Lenovo's Latest Laptops Showcase AI Features but Face Challenges

This Lenovo laptop helped clean up my messy photo library - and it's on sale

Lenovo announced its new Intel-powered Aura Edition laptops at IFA in Berlin earlier this year, debuting with the Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition and wowing attendees with demos of its tap-to-share feature. You activate the feature by physically tapping (gently, Lenovo pleads) the side of the laptop's display with your phone, allowing you to drag-and-drop photos directly to the laptop, one of the most attention-grabbing features demoed at the event. Also: The best Lenovo laptops of 2025: Expert tested and reviewed I was there in person, and you better believe I was among the first in line to test it out, but fast-forward a month, and I was just as excited to go hands-on with the other unique features in Lenovo's Aura Edition Yoga 7i. The Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition is a new Copilot+ PC powered by Intel's "Lunar Lake" Series 2 line of processors. These chips take aim at the other AI-powered PCs that exploded onto the consumer market this year (usually powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite chip) with unique features that attempt to set the device apart in an increasingly crowded market of AI PCs. I went hands-on with another laptop with Intel's Series 2 chip earlier this year, the Asus Zenbook S 14, and was impressed with its performance, ultra-thin build, and marathon battery life, so I was curious to see how Lenovo's Yoga Slim 7i would compare. Also: This $80 Lenovo tablet is fantastic for portable entertainment - get it while the deal lasts Right off the bat, I can say the physical form factor of the Yoga Slim 7i is about on par with other laptops in its class. At 3.3 pounds, it's not quite as thin and light as the Zenbook S 14, but it's also a 15-inch device. It looks like a quintessential Lenovo device, with a slate gray color and signature notched lid where the webcam is housed. The keyboard is spacious and roomy, with smooth, plastic-coated keycaps that are responsive and satisfying to type on. Lenovo opted to forego a full keyboard so that it could fit the upward-facing speakers on either end of the keyboard, which was the right call, as the Dolby Atmos-powered speakers sound better than average. In fact, they're some of the better laptop speakers I've heard all year. The glossy 15-inch display supports a 120GHz refresh rate and multitouch capabilities, and it folds flat, but not all the way back into tablet mode. Overall, it looks fine, but an OLED would have really set it apart as a noteworthy flagship device, particularly for the price. Despite the seemingly solid physical build, my review unit had a slightly loose backplate. I contacted Lenovo and was assured this was an issue with my individual unit and not something found on others, but other well-known laptop reviewers reported similar quirks with the laptop's physical chassis. Also: I'm a laptop expert, and these are the top early Prime Day deals I'd shop now Under the hood, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i comes with the previously mentioned Intel Core Ultra 7 (Series 2) chip, up to 32GB of RAM, an Intel Arc GPU, and a 15-inch 2.8K (2880 x 1800) LCD touch display. This is a pretty standard mid-range hardware configuration, but it's the Intel Series 2 chip that is noteworthy here. It aims to supercharge the device with high performance, a thin and light form factor, and a great battery life. The Intel chip powers a suite of features that make this laptop an Aura Edition. The previously mentioned Smart Share feature is one of the most handy. It works by pairing the laptop with your phone (via the Intel Unison app on iOS or Android), allowing you to drag-and-drop photos and files from your phone to the laptop (and vice versa). Tapping the side of the device brings up the menu, although just bringing the phone in proximity to it works as well. Aura Edition laptops also include a bevy of new Smart Modes of varying usefulness, which, when activated, assign a series of presets. The Shield Mode is one of the more interesting ones, as it uses the laptop's camera to alert you if it detects someone looking at your screen over your shoulder, blurring your display, or shutting it off altogether in response. The battery on this device, just like the other Lunar Lake device I reviewed, the Asus Zenbook S 14, is very good. I got over 17 hours in my battery test, although during more sustained workloads, I don't feel like the battery was as robust as the Zenbook S 14, lasting about as long as the workday but not much more. Also: Finally, a Windows laptop I wouldn't mind putting my MacBook Air away for I have to mention two pet peeves regarding this device, even though they're not dealbreakers. First up is the absolute onslaught of ads and notifications. Between notifications from Lenovo Vantage, a