-thinking connectivity. It has three USB-C ports, all of which assist Power Delivery and DisplayPort Alternate Mode. The two USB-C ports on the left facet additionally assist Thunderbolt 4. These are joined by a single USB-A port and a 3.5mm combo audio jack.

Leaning closely on USB-C has its issues. Those hoping to hook up with older USB-A units, or to an HDMI system (like a TV or projector) might want to purchase an adapter or, extra possible, a USB-C hub or dock. 

On the plus facet, all three USB-C ports can energy the laptop computer, and all three can deal with DisplayPort Alternate Mode. This is one of the simplest ways to strategy USB-C. Users shouldn’t have to fret about whether or not they’re utilizing the right USB-C port.

Lenovo gives nice wi-fi connectivity with assist for Bluetooth 5.1 and Wi-Fi 6E, the most recent Wi-Fi customary. Most houses don’t but have a Wi-Fi 6E router, however those who do ought to expertise glorious Wi-Fi efficiency. Wi-Fi 6 efficiency can be wholesome, with good connectivity and the flexibility to achieve gigabit speeds when utilized in shut proximity to a router.

Lenovo Yoga 9i: Performance

All present Lenovo Yoga 9i variants include Intel’s Core i7-1360P processor, a 12-core CPU with 4 efficiency cores and eight environment friendly cores. My overview unit paired that with 16GB of RAM, a 512GB PCIe Gen4 strong state drive, and Intel Iris Xe graphics. This is a typical setup for a high-end Windows 2-in-1 and it delivered robust but unsurprising outcomes. 

IDG / Matthew Smith

PCMark 10, a full-system benchmark that leans closely on CPU efficiency, reported a really robust rating of 6194. That’s the perfect rating of all of the laptops included for comparability, although the HP Dragonfly Pro comes moderately shut. This end result exhibits the Core i7-1360P is an effective selection for common use, and that the Yoga 9’s RAM and SSD selections don’t let the laptop computer down.

IDG / Matthew Smith

Next up is Cinebench R15, a closely multithreaded benchmark that scales properly as extra cores are added. The Yoga 9i does properly however doesn’t excel. 

The HP Dragonfly Pro, powered by AMD’s Ryzen 7 7736U, scores a assured win over each the Yoga 9i and Samsung Galaxy Book3, each of that are Intel Core i7-1360P laptops. The Ryzen 7 7736U has fewer cores however doesn’t use much less succesful “efficient” cores.

Asus’ Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED, powered by an Intel Core i7-12700H, accelerates previous the pack. This is to be anticipated, because the Core i7-12700H has two further “performance” cores (six efficiency and eight environment friendly cores). It additionally attracts extra energy.

IDG / Matthew Smith

The Handbrake video encoding check tells an identical story. The HP Dragonfly Pro and Asus Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED retain a bonus over Yoga 9i, however by a a lot smaller margin. The Yoga 9i’s end result stays robust, although, as evidenced by the far slower Microsoft Surface Laptop 5.

IDG / Matthew Smith

3D graphics efficiency is a weak point. The Yoga 9i scored simply 1,917 in 3DMark Time Spy. That’s about equal to the Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro 360, which additionally has an Intel Core i7-1360P processor with Intel Iris Xe graphics. The HP Dragonfly Pro squeezes out a victory, nevertheless, due to its Radeon 680M built-in graphics. Asus’ Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED with Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti discrete graphics is in one other league fully. 

I additionally tried the Lenovo Yoga 9i in Shadow of the Tomb Raider at 1080p decision and Highest element settings. The sport ran at an unplayable 19 frames per second. To be truthful, Highest is a demanding setting, and the sport turns into playable at Medium element. The Yoga 9i additionally scored 4,655 within the Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker benchmark. That signifies playable efficiency (roughly 30 FPS, although this sport varies considerably relying on the scene), however solely at 1080p and medium to low settings. 

The Lenovo Yoga 9i’s general efficiency is typical for a premium Windows 2-in-1 with a 14-inch show. Better efficiency will be discovered from laptops of this measurement, just like the Asus Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED, however laptops that thump the Yoga 9i are typically bigger, heavier, and don’t final as lengthy on a cost. 

The HP Dragonfly Pro ought to give Intel cause to fret, although. This AMD-powered different beat the Yoga 9i in a number of benchmarks, but it’s much like the Yoga 9i in measurement and weight. AMD’s Ryzen 7000 sequence might show a critical risk to Intel’s 13th-gen Core.

Lenovo Yoga 9i: Battery life

The Lenovo Yoga 9i has a 75 watt-hour battery which powered the laptop computer for 10 hours and 39 minutes in our customary battery check, which loops a 4K file of the quick movie Tears of Steel. This is a decent end result for a 2-in-1 laptop computer. It can deal with a full day of sunshine to reasonable use (like writing in Microsoft Word or looking the net).

IDG / Matthew Smith

The Yoga 9i’s battery life is in step with the alternate options. It’s outperformed by the Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360, which has a bigger display screen, however squeezes out a win towards the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5. The Yoga 9i additionally defeats the Asus Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED.  

Lenovo Yoga 9i: Should you purchase it?

The Lenovo Yoga 9i maintains its place as a top-tier 2-in-1 laptop computer. It boasts glossy design, glorious OLED show, and top-notch audio. The Yoga 9i additionally gives strong efficiency respectable battery life for its class. 

Available beginning at $1,700, the Yoga 9i is considerably costly however delivers good worth for cash. Lenovo even bundles a laptop computer sleeve and energetic stylus. Anyone on the lookout for a Windows 2-in-1 in 2023 ought to place the most recent Yoga 9i on the high of their record.