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

For a laptop to make a statement, it has to have more than the latest components, it has to have style. Lenovo’s Yoga 9i is ready to compete in today’s market with its 12th Gen Intel P-series processors, but it shows that it’s more than just another thin and light convertible with luxurious details.

You can immediately tell that the Yoga 9i was designed to grab your attention with its shiny, polished finishes. But it’s the creature comforts, like a high-res webcam with background blur, an optional tall and fast OLED touchscreen and abnormally loud speakers, that tell the real story.

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

Thin and shiny

The Yoga 9i proves that a laptop doesn’t have to be a MacBook or even a MacBook imitator to deliver a striking design. The aluminum chassis of my review unit is silver, but the laptop also comes in an “oatmeal” gold hue and a darker gray. I liked the subtle sparkles on the silver version’s matte lid, bridge, and keyboard. Rather than soliciting attention by living in the center of the laptop’s lid, the sculpted Lenovo and Yoga logos play it cool and wait for you to notice them around the edges of the lid.

You might call this laptop’s design “edgy,” not because it’s rebellious, but because of the shiny, striking edges of the deck. Reflective and polished, they provide a rounded alternative to the sharp, pointy edges of laptops we often see. Lenovo claims the edges make the machine more comfortable to hold in tablet mode, but I found they added unnecessary slipperiness.

More bulky is the thin, flat power button on the right side of the bridge; I accidentally hit it several times when moving the laptop, even after a few weeks of using the machine. The polished edges of the Yoga 9i are nice, but I’d prefer dull, non-reflective, sharp edges if it meant I could have a better grip and fewer accidental power button presses.

If you rarely hold your laptop on the left and right sides, you probably won’t mind. There’s no power button on the spine, of course.

There is also a soundbar. The holes covering the 360 ​​degree hinge and its two tweeters are the final details that turn the laptop into a showpiece. Still, I’m concerned about the longevity of the speakers, especially considering the holes are exposed even when the laptop is closed.

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

There’s no HDMI or DisplayPort, but between Thunderbolt 4 options for a USB-C monitor and OLED display, you can hopefully manage.