Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 Review

REASONS TO BUY

+  Powerful performance

+  Great sound

+  High-quality display

REASONS TO AVOID

-  Basic stylus

-  Average battery life

-  The touchpad isn’t always effective

This Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 review is most relevant to those looking for one of the best 2-in-1 laptops, but it's also one of the best laptops you can buy in general, making it an excellent everyday business computer.

If you're looking for the best student laptop, one of its more basic configurations may be worth considering, even if it won't be as powerful as the all-singing, all-dancing models.

The Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 is a premium Windows 10 device that sits at the top of Lenovo's line of 2-in-1 laptops. It's sleek, fast, and comes with a stylus built into the laptop's body.

If you're thinking about buying it, this review will come in handy. It's divided into several sections, including design and screen, as well as performance and battery life. You'll also find information on pricing, where to buy, and what's new in comparison to the previous generation of PC.

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LENOVO YOGA 9I 14 REVIEW: PRICE AND WHAT’S NEW 

The Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 starts at $1,060 in the US and £1,111 in the UK, according to the Lenovo website, for the basic version of the laptop with the Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB RAM, and 256GB of storage.

I tested the Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 with the Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage for this review. It costs $1,690 in the United States and £1,600 in the United Kingdom.

The Lenovo Yoga 9i, formerly known as the Lenovo Yoga C940, is Lenovo's premium 2-in-1 laptop. This PC isn't much different from the one before it, and the differences are mostly internal. To begin, Lenovo has updated the processor and graphics, resulting in 11th Gen Intel Core CPUs and Intel Iris Xe graphics.

They've also made Thunderbolt 4 the connection standard, allowing for faster file transfers than ever before, and Lenovo has upgraded the Wi-Fi standard to the latest Wi-Fi 6. This is the first of their laptops to include a leather lid.

Check out our Lenovo coupons before you buy to see if you can save money on your purchase.

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LENOVO YOGA 9I 14 REVIEW: DESIGN AND SCREEN 

The Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 Shadow Black is a premium 2-in-1 laptop that can be converted into a tablet by simply pushing the screen back. The metal chassis gives it a sturdy feel, while the glass palm rest and touchpad add a touch of class, which is complemented by the leather design on the lid. It is also available in silver without the leather detailing. A stylus is included, and the laptop has a Dolby Atmos rotating soundbar along the bottom of the screen.

The glass palm rest looks great, but it is prone to picking up fingerprints; keep a microfibre cloth handy to wipe away the grime. I also discovered that because the touchpad was integrated into the body of the laptop, it lacked firm left and right clicks, making it less accurate than on other computers. To unlock it, there's a fingerprint reader in the glass where your right hand naturally rests - it consistently and quickly registered my fingerprint.

This laptop is relatively light, weighing as little as 1.35kg. It won't be difficult to transport, but I wouldn't call it a lightweight laptop. You'll also need a proper case for it to avoid damaging the leather.

Lenovo did not skimp on the keyboard, which is very comfortable to use. The low form factor keys are firm and clicky, and they are well spaced to prevent mistyping. I have nothing negative to say about it. It's also convenient to have a dedicated key to access the snipping tool on Windows.

One USB-A 3.1 port, two USB-C ports (for Thunderbolt 4, DisplayPort, and power delivery), and a 3.5mm audio and mic port are located around the laptop's frame. Most people will be satisfied. However, there is no MicroSD card reader, which is a shame because there is plenty of room for one.

The top panel is 90 percent taken up by a 14-inch UHD IPS touchscreen display. While the bezels are quite thin, there are plenty of computers that go even further than the Lenovo Yoga 9i 14. It has a glossy screen, which makes it difficult to see in direct sunlight, but with a peak brightness of 500 nits, I could still see it in most bright spots around the house. With 90 percent DCI-P3, colors appear vivid and accurate, and the display meets a high standard in this regard. Overall, the screen will perform admirably with most tasks, providing clarity and precision whether they are word processing, photo editing, or Netflix streaming.

There's a 720p HD webcam in the top bezel with a privacy shutter that you can slide across; it's a little fiddly to do, but it's always a nice feature to have. The webcam is above average, making this a good laptop for anyone who frequently makes video calls. The soundbar also has two microphones built in, as well as a microphone mute button on the keyboard for when you don't want anyone to hear you.

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LENOVO YOGA 9I 14 REVIEW: PERFORMANCE AND BATTERY

The Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 is Intel Evo certified and features an 11th Generation Intel Core i7 processor with Intel Iris Xe graphics, a long battery life, Wi-Fi 6, and fast response times. This laptop has 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, but it is available in a variety of configurations.

It was easy to use and quick at everything I tried out on it. Even with multiple windows and tabs open, it seemed to find every task simple and quick to load. That was demonstrated by its Geekbench 5 scores of 1,465 in single-core and 5,018 in multi-core, which are comparable to other premium powerhouses such as the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 and the Huawei MateBook X Pro (2021). When it came to graphics, the Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 scored 1,459 on 3D Mark's TimeSpy benchmark test. That's pretty good for a 2-in-1 computer, but it also indicates that this isn't a gaming PC.

The Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 is powered by a 4 cell, 60Wh battery. Lenovo claims it can play local video for up to 11 hours. I put that to the test by downloading and playing a two-hour video at full brightness. The battery dropped by 36% during that time, implying that it would have lasted about 5 and a half hours in total, which is nowhere near what they claim. It took just over an hour and a half to charge from empty to 100 percent using the 65W charger, so you'll be back up and running in no time if you run out of juice.

The laptop, which runs Windows 10 Home, is easy to use, and when you push the screen back, it automatically switches to tablet mode. I like Windows tablet mode because it is as clean and intuitive as the standard PC interface. The included stylus is very basic, and it's thin, making it difficult to grip. You can still use it for quick notes and sketches, but don't expect to use it for detailed drawings or design work.

With a dedicated soundbar, you get great audio quality, with 360-degree sound that is loud and accurate across video calls, games, and streaming services. Voices are easily understood, and music is clear, balanced, and punchy. I was surprised by how good it sounded for a laptop speaker.

In addition to Cortana, Microsoft's voice assistant, this laptop includes the Alexa assistant. You'll be able to connect it to the rest of your smart home with ease.

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LENOVO YOGA 9I 14 REVIEW: VERDICT 

The Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 is best described as versatile and sophisticated. It's a 2-in-1 laptop that's a workhorse for day-to-day business use, with a high-quality ultra-high-definition display that's equally suited to delicate creative tasks as it is to streaming video.

Of course, there are some drawbacks, such as the battery life, which leaves much to be desired. Then there's the glass trackpad, which isn't as easy to use as you'd expect, and it lacks the precision and firm click of other laptops. Another thing to consider is how simple the stylus is. These aren't major issues, but they're certainly things I'd be willing to overlook because this laptop has a lot to offer.

Those who intend to work on it, whether for business or academic purposes, will benefit the most from it, especially given how enjoyable the keyboard is to type on. The Dolby Atmos soundbar is another standout feature. It truly is one of the best laptops for audio quality; you will not require a separate speaker with this PC.