Lenovo Yoga E-book 9i evaluation: A versatile dual-screen powerhouse

Greatest Costs Right now: Lenovo Yoga E-book 9i

Lenovo has an extended historical past of weird ideas. However in contrast to many firms that ship unusual prototypes straight to retailer cabinets, Lenovo usually sticks with these oddballs—and the Yoga E-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 conveyable all-in-one that pairs its twin OLED shows with an included Bluetooth keyboard, mouse, and stylus. Nonetheless, the latest Yoga E-book 9i has surprisingly succesful CPU efficiency beneath the hood.

Lenovo Yoga E-book 9i: Specs and options

The Yoga E-book 9i Gen 10’s fundamental specs don’t look wonderful on paper. It has simply 16GB of RAM and a 512GB stable state drive. Most Home windows units offered above $1,000 have 32GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage. Nonetheless, the Yoga E-book 9i’s Intel Core Extremely 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 a giant improve over laptops with an Intel Core Extremely 7 256V or 258V inside.

• CPU: Intel Core Extremely 7 255H
• Reminiscence: 16GB LPDDR5X
• Graphics/GPU: Intel Arc 140V
• NPU: Intel AI Enhance as much as 13 TOPS
• Show: 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
• Working System: Home windows 11 Dwelling
• Extra options: Bluetooth keyboard, mouse, and stylus
• Value: $2,079.99 MSRP

Regardless of the restricted RAM and storage, the Lenovo Yoga E-book 9i’s $2,079.99 MSRP looks like a great worth. In any case, this laptop computer has two OLED shows and ships with a Bluetooth keyboard, mouse, and stylus. That’s a variety of additional equipment most laptops don’t present.

Curiously, Lenovo’s web site at present lists a Yoga E-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 that you could’t change or improve this variant however, for the overwhelming majority of buyers, it’s an apparent improve.

Lenovo Yoga E-book 9i: Design and construct high quality

IDG / Matthew Smith

The Lenovo Yoga E-book 9i is a modern, futuristic piece of equipment. It’s principally two skinny slabs of glass linked by a broad, blue-chrome hinge which additionally comprises the 2-in-1’s sound bar. Whereas 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 value mentioning that the brand new Yoga E-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.

Meaning the laptop computer is barely wider and deeper than earlier than, too, although no thicker at 0.63 inches in profile. The burden formally is available in at simply 2.69 kilos, however that doesn’t embrace the equipment. In the event you bundle within the keyboard, carrying case, and pen, the full weight will increase to three.55 kilos. That’s heavy for a 2-in-1 with a 14-inch show, although maybe anticipated provided that the Yoga E-book 9i has two of them.

Construct high quality is top-notch. The Yoga E-book 9i’s chassis is among the many most inflexible within the Home windows area. Whereas 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 rigidity as I felt snug 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 specific dangers to a dual-display laptop computer, and an elevated potential for show harm is one in every of them. Nonetheless, Lenovo has finished as a lot as it could possibly to take away that concern. The result’s a 2-in-1 that feels luxurious.

Lenovo Yoga E-book 9i: Keyboard, trackpad, mouse, and stylus

IDG / Matthew Smith

Lenovo markets the brand new Yoga E-book 9i as a “transportable artistic studio.” What does that imply? Properly, it’s complicated. The twin-display 2-in-1, removable keyboard, kickstand, mouse, and pen work collectively to offer many versatile modes.

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

On this mode, you could have the selection between utilizing the bundled removable keyboard or not. If used, the keyboard sits on prime 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 stop the keyboard from sliding round whereas typing.

The keyboard is nice however, because it sits on prime of the decrease show, the keys are raised noticeably above the digital touchpad floor, which feels awkward. It was high quality for lengthy typing periods however extra awkward after I needed to continuously use the touchpad, because the digital touchpad supplies 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. Nonetheless, the shortage of tactile suggestions makes for a flat, wood expertise, and I had issue typing at excessive velocity with accuracy. Maybe just a few weeks or months with the system would finally construct my muscle reminiscence, nevertheless it nonetheless felt powerful after a stable week of use.

The Yoga E-book 9i will get much more artistic once you transfer past clamshell use and into the distinctive modes solely 2-in-1s can supply. It may be used as:

• A conveyable desktop all-in-one. The keyboard carrying case turns into a stand for the twin shows, which might sit flat side-by-side. The bundled Bluetooth keyboard and mouse can be utilized simply as if the 2-in-1 was a desktop laptop.
• Stacked mode. The identical 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 Home windows pill. A stylus is included.
• A desktop drawing and writing pill. Fold the system flat on a tabletop floor with each shows dealing with up. Stylus and contact enter can be utilized to attract, and to navigate Home windows.
• Tent mode. Fold the higher show again to behave as a kickstand for the decrease show, which stays usable. That is nice for watching YouTube, Netflix, and different streaming content material.

