Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 7 is a 2-in-1 statement piece

For a laptop to make a statement, it has to have more than just the latest components – it has to have style. Lenovo Yoga 9i Ready to compete in today’s market with Intel 12th Gen P-series CPUs, but it shows itself as more than just a slim and lightweight convertible with luxurious details.

You can instantly tell that the Yoga 9i is designed to grab your attention with its glossy, glossy finish. But it’s the amenities, like a high-resolution webcam with background blur, an optional long and fast OLED touchscreen, and unusually loud speakers — that tell the real story.

(Note: OLED versions of the Yoga 9i aren’t available for purchase, but Lenovo told us they’ll be available at Best Buy within the next two weeks.)

slim and shiny

The Yoga 9i proves that a laptop doesn’t have to be a MacBook or even a fake MacBook to deliver a stunning design. The aluminum chassis on my test unit is silver, but the laptop also comes in an oatmeal-like gold and dark gray. I enjoyed the glossy shine on the matte silver edition cover, surface, and keyboard. Rather than begging for attention by living in the center of the laptop’s lid, the sculpted Lenovo and Yoga logos work great and wait until you notice them on the edges of the lid.

You might call this laptop’s design “edgy” — not because it’s rebellious, but because of its shiny, shiny edges. Reflective and polished, it offers a rounded alternative to the sharp, tapered laptop edges we see so often. Lenovo says the edges make the device more comfortable to hold when in tablet mode, but I’ve found that they add unnecessary sliding.

More complicated is the slim, flat power button located on the right side of the deck; I accidentally hit it repeatedly when moving my laptop, even after a few weeks of using the device. The Yoga 9i’s polished edges are nice, but I prefer the dull, non-reflective and sharp edges if it means I can grip better and have less accidental power button presses.

If you rarely hold your laptop to the right and left sides, you probably won’t be bothered. Of course there is no play button on the spine.

There is also a speaker. The perforations covering the 360-degree hinge and its speakers are the final detail that turns the laptop into a statement piece. However, I still worry about the longevity of the speakers, especially considering the fact that the holes are exposed, even when the laptop is closed.

Finally, the Yoga 9i doesn’t allow thinness to spoil the port selection. On the left, it has two Thunderbolt 4 ports and even a USB-A port (3.2 Gen 2 at 10Gbps). The right side houses the 3.5mm jack and another USB-C (3.2 Gen 2) port.

There’s no HDMI or DisplayPort, but between the Thunderbolt 4 options for a USB-C display and an OLED display, you’ll hopefully be able to do so.