persistent pop-up from McAfee, Windows ads for Microsoft Edge (even while actively using it), and persistent "tips" and "reminders", more time is spent dealing with all the things Windows and Lenovo wants to talk to you about than what you can actually do. Yes, this is nothing new with devices in 2024, but it seems particularly potent with this laptop. Second, I'm not a fan of the power button being on the side of the device, right in proximity to where you grab it. Its placement resulted in me shutting off the laptop on more than one occasion. The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition is a solid 15-inch device with a handful of unique features. The Intel Core Ultra 7 (Series 2) chip provides fast, cool, battery-efficient performance, and everyday users will appreciate the nice display, comfortable keyboard, and marathon battery life. I recommend opting for the 32GB configuration, since the RAM is not upgradable. This raises the price by $100, but it's absolutely worth it for future-proofing. Also: I replaced my ThinkPad with a Lenovo Legion laptop for work, and didn't regret it Lastly, features like Smart Share are useful, but I would caution Intel and Lenovo alike from spending too much time on flashy tricks and instead focusing on enduring, well-designed devices. The hardware here is impressive, and Intel's Series 2 "Lunar Lake" chips are absolutely worthy contenders to Qualcomm's ARM-compatible Snapdragon X Elite and Apple's M4 chips. Performance (and thoughtful, well-designed physical form factors) speak for themselves more than buzzy features ever will.

I replaced my laptop with Microsoft's Surface Pro tablet - here's my verdict after a month

The 256GB of storage is not enough for a device at this price point, and the cost adds up quickly, as the keyboard, mouse, and even the power adapter are sold separately. Microsoft's 2025 12-inch Surface Pro is thinner, lighter, and a little more affordable, with a battery-efficient Snapdragon X Plus processor and refreshed design. The latest version of the Surface Pro rounds out the lineup with a more affordable option focused on ultra-long battery life, new colors, and redesigned accessories to show off Windows' latest Copilot+ PC features. Also: How to clear the cache on your Windows 11 PC (and why it makes such a big difference) I replaced my main laptop with the 12-inch Surface Pro for about two weeks, and the Surface Pro seems to me to be more of an addition to the current lineup than a standalone upgrade, particularly in comparison to the enterprise models Microsoft released back in January 2025. The 2025 Surface Pro has relatively modest hardware, with 16GB of RAM and 256GB or 512GB of UFS storage. It is being marketed at the everyday consumer who uses on-device AI and appreciates the ultra-portability. Besides the smaller form factor, this year's Surface Pro comes in two new colors: Violet and Ocean (a blueish gray). The default Platinum color starts at $799, whereas the other two will run you $899, bringing the starting price a little further away from that advertised low price (and we haven't even bought the keyboard yet). I must admit that the design on the 12-inch tablet looks better. It looks more like a premium tablet (and more like an iPad) with rounded corners, thin bezels, and the webcam moved to the back corner of the device. Also: Finally, a 16-inch Windows laptop I wouldn't mind putting my MacBook Pro away for Additionally, I'm a fan of the new Violet and Ocean colorways, which aren't what I'd call "bold", but at least they're not the same desaturated pastels we see everywhere else. The colors extend to the Surface Pro keyboards, which are updated by removing the alcantara fabric on the front of the keyboard for a cleaner, monochromatic matte look. Instead, the fabric is relegated to the back of the keyboard case, which has a more premium tablet feel for storage and transport. The Surface keyboard is functional and satisfying to type on, with springy keys and a responsive, premium trackpad. Additionally, the tablet snaps to the keyboard a little tighter and closer to the tablet now, with no gap in the hinge, giving it a slightly smaller footprint on the desk. The Surface Pen also magnetically snaps to the back of the 12-inch instead of storing on the keyboard. This requires you to store the device with the fabric facing down, as you don't want to squish the pen. When throwing the Surface Pro in a bag, the Pen also tends to stay put, but can come unattached if you're not paying attention. Microsoft wants to showcase its new AI-driven Copilot+ features, and the 12-inch Surface Pro is a good vehicle for marketing them to consumers, especially with its attractive price point and the 45 TOPS Qualcomm Hexagon NPU. Also: Why I recommend this Lenovo over the dozens of work laptops I've tested - and it's on sale For example, the long-awaited Recall feature is still in Preview mode, but it's getting closer to a useful