Lenovo’s Yoga Ebook 9i drew each appreciative and skeptical stares at CES earlier this 12 months when it made its official debut: With two 13-inch OLED screens hooked up with a central hinge, it’s one of the uncommon laptop computer designs to ever make it into precise manufacturing. The Lenovo Yoga Ebook 9i ($2,099) is constructing on an extended custom of dual-screen pocket book and transportable gadget ideas (together with some transport {hardware}), nevertheless it’s the primary that proves the paradigm can work — and work properly — for lots of people.
Fundamentals
The Lenovo Yoga Ebook 9i is outlined by one characteristic specifically: As an alternative of getting a {hardware} keyboard and trackpad for its decrease half, it has a second 13.3-inch OLED display screen to match the one on high. These are related by a outstanding hinge that enables to be used in a lot of orientations, and which additionally packs in a speaker array powered by Bowers & Wilkins (extra on this later, however spoiler: it really works very well).
Within the field, you additionally get a separate Bluetooth keyboard, a stylus (Lenovo’s Digital Pen 3), a Bluetooth mouse, and an origami-style folding stand that additionally doubles as a case for the keyboard and stylus. The sticker worth of $2,099 undoubtedly can appear steep at first look, however Lenovo has at the least carried out proper by prospects by together with all the things they want within the field as an alternative of constructing equipment like keyboard, stylus and mouse accessible piecemeal as add-on purchases after the very fact.
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In fact, the Yoga Ebook 9i is powered by Home windows 11 beneath the hood — with a layer of surprisingly low-key and unobtrusive Lenovo software program included to make sure that all of the dual-screen magic simply works; which it largely does, albeit with the software program seams nonetheless displaying a bit right here and there, one thing that’s absolutely anticipated in a first-generation gadget operating early software program. None of those hiccups show annoying or distracting sufficient to compromise the general expertise of utilizing the Yoga Ebook 9i, nonetheless, which is great on stability.
{Hardware} and Design
The Lenovo Yoga Ebook 9i is, high to backside, a really well-made piece of package. Each of the screens are beautiful, which is sensible provided that they share the identical panel and specs, and so they’re enclosed in a really durable-feeling steel shell with rounded edges which might be good to the touch and look nice with shiny reflective finishes. The Yoga Ebook 9i solely is available in one colour, at the least at launch, which is a teal that wouldn’t usually be my private decide however that works very properly for distinguishing the novel machine at a look even when it’s closed. My one grievance right here is that whereas the included keyboard is color-matched to the case, the stylus and mouse are available a plain gray that feels a little bit aesthetically incongruous when working with the complete mixed setup.
Fortunately, apart from some questionable accent colorway decisions, Lenovo will get all the things else just about precisely proper. The higher and decrease halves of the Yoga Ebook 9i shut with a satisfying sticky click on, and the hinge maintains them at no matter angle you select to make use of them at. That is particularly necessary as a result of the Yoga Ebook 9i can be utilized in fairly a couple of alternative ways, together with a normal laptop computer orientation with or with out the {hardware} keyboard magnetically hooked up to the underside show; with the display screen flipped all the way in which round in a single display screen pill mode; with the shows stacked on high of each other and propped up on the stand in a horizontal dual-screen mode; with the shows side-by-each in a vertical twin display screen orientation; or with each screens energetic and going through two totally different customers on both aspect in tent mode.
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The hinge that enables all of that flexibility is a surprise itself — it’s solely lined in a grill and has audio system all through, which give sound in no matter route it’s wanted. The {hardware} and the tuning by Bowers & Wilkins leads to truly surprisingly nice sound from pocket book audio system — it’s greater than able to offering an amazing film or video-watching expertise, and it even works adequately properly for enjoying again music if you happen to’re caught with out headphones or an exterior speaker.
The built-in digital camera has a 5MP sensor and IR in order that it really works for Home windows Whats up facial recognition login, and there’s a {hardware} disable change on the aspect of the laptop computer’s decrease show for individuals who worth additional privateness assurance. In use, the digital camera was greater than sufficient for video conferencing, and appeared to deal properly with a variety of various lighting situations, each indoors and out.
