I have always had this idea of a luxury notebook that holds its value in the same way as such objects. I even drew a few sketches of the notebook I thought fits into this mould of an ultimate luxury device. The new Lenovo Yoga 9i comes closer to what I imagined, a 2-in-1 that emphasises both looks and functionality. I have a soft corner for convertible laptops, but I wanted to review the Yoga 9i from the perspective of someone just using it as their main home and travel computer. Here’s what I found after using the notebook for well over a week.
Lenovo Yoga 9i review price in India (as reviewed): Rs 174,990
How is the design of the Lenovo Yoga 9i?
The first thing you will notice about the Yoga 9i is the eye-catching exterior. The vibe is cool, edgy, and fun. The design is more on the classic side and less flamboyant. I know this is subjective, but it is difficult not to appreciate its visual appeal because this notebook is a truly striking piece. Seeing the Yoga 9i in pictures might not do justice to how beautiful and captivating the full-body aluminium notebook in oatmeal colour looks and feels.
The corners and edges are round, which reminded me of the iPhone 14 Pro Max. This is a departure from previous-generation Lenovo laptops which had sharp and flat edges on all sides. The light form factor of the Yoga 9i, makes it easy to carry around the house and use anywhere. This is a very well-made notebook, with no flex on the screen or keyboard. The hinge is sturdy and easy to open and close, with no screen wobble. Surprisingly, the surface of the notebook is not prone to fingerprints.
Where I think the Yoga 9i is better off than the MacBook Air and Dell XPS 13 is in the port situation. You get two Thunderbolt 4 ports, one USB-C, one USB-A, and a headphone jack. It’s refreshing to see a USB-A port on an ultrabook after a long time, but those wanting an HDMI or SD slot may be disappointed.
The speakers are housed inside the hinge, giving an impression of a soundbar and they rotate as well. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
I also liked the stylus that Lenovo is bundling with the Yoga 9i. The Precision Pen 2 is no Apple Pencil 2 competitor but it does work fine for taking notes and is much easier to hold. Although I find styluses work better with tablets, there are times when you want to do sketching or note-taking on a notebook. I remember I had used a stylus a long time back for taking notes on my laptop when I forgot to carry my iPad during an event. I wish the Yoga 9i had a mechanism to easily carry with the stylus. Instead, Lenovo packs in a dedicated storage space for the stylus as part of the laptop case.
How good is the display and audio on the Lenovo Yoga 9i?
For me, the standout feature of the Yoga 9i has to be the screen. It’s an OLED panel with 3840 x 2400p resolution with touch support. Lenovo has managed to squeeze a 14-inch, 16:10 display into a small frame, much like a modern-day all-screen smartphone. In my profession, the importance of display is paramount. You have to keep a tab on the content being uploaded to the site. The right text size and colour accuracy in photos do matter to me. The version I tested had the 4K touchscreen option, which is crisper and super bright and even supports HDR video, including Dolby Vision but consumes more power and battery (more on that later). That being said, the Yoga 9i’s screen offers a great picture, with excellent contrast and colours that pop up.
Another feature I really appreciate about the Yoga 9i is the built-in Bowers & Wilkins speakers. The speakers are housed inside the hinge, giving an impression of a soundbar and they rotate as well. In fact, there are two woofers on the side and two tweeters in the hinge. I haven’t seen this type of speaker implementation on any other laptop. When I’m not using my JBL noise-cancelling headphones, the laptop speakers are perfectly fine for watching TV shows and movies. The speakers are so good that I don’t even bother reaching for my headphones when listening to Buddha chants before sleeping.
I liked the improved 1080p webcam which captures video well, and the native background blur feature keeps me in focus during calls.
The OLED screen is simply gorgeous to look at. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
Are the keyboard and trackpad on the Lenovo Yoga 9i good?
The new edge-to-edge keyboard is great, too. Keys are well-spaced, quiet, and offer good feedback when you type on them. There’s also a row of function keys on the right side, which can be used for audio profiles, to blur the background on video calls, and toggle dark mode. The Yoga 9i has not one but two biometric systems including a fingerprint scanner for securely logging into Windows without a password. The large precision trackpad is responsive, with a tactile click.
How is the performance of the Lenovo Yoga 9i?
The 2023 version of the Yoga 9i ships (at least, the model Lenovo loaned me for review) with the latest 13th-generation Intel Core i7-1360P processor, 16GB of RAM, 1TB of SSD storage, and a 4K screen. This Core i7 is definitely faster than last year’s i7 but I don’t see a huge performance difference. I could still open multiple Chrome tabs in the background and edit photos with a breeze. To be honest, computing habits have changed a bit especially after the pandemic. I still primarily use my laptop for editing and writing stories, but I also do more fun stuff on my laptop like listening to podcasts, watching Netflix shows and testing various AI programmes. Without realising I am spending more time on my laptop, even though I am starting to travel again for my job.
Keys are well-spaced, quiet, and offer good feedback when you type on them. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
How long does the battery of the Lenovo Yoga 9i last?
In terms of battery life, the 9i lasted somewhere between 6 and a half hours and 7 and a half hours on a single charge with lots of web browsing and YouTube watching. This is definitely not on par with the MacBook Air M2 but I am now getting used to similar battery life across ultrabooks with Intel i7 – regardless of which generation it is. Though I have to mention that the Yoga 9i’s 4K screen has a lot to do with the notebook’s battery life.
Why does Lenovo Yoga 9i have so much bloatware?
One drawback to the Yoga 9i would be that of bloatware. I don’t see the need for a McAfee antivirus programme when the laptop has a built-in Windows native Defender Antivirus. It’s a shame to see bloatware on a premium 2-in-1 as expensive as the Yoga 9i.
Surprisingly, the surface of the notebook is not prone to fingerprints. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
Should you buy the new Lenovo Yoga 9i?
Is the Yoga 9i worth it? If money is not an object, I would definitely say yes. The notebook is designed to stun, like a designer bag. At the same time, the Yoga 9i is very practical – both in terms of form factor and performance. The combination of a premium portable notebook that’s also easy to use, has a friendlier design and offers an exceptional OLED screen and speakers mean that the Yoga 9i is not confined by traditional norms often used by PC makers to market a convertible laptop. The main aspect of the 9i (which also distinguishes it from Lenovo’s other laptops) is its overall friendlier vibe which makes it unique and exciting in its own right.