state. Other applications that leverage AI processes, particularly ones for creators like Capcut, Davinci Resolve, and DJay Pro should feel smooth and snappy. This makes it a very AI-ready device for everyday users who don't need high-end hardware for demanding creative projects. Running Windows on Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Plus chip shouldn't be too much of a problem for most users in this category, as the areas that saw the most compatibility issues, like gaming and connecting to legacy software, are more likely not to apply to the targeted user. The 12-inch Surface Pro's modest hardware positions itself as a competitive device in the family's lineup. The aforementioned 16GB of RAM and max 512GB of storage, paired with the Snapdragon X Plus and 2196 x 1464 resolution (220 ppi) LCD that targets everyday users, while its 13-inch siblings can be loaded up with more premium hardware. Also: This ultraportable Windows laptop raised the bar for the MacBook Air (and everything else) That being said, the Snapdragon X Plus processor is snappy and responsive, excelling at tasks that the average consumer cares about: fast startup and app load times, smooth multitasking, and solid battery performance, whether in laptop or tablet mode. During my benchmarking of the 12-inch Surface Pro, I got numbers that place it around other thin and light laptops in the same price range, including Asus' Zenbook A14, which also features the Snapdragon X Plus processor, and HP's OmniBook X 14, one of the first Copilot+ PCs with the Snapdragon X Elite chip from 2024. The display is sharp and crisp, but it does cap out at 400 nits of brightness and a 90Hz refresh rate. Since it's a tablet, it's also quite glossy. In the office, for example, I found myself readjusting the device's angle numerous times throughout the day to account for glare from overhead lighting. Also: 'End of 10' offers hope and support to Windows 10 users who can't upgrade their PCs Speaking of using the Surface Pro in the office, it works equally well as a laptop or a tablet, depending on what you need. Detached from the keyboard and armed with the Surface Pen, it becomes a snappy productivity tablet that allows for note taking, prototyping, and freeform idea generation in Windows' Whiteboard app. You can also assign different actions to the Pen, including starting apps or performing functions with the button on the device or the "clicky" on the end. I will say that the Pen's performance can be variable, though. If you're running multiple programs open in the background, you might notice lag while writing, especially if you're moving quickly. Similarly, the HD camera's location has a slightly downward-facing orientation while connected to the keyboard, as the kickstand can only prop it up so high. Consider a clamshell laptop, for example, which can sit at a 90-degree angle or less. In that sense, untethering the keyboard and using it as a tablet might be more optimal for users who make frequent video calls. Also: The best laptops for graphic designers in 2025: Expert tested and reviewed Regarding battery life, the Snapdragon X Plus processor ensures that it drains at a mere trickle when the device is not in use, and is good enough for over a full day's worth of work on one charge. Microsoft advertises 16 hours of battery life, and I got a little over 15 in our video playback test. Regarding more sustained use, I got over 10 hours on a single charge, which isn't far off from the advertised 12 hours without using all the max battery efficiency settings. Couple this with the fact that the Surface Pro charges extremely fast. From a completely dead battery, you'll get to about 50% in 30 minutes, and around 80% in an hour. Of the Surface Pro family, the 12-inch is certainly the most battery efficient and the fastest to charge. The 12-inch Microsoft Surface Pro completes the family's lineup with a thinner, lighter, and more battery-efficient tablet/laptop hybrid with refreshed colors and design. It comes with slightly more modest hardware (16GB of RAM, 256GB of storage) for a lower starting price of $799. If you're looking for a functional 2-in-1 tablet/laptop, enjoy using a stylus, and don't need a ton of local storage, it's a great option, especially for its long-lasting battery. It's an all-around sharp-looking device, and the premium keyboard case provides a satisfying tactile experience. Also: I'm a laptop expert, and these are the top early Prime Day deals I'd shop now The cost of the Surface Pro can quickly add up, however, as the Surface Keyboard, Surface Arc mouse, and power adapter are sold separately, bringing the final cost over the $1,000 mark. Combined with the low amount of local storage and modest memory, I'd recommend this device for users who are committed to the 12-inch form factor and want reliable battery life. Looking for the next best product? Get expert reviews and editor favorites with ZDNET Recommends.