One extra observe right here on the standard of the {hardware} — it’s very sturdy as properly, a truth I can attest to due to two extremely uncommon however in the end helpful random accidents: First, the Yoga Ebook 9i fell from a standing desk I used to be utilizing outdoors when my patio umbrella unintentionally blew into it and toppled it off. It survived this with no discernible harm or marks by any means. The second accident occurred when the hook protecting my huge eating room chandelier gave out in a single day, permitting the all-metal gentle fixture to swing, wrecking ball-like, instantly into the again of the Yoga Ebook 9i’s again high floor, knocking it from my eating room desk to the bottom. This final time resulted in very, very tiny (such as you nearly can’t see it) floor scratching to the paint end, however had no different impression on the machine both bodily (ie. no dents) or by way of perform. It’s constructed like a tank, which is definitely a extremely helpful characteristic for a laptop computer like this that you just’ll need to deal with so much, flip round, journey with and alter working orientations.
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Efficiency
The Yoga Ebook 9i is powered by a thirteenth technology Intel Core i7, comes with 16GB of DDR5X RAM, has built-in Intel Iris X graphics and a 1 TB SSD. There are three Thunderbolt 4 ports (one on the left and two on the appropriate) and there’s Bluetooth 5.1 and Wifi 6E by way of connectivity. The 2 OLED screens have 2.8K decision, are HDR-capable with 400 nits max brightness and 60Hz refresh charges.
Whereas it doesn’t have wonderful specs on paper in comparison with a number of the newest ultrabooks on the market, efficiency in observe from the Yoga Ebook is greater than enough for most individuals. It’s a speedy machine that feels quick and nimble, and it could possibly deal with Photoshop and Lightroom flows with relative ease. I didn’t use it for video enhancing, so your mileage might range there, nevertheless it’s a wonderful workhorse for anybody who works largely in Workplace/Google’s work suite, electronic mail and lightweight media.
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As for media consumption, that is undoubtedly considered one of its fortes. The shows are each incredible for watching video, and the second display screen means you might have built-in choices for multitasking, together with doing issues like searching the online or utilizing Twitter whilst you’re watching one thing, or doing digital drawing/portray on the decrease display screen whereas viewing a reference on the highest.
Other than the efficiency of its parts, one key to the Lenovo Yoga Ebook 9i’s success is simply how good it’s at making the most of its distinctive bodily design. As you’d count on, there are compromises in terms of utilizing a pocket book with two screens as an alternative of only one with a {hardware} keyboard and trackpad completely put in within the different.
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Lenovo has truly carried out an incredible job mitigating most of those, with multitouch gestures to simply name up the software program keyboard and trackpad everytime you want them immediately, and a intelligent magnet-based docking mechanism for the included {hardware} keyboard meaning you possibly can simply plop it into place every time you should dive right into a centered session of speedy WPM output. The truth that the stand works so properly, but additionally doubles as a case for each the pen and the keyboard that makes each these and the pc an especially transportable bundle.
If I had one vital grievance concerning the Yoga Ebook 9i in terms of efficiency, it’s battery life. The 2 shows clearly draw extra energy vs. only one in additional conventional machines, and it’s a really high-quality, pretty brilliant display screen. In observe, I’ve been averaging about 6 hours of use per cost — and that may drop significantly if you happen to’re doing issues which might be taxing like lengthy video conferences. It’s a throwback to a lot earlier days amid a sea of very long-lived transportable powerhouses, however given the additional display screen actual property you’re working with, it does additionally make sense as a trade-off.
Backside Line
The Lenovo Yoga Ebook 9i seemed a bit like a stunt when it made its official debut earlier this 12 months — bold, actually, however sensible? That didn’t appear possible. Now that it’s right here, although, I can say that’s truly eminently sensible, and actually ranks as my favourite pocket book to make use of, interval. That’s factoring within the comparatively meager battery life I discussed, and another very minor concessions to the shape issue like not with the ability to shut the lid on the {hardware} keyboard when it’s magnetically hooked up to the underside show.
I’ve eschewed most type issue shifts within the PC world — hybrids, 2-in-1s, tablets with removable keyboards, and many others. The Lenovo Yoga Ebook 9i has damaged by way of with its distinctive hinged dual-screen strategy, which works properly each at dwelling and on the street, and which affords one thing no different competitor, no matter model, can declare to match.
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