The shock is that the majority of those modes work effectively. Pill mode is the one one which stumbles, and for causes frequent to most Home windows 2-in-1s; the Yoga E-book 9i is simply too giant and too heavy to make use of as a pill for quite a lot of minutes.

I discovered the transportable all-in-one modes significantly convincing. You may submit up anyplace you could have entry to a flat floor and use the Yoga E-book 9i like a desktop laptop. The twin 14-inch shows even present a show house that comes near a 24-inch desktop monitor although, in fact, with a break up between them.

The actual query, in fact, is whether or not you’ll benefit from that.

The Yoga E-book 9i’s design isn’t nice in the event you simply desire a laptop computer to make use of like a laptop computer. The typing expertise is much less satisfying, the digital touchpad is annoying, and it’s cumbersome to pack each the laptop computer and the removable keyboard. However in the event you’re a enterprise traveler, pupil, or in any other case must do a variety of work whereas additionally away out of your everlasting desk setup, the Yoga E-book 9i has benefits. It’s a conveyable desktop in a laptop computer kind issue.

It’s vital to notice, too, that the Yoga E-book 9i’s design marks it as totally different from the Asus ZenBook Duo (and vice versa). Whereas each are dual-screen laptops, the ZenBook Duo has a Bluetooth keyboard with built-in touchpad that absolutely covers the underside show in laptop computer mode. In 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 E-book 9i: Show, audio

IDG / Matthew Smith

Lenovo’s dual-screen design means the Lenovo Yoga E-book 9i options two gorgeous OLED shows. Every supplies a decision of 2880×1800 for an all-in decision of 2880×3600. Mixed, the twin 14-inch OLED shows present rather less than 180 sq. inches of show house, 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’ve a large shade gamut, unsurpassed distinction, and wonderful sharpness. Films, video games, and photographs look splendidly vibrant and detailed. The shows additionally present a most refresh price of 120Hz, so movement readability is great. Quick-paced video games look crisp and scrolling textual content is simpler 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 snug use outside or reverse a vibrant sunlit window.

Audio efficiency is a perk the newest Yoga E-book 9i carries over from its predecessors. The audio system are nestled within the hinge, which acts as a soundbar and delivers robust, clear, satisfying, and direct sound. This design additionally has the good thing about making the audio helpful in many of the Yoga E-book 9i’s many modes, for the reason that speaker stays pointed on the consumer in most conditions. Pill mode is the exception, as your palms are prone to partially hinder the speaker.

In comparison with the alternate options, the Yoga E-book 9i’s audio is among the many greatest in its class. Whereas it’s been just a few months since I final heard the MacBook Professional 14’s wonderful audio system, my reminiscence suggests the Yoga E-book 9i can match it.

Lenovo Yoga E-book 9i: Webcam, microphone, biometrics

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

Biometric login is offered by Home windows Hey facial recognition. It really works effectively, although no higher or worse than with the lots of of different Home windows laptops that provide the function. A fingerprint reader just isn’t out there.

Lenovo Yoga E-book 9i: Connectivity

The Lenovo Yoga E-book 9i goes all-in on fashionable connectivity. It has simply three bodily ports, all of that are Thunderbolt / USB-C ports that assist 40Gbps of information, DisplayPort, and Energy Supply. All of the ports can cost the laptop computer or hook up with an exterior show.

With that mentioned, 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 or not that works for you’ll rely upon the peripherals you utilize day-to-day, however I think most individuals will nonetheless have at the very least one system that requires one in every of these ports.

A minimum of 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 normal. Keep in mind, too, that the Yoga E-book 9i ships with a Bluetooth keyboard, mouse, and stylus within the field. Whereas the shortage of USB-A is a bummer, it helps that the 2-in-1 ships with every thing it is advisable sort, level, and draw wirelessly.

Lenovo Yoga E-book 9i: Efficiency

The newest Lenovo Yoga E-book 9i (Gen 10, for these counting) is offered with only one processor: the Intel Core Extremely 7 255H. And it’s value your consideration.