I finally found a Lenovo ThinkPad I'm comfortable taking to the office without a charger

It's expensive, and some of the Aura Edition features are being discontinued. Lenovo's 10th-generation ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Aura Edition is a business-minded laptop with a few design perks to differentiate it from the crowd. We're talking a convertible form factor, pen support, ample I/O, and fantastic battery life to punctuate its identity as a portable device for the office. Also: Why I recommend this Lenovo tablet over competing models that cost twice the price The Aura Edition moniker comes from its Intel Core Ultra 5 or 7 Lunar Lake processor on board, and the core component behind its efficient battery life. Almost all of the Lunar Lake devices we've tested over the past year deliver impressive longevity, and the ThinkPad X1 is no exception. This makes it a reliable laptop for common office tasks: booting up immediately, easy multitasking, and jumping between a dozen or more browser tabs, each loaded with spreadsheets and documents. However, the starting price of $2,400 places it in a premium category that won't win over everyone. As with any ThinkPad, multiple configurations are available at the point of sale, ranging from 16GB to 32GB of RAM paired with the Intel Core Ultra 5 226V, Core Ultra 7 258V, or Core Ultra 7 268V Pro. Notably, its PCIe Gen4 SSD only comes with up to 512GB of storage. The processor powers Intel's AI Boost with up to 47 TOPS, and pairs with the Intel Arc GPU on Xe2 architecture. The "Aura Edition" also includes a handful of Intel-specific software that I've touched on, and like any proprietary software, will be useful for some consumers and largely ignored by others. One of the most useful features of the Aura Edition is Smart Share, powered by the Intel Unison app, which provides a user-friendly way to "Airdrop" files and images from your smartphone to your device and vice versa. Unfortunately, Intel is discontinuing this feature in the summer of 2025. It also comes preloaded with Lenovo's "AI Now", an AI-powered assistant with a local chat option, cloud chat, and PC assistant. The cloud chat connects to an online LLM that provides some limited, if acceptable responses. But the local chat and PC assistant features did not work for even the simplest requests. Note that it's still in Beta. Also: This Lenovo laptop helped clean up my messy photo library - and it's on sale Moving to the laptop's physical build, it stays true to the classic ThinkPad design with the triple-button trackpad and the red TrackPoint in the middle of the keyboard. The 85% PCC plastic keys are crisp and responsive, with a rough, matte texture that thoroughly resist fingerprints and are nice to type on. The trackpad is equally comfy -- with a haptic option -- and is utterly silent. The speaker placement under the keyboard prevents the muffled effect that can sometimes happen with downward-firing speakers. Since this is a 2-in-1, when it's in tent form, sound is projected outward, which is better than speakers facing inward toward the back of the display, in my opinion. The 14-inch, matte WUXGA (1920 x 1200) display also resists fingerprints quite well when illuminated, keeping with its professional physical appearance. The real reason behind this design, however, is its anti-glare abilities; a must for anyone beneath the persistent fluorescent glare of overhead office lighting. Also: Ready to ditch Windows? 'End of 10' makes converting your PC to Linux easier than ever It does so incredibly well, with almost no visible reflections at all. This, combined with the 60Hz refresh rate and max 500nit brightness, makes for a screen that looks good but is particularly power-efficient. You can opt for an OLED on this laptop, but doing so will reduce the battery life. On that note, let's talk about the battery on this thing. Like other Lunar Lake laptops, I found it to have an absolutely marathon battery life, scoring over 21 hours of life in our video battery test over Wi-Fi at half brightness. Battery tests, like benchmarking, are not always