Lenovo Yoga Book 9i review: The right kind of weird

Price When Reviewed

$1,999.99

Best Prices Today: Lenovo Yoga Book 9i

Lenovo has a historical past of experimental dual-screen laptops. The ThinkPad X1 Fold gives a versatile, folding OLED show, the ThinkBook Plus Twist has an additional e-ink display, and the traditional ThinkPad W700ds had a slide-out second show. The Yoga Book 9i builds on these concepts to ship a flexible, useful 2-in-1 that packs most show actual property right into a 13.3-inch chassis.

Looking for extra choices? If so, take a look at PCWorld’s roundup of the best 2-in-1 laptops accessible proper now.

Lenovo Yoga Book 9i: Specs and options 

The Yoga Book 9i’s key specification is the show or, relatively, shows. It has a pair of 13.3-inch OLED touchscreens, one for every half of the laptop computer. The higher show capabilities as would usually be anticipated, however the decrease show can be utilized both as a secondary monitor or an enter system. 

• CPU: Intel Core i7-1355U
• Memory: 16GB LPDDR5
• Graphics/GPU: Intel Iris Xe
• Display: 2x 13.3-inch 2,880 x 1,800 OLED touchscreen
• Storage: 1TB PCIe Gen4 SSD
• Webcam: 1440p 
• Connectivity:  3x Thunderbolt 4/USB-C
• Networking: WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.1
• Biometrics: IR Camera for Windows Hello facial recognition 
• Battery capability: 80 watt-hours
• Dimensions:11.84 x 8 x .63 inches
• Weight: 3.51 kilos
• MSRP: $1,999.99

The 2-in-1’s inside {hardware} is mundane, nevertheless, with an Intel Core i7 processor, Intel built-in graphics, and 16GB of RAM. Its modest efficiency can appear unappealing given Lenovo’s costly $1,999.99 MSRP. Make no mistake: this 2-in-1 is all in regards to the shows. 

Lenovo Yoga Book 9i: Design and construct high quality

IDG / Matthew Smith

The Lenovo Yoga Book 9i’s exterior is just like Lenovo’s Yoga 9i apart from the blue colorway, which is a refreshing change from the standard grey or silver. Lenovo delivers a premium look with expanses of brushed aluminum that soften into chrome curves alongside the perimeter of the chassis. The curves provide distinctive aptitude and make the 2-in-1 extra snug to carry. 

Once you open the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i, nevertheless, issues get a bit bizarre. It has twin shows that cowl each the highest and backside halves of the 2-in-1. Both assist contact, and each are shiny,  so the 2-in-1 is a critical fingerprint magnet. However, this design gives some perks when utilizing the system as a 2-in-1.

There’s a ton of flexibility in how the system is held and used. The Yoga Book 9i’s backside half can fold 360 levels to be used as an ordinary pill, or it may be held like a e-book with each shows in use directly. It can be utilized in tent mode, the place the underside half turns into a kickstand, or laid flat on a desk to change into a big touchscreen canvas. And, in fact, it may be used as a clamshell laptop computer.  

And then there’s Lenovo’s social gathering trick: the Yoga Book 9i’s stand. Otherwise used as a canopy for the removable keyboard and the stylus, it might fold right into a stand for the 2-in-1 itself. In this mode, the 2-in-1 could be held with each shows seen in both a vertical or horizontal place. The keyboard is then positioned beneath the screens. When used on this mode, the tiny Yoga Book 9i can present a bigger show floor than an 16-inch clamshell laptop computer. It’s a genuinely helpful possibility for vacationers who usually have many apps open directly. Just be warned: the kickstand is just steady on a flat floor like a desk or desk.

The Yoga Book 9i’s design is uncommon, to make certain, however it doesn’t really feel like a gimmick. Packing two touchscreens right into a 13-inch laptop computer makes for a compact but useful 2-in-1 very best for evaluating paperwork, analysis, or enhancing spreadsheets. The massive shows and included stylus ought to attraction to digital artists and makes for an outstanding digital pocket book.

Lenovo Yoga Book 9i: Keyboard, trackpad

IDG / Matthew Smith

That is to not say, nevertheless, that the system’s design is ideal. The keyboard and touchpad pay a value for the 2-in-1’s enticing twin show design.