It’d be simple to confuse the Core Extremely 7 255H with one thing just like the Core Extremely 7 256V. In any case, they’ve very related names; the 256V would possibly even appear extra premium. But the alternative 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 velocity, 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. Right here the Yoga E-book 9i scores a good 7,520. That’s a mid-pack outcome among the many rivals chosen, however they’re somewhat stiff competitors—the HP OmniBook Extremely 14 particularly ranks among the many strongest 14-inch Home windows laptops with out discrete graphics. The Yoga E-book 9i additionally scored a small win over the Asus ZenBook Duo, regardless of the Asus having a chip that ranks increased in Intel’s line-up.

IDG / Matthew Smith

The Lenovo Yoga E-book 9i actually blazed away in Handbrake, the place it transcoded a function size movie in just below 14 minutes. Because the graph exhibits, that is an exceptionally fast outcome on this take a look at, and it’s the one benchmark the place the Yoga E-book 9i takes an edge even over the HP OmniBook Extremely 14.

IDG / Matthew Smith

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

IDG / Matthew Smith

Clearly, the Lenovo Yoga E-book 9i performs effectively in CPU assessments. However what about GPU benchmarks?

The Yoga E-book 9i does effectively right here, too, although it doesn’t stand out from the pack. Intel’s 140V is a powerful built-in graphics possibility that may usually go toe-to-toe with AMD’s Radeon 890M in related laptops and 2-in-1s, and the E-book 9i isn’t any exception. The Yoga E-book 9i posted scores that had been a hair behind another Intel-powered laptops PC World just lately examined, however the variations are somewhat small.

In any case, the Yoga E-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 Daybreak or the best-selling traditional Minecraft (with out ray-traced eye sweet on)—can exceed 60 FPS.

The Yoga E-book 9i is a particularly robust performer total. Whereas the HP OmniBook Extremely 14 with AMD Ryzen AI 9 395HX was faster in multi-threaded CPU efficiency, the Yoga E-book 9i in any other case scored victories in lots of assessments. 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 Extremely 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 E-book 9i: Battery life and portability

There’s loads to love in regards to the Lenovo Yoga E-book 9i. It’s versatile, engaging, and performs effectively in benchmarks. Nonetheless, the laptop computer has one main weak spot. Battery life.

IDG / Matthew Smith

I measured simply seven hours and 9 minutes in PC World’s normal battery take a look at, which loops a 4K trailer of the quick movie Tears of Metal. 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 outcome each did—and didn’t—shock me.

Lenovo ships the Yoga E-book 9i with an 88-watt-hour battery, which is very large for a 14-inch Home windows 2-in-1. That alone would appear to recommend wonderful endurance.

Nonetheless, that battery should assist two screens, each of that are OLED (typically, OLED tends to be extra power-hungry than LCD-IPS). And the Intel Core Extremely 7 255H is a beefy Intel chip. Whereas that bodes effectively for the Yoga E-book 9i’s efficiency, it additionally means increased energy consumption.

It’s value point out that the brand new Yoga E-book 9i doesn’t final so long as previous fashions. The model I examined in 2023 endured the PC World battery take a look at for 10 hours and 23 minutes. On the flip facet, although, the brand new Yoga E-book 9i is far faster than that predecessor, delivering 50 p.c to over 100% larger efficiency in benchmarks. The older mannequin is likely to be value a glance in the event you desire 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 prime 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 attainable as a result of the Duo’s Bluetooth keyboard features a touchpad and absolutely 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 attainable to make use of Home windows’ settings to power the Yoga E-book 9i’s decrease show off when in laptop computer mode, which presumably might improve battery life. Nonetheless, doing this implies the laptop computer lacks a touchpad, which is hardly excellent. 

Lenovo Yoga E-book 9i: Conclusion

The Lenovo Yoga E-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 singular providing, and whereas the Yoga E-book 9i’s $2,079.99 MSRP is hardly cheap, it looks like good worth contemplating every thing the Yoga E-book 9i delivers.

But the Yoga E-book 9i isn’t with out compromise. Lenovo’s determination 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 E-book 9i as an all-in-one, however inarguably worse when utilizing the Yoga E-book 9i as a laptop computer. The Yoga E-book 9i additionally struggles with disappointing battery life that reduces its portability.

The Yoga E-book 9i is value shopping for, however just for a really particular and distinctive shopper. It’s distinctive in offering an amazing transportable all-in-one expertise alongside an honest, although compromised laptop computer mode. That makes it a good selection in the event you usually transfer between workplaces or desks and might submit up with a connection to an influence outlet. However in the event you largely need to use your system as a laptop computer, and can solely often use the all-in-one mode, the Asus ZenBook Duo is the higher selection.