representative of real-world performance, but this is an impressive number, ranking it as one of the longest-lasting laptops I've tested. Swapping to different performance profiles will give you more or less battery, but with sustained use, demanding workloads, and multiple video calls, you'll easily get a full day's worth of work on one charge. I took this laptop into the office multiple days in a row and regularly made it to around 30-40% each day. For videoconferencing, the 1080p webcam provides a smooth, crisp image and includes a very subtle physical camera shutter at the top above the lens, a nice feature for consumers who are constantly hopping in and out of calls. Similarly, the mic quality is consistent and good. The biggest drawback is the laptop's price, which puts it in direct competition with proven powerhouses like the MacBook Pro M4 or Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Carbon, which has double the RAM and storage capacity. Also: Finally, a 16-inch Windows laptop I wouldn't mind putting my MacBook Pro away for Lenovo certainly succeeds in its intent, however: a premium business laptop with a marathon battery and reliable, snappy office performance. The ThinkPad X1 Aura Edition is a capable 2-in-1 with a smart set of features, but its price puts it up against some tough competition. I'd recommend the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Aura Edition to consumers who are already ThinkPad loyalists and want the reliability and performance of that lineup, as well as the fantastic battery life of Lunar Lake. If you're a hybrid worker and want to commute without worrying about a charger, this is a fantastic choice. If you're looking for a laptop that's more geared towards creative workloads, there are other options in this price bracket, like the MacBook Air M4 or the HP EliteBook X G1a.

Lenovo's Yoga 9i (2025) is a perfect example of impressive power in a sleek package

When Lenovo released last generation's Yoga 9i, XDA's own Rich Woods had very few qualms with it. It checks all the boxes for a Yoga: gorgeous convertible display, good speakers, and a sleek design. That's all present on this generation's Yoga 9i, but under the hood, Intel's Lunar Lake took this laptop to the next level. If you passed on last year's model to wait for a Lunar Lake sequel, it sure has paid off in spades. Related This laptop is literally bending over backwards trying to make me like it You might not flip for this convertible but it's a decent enough midranger. Posts Lenovo sent us the Yoga 9i (2025) for review. It did not have any input on the contents of this article. Lenovo Yoga 9i (2025) 9 / 10 CPU Intel Core Ultra 258V GPU Intel Arc 140V Display type OLED, 30-120Hz Adaptive RR, Display (Size, Resolution) 14" 2.8K (2880x1800) Lenovo's Yoga flagship sports the beautiful display and great audio it's known for. Combined with the strengths of Lunar Lake, the weaknesses of the Yoga 9i are few and far between. RAM 32GB LPDDR5X Storage 1TB PCIe SSD Gen 4 M.2 Battery 75Whr Ports 3 x USB-C® Thunderbolt 4 (40Gbps, DP, PD), 1x USB-A (10Gbps), Audio combo jack Operating System Windows 11 Home, Windows 11 Pro Webcam 5MP + IR RGB camera, w/ privacy shutter Wi-Fi connectivity WiFi 7 802.11BE Bluetooth Bluetooth® 5.4 Dimensions 15.9mm x 316mm x 220mm / 0.63'' x 12.4'' x 8.66'' Weight 1.32kg / 2.91 lbs Speakers 4 stereo speakers, 2 woofers, 2 tweeters Colors Cosmic blue, Luna grey Pen compatibility Yes (Yoga Pen included) NPU Integrated Intel® AI Boost Pros & Cons Stunning OLED display Much improved battery life Slick design Webcam quality isn't great Little on the expensive side Presence of bloatware $1750 at Best Buy $1700 at Lenovo Expand Collapse Lenovo Yoga 9i (2025) pricing and availability The Lenovo Yogi 9i starts at $1,440 on Lenovo's website at the time of writing, with the higher-priced Intel Core Ultra 258V version with 32 GB of RAM starting at $1,680. Both versions can be kitted with up to a 4K display and 1TB of NVMe storage. I received the Ultra 258V version from Lenovo for testing. Lenovo Yoga 9i (2025) CPU Intel Core Ultra 258V GPU