Chinese electronics maker Lenovo recently launched in India the new version of its Yoga 9i convertible laptop. It is among the first laptops in the country powered by 13th Gen Intel Core processor – Core i7-1360P. Besides the latest Intel processor, there is barely anything new in the Lenovo Yoga 9i 2023. That said, the laptop is a refresh and not a new addition in the company’s laptop line. Is the refresh model worth considering in 2023, or should Lenovo have done more to make it a wholesome upgrade? Let’s find out:
Design
The Lenovo Yoga 9i is a premium convertible laptop in the thin-and-lightweight category. Made of aluminium, the laptop is not the thinnest (15.25mm) and lightest (1.4kg) but on par with similar 14-inch laptops in its category. It is also not the most compact 14-inch laptop, but there is good reason to have a little bulk to keep thermals in check besides accommodating a well spaced-out keyboard and large trackpad.
The overall design of the laptop is minimal but not boring. The CNC milled aluminium top with Yoga engraving on the top-right side and Lenovo engraving on the down-left side oozes luxury. The laptop has matte finish, including on the keyboard, but the sides and hinge are treated with glossy finish to accentuate the overall design language. Speaking of hinge, it accommodates the speakers and tweeters and has holes on the front and back for the sound to find its way out.
Display and audio
The Lenovo Yoga 9i sports a 14-inch 4K OLED touchscreen stretched in 16:10 aspect ratio. The tall aspect ratio has extra vertical space for more content to appear on the screen, compared to the traditional 16:9 aspect ratio. The screen has 100 per cent DCI-P3 colour gamut, which essentially makes it fit for jobs that require colour accurate displays. Besides, the screen is DisplayHDR 500 certified and supports Dolby Vision high dynamic range format. The 100 per cent DCI-P3 colour coverage, DisplayHDR 500 certification, and support for Dolby Vision are pro-grade features aimed at creators and professionals. These also make for superior multimedia experience. Not to forget, it is a two-in-one laptop with a screen that goes all the way back. It essentially means you can use it as a tablet or in a tent mode as a standing display to watch multimedia content. On top, there is support for digital inking with the Lenovo Precision Pen that comes as standard accessory.
Elevating the experience is the audio performance. The laptop has dual stereo speakers of 3W each, paired with two 2W tweeters and two 3W woofers. The speakers and tweeters are part of the hinge, facing forward, and the woofers are placed on each side of the chassis for a wide soundstage. The complete set-up is powered by Dolby Atmos with sound by Bowers & Wilkins. These are carried forward from the last generation model, but there is no reason to complain here because the audio delivery is top-notch and among the best available in laptops.
Performance
Powered by 13th Gen Intel Core processor – Core i7-1360P – the Lenovo Yoga 9i has integrated Iris Xe graphics, 16GB LPDDR5-5200MHz (soldered), and 1TB M.2 2280 NVMe SSD. These are top-notch specs for a thin-and-light category laptop and it shows in the performance. The laptop boots in no time, thanks to an IR-powered front camera and fingerprint scanner that enable biometric login through Windows Hello service. Daily operations such as web browsing, video conferencing, data transfers, etc. put no strain on performance and the laptop runs cool throughout. Power-intensive tasks such as photo editing, video encoding, multimedia editing, etc. make the fans grind at full speed, but performance throttling happens only after extended sessions. That said, the laptop is capable of handling heavy workloads but it is not designed for it.
Battery, charging, and ports
The Lenovo Yoga 9i has a 75Wh battery, which is good for a day of mixed usage. Charging time is quick with the supplied 100W USB-C charger. As for the ports, there is 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2, 1 x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (support data transfer, Power Delivery 3.0 and DisplayPort 1.4), 1 x headphone / microphone combo jack (3.5mm), and 2 x Thunderbolt 4 (support data transfer and Power Delivery).
Verdict
Priced at Rs 174,990, the Lenovo Yoga 9i is an ideal two-in-one laptop with stunning design, dazzling touchscreen, impressive audio, swift performance, and stellar on-battery time. If not the best, it is among the best laptops in the thin-and-light category for people on the go.