A bundled wi-fi keyboard connects to the Yoga Book 9i by way of Bluetooth. When used as a laptop computer, the keyboard is positioned ready slightly below the first show, however it may also be used on a desk, hooked up magnetically to the kickstand, or shifted in the direction of the underside half of the laptop computer, which permits a portion of the decrease show.

The flexibility is appreciated however, when used as a standard clamshell laptop computer keyboard, the typing expertise proves  awkward. The keyboard is raised noticeably above the palm relaxation floor, leaving the consumer’s wrists to dangle. 

While the keyboard could be uncomfortable, the touchpad is downright annoying. A digital touchpad seems beneath the keyboard when it’s used as a laptop computer. It’s troublesome to know in case your fingertip is throughout the touchpad floor with out glancing, as there’s now tactile suggestions. I additionally observed that, in some circumstances, the cursor finally ends up hidden beneath the keyboard on the decrease show or in any other case appears unresponsive. I skilled frequent unintended mouse inputs, as properly. The right-click perform was sensitive and regularly opened choices menus I didn’t ask for. 

These issues are comprehensible given the laptops design, however vital to notice. Buyers who plan to make use of a 2-in-1 primarily as a standard clamshell laptop computer, and solely often as a dual-screen pill or canvas, will discover the keyboard and touchpad disappointing.

Lenovo Yoga Book 9i: Display, audio

IDG / Matthew Smith

The Lenovo Yoga Book 9i’s twin shows are mirror photographs of each other. Both measure 13.3 inches diagonally, assist contact enter, have a decision of 2880 x 1800, and use an OLED panel.

They additionally look wonderful in all conditions. OLED offers superior distinction with deep inky black ranges and superior shadow element. Color efficiency is nice, too, with a large shade gamut and stable shade accuracy. Color is introduced with a vivid, hyper-saturated look that ought to please most individuals. 

Sharpness is excellent with a pixel density of roughly 255 pixels per inch. That’s greater than an Apple MacBook Pro’s Retina show and near a 4K show on a bigger 16-inch laptop computer. The shows cram over 10.3 million pixels in complete, which is 2 million greater than the roughly 8.3 million pixels of a 4K show. 

My measurements discovered the laptop computer can barely exceed its promised 400 nits of brightness, which is greater than sufficient to be used in a house workplace. However, the shiny end of every show permits ample glare each time a shiny mild supply is close by. The shows are a top-tier fingerprint magnet, as properly, which might make the 2-in-1 look grody after only a day of use. Be positive to pack a microfiber material. 

Audio high quality is an surprising spotlight. The Yoga Book 9i, just like the Yoga 9i, has a robust Bowers & Wilkins sound system constructed into the show hinge. It offers loud, clear audio with shocking bass and a broad soundstage. The result’s a voluminous but crisp audio presentation that’s unusual amongst laptops, most of which sound crowded and tinny. The Yoga Book 9i is properly suited to music, motion pictures, and video games, and simply fills a house workplace with sound. 

Lenovo Yoga Book 9i: Webcam, microphone, biometrics

Lenovo gives one other shock win with the webcam. A bump-out within the prime of the show bezel offers room for a five-megapixel webcam that may report video at as much as 1440p decision and 30 frames per second. Video is sharp even in a room with solely modest lighting. The digicam picks up correct and well-saturated colours that may enable you look your greatest.

Audio is recorded by a noise-canceling microphone array. Audio comes by crisp and clear, however stays tinny, so I wouldn’t suggest it for podcasts or YouTube. If you simply want to leap on a video name, nevertheless, it’s greater than enough.

Biometric login is supported by the webcam by way of Windows Hello facial recognition and offers a fast, hands-free approach to entry the system. The 2-in-1 additionally gives “zero touch login” and “zero touch lock,” which use the digicam to detect when you find yourself current on the laptop. When on, these options robotically wake the 2-in-1 while you sit down in entrance of it and robotically lock it while you step away. They’re genuinely helpful, and relatively correct, however could be turned off if desired. 

Lenovo Yoga Book 9i: Connectivity

Physical connectivity is proscribed, because the Yoga Book 9i has simply three Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports. All of them can be utilized to cost the laptop computer, however the lack of USB-A ports or devoted video output means most house owners will want an adapter.

The system’s distinctive design also can trigger some frustration. For instance, utilizing the 2-in-1 in its vertical dual-display mode, with every show in portrait orientation, cuts off entry to no less than one of many Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports.

