Just like Windows Central as a whole, I maintain a standard for detailed, informative reviews.
This review was made possible thanks to a review sample provided by Lenovo.
The company had no input nor saw the contents of this review prior to publication.
Can you tell this is an expensive laptop? Lenovo isn’t hiding it.
Pricing-wise, this laptop is right in line with other ultra-premium options from Dell and HP.
This laptop is covered by Lenovo’s standard 1-year warranty.
I even love the glass lid.
In case you’re wondering, the Yoga Slim 9i 14stillpasses MIL-STD-810H durability standards.
If there’s one area this laptop falls short in the design category, it’s the port selection.
You do get a USB key in-CThunderbolt 4port on each side, which is great, but that’sallyou get.
Holding this laptop makes my hands happy.
There’s no USB jot down-A, no HDMI, not even a 3.5mm audio jack.
Lenovo could’ve given us a third.
It’s also a very compact machine, though, and that’s partially due to the display.
On one side, a USB Type-C Thunderbolt 4 port with DisplayPort and Power Delivery, and two LED indicators.(Image credit: Windows Central | Zachary Boddy)
You’re looking at a 4KOLEDpanel, packing an absurd number of pixels within these slim bezels.
Lenovo quotes 750nits of peak brightness, which mostly applies to HDR content.
I may have given this display a perfect 5/5, but that doesn’t mean it’s actuallyperfect.
On the other side… The same thing, except replace those LEDs with a power button and an electronic camera privacy shutter.(Image credit: Windows Central | Zachary Boddy)
There are two areas I want to see Lenovo improve: dynamic refresh rate support and PWM flickering.
Day-to-day, the Yoga Slim 9i absolutely flies throughWindows 11without any issues.
Yes, youcangame on this gear, even on battery power.
Tandem OLED displays are on the horizon, but it’ll be a while before a laptop comfortably surpasses this one.
Or right at Pro, but that doesn’t quite sound right.
I’ve still yet to experience battery anxiety with this laptop, though.
That’s reflected in real-world usage, too.
This is a very color accurate display even on the “Default” color profile, but there are individual profiles for each major color gamut, too.
It’s fast, easy, and standardized.
You get 1.5mm of key travel, with each keycap featuring a 0.3mm dish and a water-and-oil resistant coating.
You’re looking at traditional scissor switches, but with a firm, bouncy action.
Lenovo claims to take display health seriously with TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light and Eyesafe certifications, but that apparently doesn’t extend to the “Flicker-Free” standard.
Unfortunately, the Yoga Slim 9i’s touchpad can’t keep up that standard of quality.
It’s just tiny compared to other modern Windows laptops, so it feels cramped.
Lenovo hasn’t brought haptic touchpads to its consumer devices yet.
This laptop is a stronger performer than I expected. Lenovo did a great job tuning it.
That makes me sad.
Do that, Lenovo.
With Lenovo’s Smart Amp andDolby Atmosintegration, the ingredients are there for a great audio experience.
This SSD is right in line with what I expect from a premium Windows laptop.(Image credit: Windows Central)
And the Yoga Slim 9i delivers.
Yeah, this camera isawful.
If you’re considering this laptop, the webcam likely isn’t high on your list of priorities.
The Yoga Slim 9i outperforms the Yoga Slim 7i in Cinebench 2024, which is larger and (supposedly) was tuned in partnership with Intel.(Image credit: Windows Central)
Of course, it’s also even more expensive.
But it’s not.
There were no surprises here, and I mean that in the best way possible.
The Yoga Slim 7i pulls ahead again in Geekbench 6, but the Yoga Slim 9i still remains competitive among Intel Core Ultra (Series 2) devices.(Image credit: Windows Central)
Even the Yoga Slim 9i’s weaknesses were in line with my expectations.
The battery life takes a hit because of that display, but within reason.
Well, then there’s also the hugeactualprice you have to pay.
In general productivity, the Yoga Slim 9i once again performed exactly where I’d expect a premium Windows laptop to land.(Image credit: Windows Central)
GPU performance is especially impressive from the Yoga Slim 9i, enabling casual gaming and creative work.(Image credit: Windows Central)
AMD Ryzen AI still outperforms the Yoga Slim 9i in a lot of areas, but this laptop certainly keeps up.(Image credit: Windows Central)
A killer AI feature? What’s that?
6 hours of actual usage isn’t quite all-day in my books, but the Yoga Slim 9i is consistent and I appreciate that.
Lenovo Vantage is still one of my favorite OEM management suites.
Phenomenal keyboard power! Itty bitty touchpad space.
This camera loves playing “now you see me, now you don’t,” but at least you always know when it’s recording.
This lovely extra hotkey row even lets you change between different audio profiles for the speakers.
This laptop put all its attribute points in the “display” and “design” categories, but it’s still a great device outside of that.