It’s clear Lenovo intends house owners to lean closely on wi-fi peripherals. Fortunately, the 2-in-1 helps the most recent Wi-Fi 6E commonplace in addition to Bluetooth 5.1. Wi-Fi connectivity was dependable in my time with the system and I had no points with Bluetooth connectivity.

Lenovo Yoga Book 9i: Performance

The Lenovo Yoga Book 9i just isn’t a big 2-in-1, and that has penalties for its efficiency. It packs Intel’s Core i7-1355U processor which has a complete of 10 cores and a most turbo enhance of 5GHz. It appears good on paper, however solely two of the cores are “performance” cores, whereas the remaining are considerably much less succesful “efficient” cores. Lenovo additionally makes do with Intel built-in graphics. 16GB of LPDDR5x reminiscence and a 1TB PCIe Gen4 solid-state drive spherical out the system’s specs.

IDG / Matthew Smith

PCMark 10 paints a disappointing image of the Yoga Book 9i’s efficiency with a mixed rating of 4,858. That is considerably decrease than most up-to-date laptops and even a hair behind the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5, which we final examined with an older Intel Core i7-1255U processor. 

IDG / Matthew Smith

The Yoga Book 9i’s modest efficiency continues in Cinebench R15, the place the 2-in-1 hits a multi-core rating of simply 1,211. This once more falls behind the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 and is considerably behind different 13 and 14-inch laptops such because the Lenovo Slim 7 Pro and HP Dragonfly Pro.

IDG / Matthew Smith

Handbrake offers the Yoga Book 9i a chance to attain a small win over the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5, however it stays behind most laptops of comparable measurement. Clearly, the Yoga Book 9i is tuned to focus extra on portability than efficiency.

IDG / Matthew Smith

3DMark Time Spy, a graphics take a look at, additionally delivers disappointing outcomes. The Yoga Book 9i as soon as once more finds itself behind its opponents, together with laptops that additionally use Intel Iris Xe graphics. The HP Dragonfly Pro, which offers built-in AMD graphics as a part of its AMD Ryzen 7 7736U, is roughly 50 p.c faster.

The Yoga Book 9i’s efficiency is enhanced when the laptop computer is ready to Extreme Performance mode. Its Cinebench R15 rating rises from 1,211 to 1,439, whereas 3DMark Time Spy improves from 1,681 to 1,289. Overall efficiency stays mediocre, nevertheless, and comes on the expense of added fan noise and toasty exterior temperatures. 

Lenovo’s Yoga Book 9i feels snappy in day-to-day use, however benchmarks make its limits clear. It’s not a tool for high-resolution content material creation, streaming, gaming, or different demanding duties. This isn’t a shock given its small measurement, however lackluster efficiency cuts in opposition to the 2-in-1’s worth. Most price-competitive Windows machines provide faster {hardware}.

Lenovo Yoga Book 9i: Battery life

The Yoga Book 9i’s twin display design locations a pressure on the battery, which should energy twice as many pixels as common. Lenovo offsets this with a large 80 watt-hour battery that delivers acceptable, if not excellent, endurance.

IDG / Matthew Smith

I recorded 10 hours and 23 minutes of runtime in our commonplace 4K video playback take a look at. This is similar to laptops and 2-in-1s of comparable measurement and value: the Lenovo Slim 7 Pro lasted over an hour extra, however the HP Dragonfly Pro lags by a half-hour. 

Lenovo’s use of Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C to cost the laptop computer, together with its modest {hardware}, makes it straightforward to cost on the go. Third-party GaN chargers that ship no less than 65 watts will cost the laptop computer with out subject. 

Lenovo Yoga Book 9i: Should you purchase it?

The Lenovo Yoga Book 9i is a profitable experiment in dual-screen PC design that raises the bar for its opponents. Its slim profile, 360-degree hinge, and enticing OLED screens are well-suited for contact enter or use with the included stylus. The wi-fi keyboard and digital touchpad are irritating, nevertheless, and might make the 2-in-1 irritating when used as a laptop computer. The $2,000 price ticket additionally ensures the Yoga Book 9i’s attraction will stay restricted. Still, when you’re a frequent flier who usually makes use of a transportable monitor, or a fan of utilizing a stylus, Lenovo’s Yoga Book 9i may very well be the proper of bizarre.