Intel Arc 140V Display type OLED, 30-120Hz Adaptive RR, Display (Size, Resolution) 14" 2.8K (2880x1800) RAM 32GB LPDDR5X Storage 1TB PCIe SSD Gen 4 M.2 Battery 75Whr Ports 3 x USB-C® Thunderbolt 4 (40Gbps, DP, PD), 1x USB-A (10Gbps), Audio combo jack Operating System Windows 11 Home, Windows 11 Pro Webcam 5MP + IR RGB camera, w/ privacy shutter Wi-Fi connectivity WiFi 7 802.11BE Bluetooth Bluetooth® 5.4 Dimensions 15.9mm x 316mm x 220mm / 0.63'' x 12.4'' x 8.66'' Weight 1.32kg / 2.91 lbs Speakers 4 stereo speakers, 2 woofers, 2 tweeters Colors Cosmic blue, Luna grey Pen compatibility Yes (Yoga Pen included) NPU Integrated Intel® AI Boost Expand Collapse Related 5 gimmicky laptop features that you shouldn't care about While you shouldn't hard pass on a laptop because of these features, you shouldn't buy one just because it features one or more of them. Posts The revamped design from last year returns If it ain't broke Close Lenovo has changed nothing about the way the Yoga 9i presents itself compared to last year's Meteor Lake version. The fit and finish is nearly identical, save for a few miniscule changes, and I'm glad. This thing looks good. The dark blue metallic finish that Lenovo calls "cosmic blue" looks great, and it's a color I'm quite familiar with. Right after unboxing this thing, I immediately saw it bore close resemblance to my daily driver, the M2 MacBook Air draped in Apple's "Midnight" colorway. Both look almost black in certain lower light conditions, but when the light hits them, they turn to this deep blue that's absolutely gorgeous. A side effect of this color and finish is that it's a horrible fingerprint magnet -- something I'm all too familiar with. I don't hold it against my Mac, so I'm not going to hold it against the Yoga 9i either. In terms of I/O, the Yoga 9i keeps it simple: 3 USB-C Thunderbolt ports, 1 USB-A port, and an audio combo jack. I appreciate the simplicity, and while I thought I wouldn't need a USB-A, it did come in handy in a couple of specific scenarios I found myself in. I absolutely love the feel of the keyboard. A decent travel distance and zero of that mushy feeling when you bottom out a key. The trackpad is large, which I like, but has a physical click, which I do not like. Haptic would've been really nice to see, especially on a laptop at this price point. The bottom of the chassis is well ventilated, which is something I appreciated. The porosity that's present for the fans isn't extreme, but it's enough to make a meaningful difference in cooling performance. During my testing, the Intel Core Ultra 258V, even while plugged in and charging, didn't hit above 85 degrees Celsius, all while the fans remained at a tolerable tone and volume. Related I miss these 5 obsolete features that I wish were on my current laptop Modern slimline laptops are faster than ever, but lack these practical features. Posts 5 The Yoga 9i looks the part Best display I've seen on a laptop Just like last year's iteration, the display on this thing is absolutely stunning. The adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz makes work feel great without sacrificing too much on battery life, and the OLED construction means all the media I consumed on it could've only been bested in contrast and fidelity by my TV at home. The display is probably what I'm going to miss the most when I switch back to my daily driver. The Yoga 9i has great audio chops as well, with the integrated hinge-soundbar combo. When configured in tent mode, the speakers do blast straight up, which isn't a huge issue, but it's something I noticed. Both spoken word and music sound great through it, but there's still a pronounced lack of bass as you'd expect on a set of laptop speakers. Still, though, the Yoga 9i is punching well above its weight here. Related 3 reasons the Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i crushes the Dell XPS 14 Dell's XPS 14 is an excellent machine, but Lenovo's all-new Yoga Slim 9i brings a few key upgrades to the table worth keeping in mind. Posts 3 A great leap in performance Lunar Lake lifting heavy Having been spoiled by Apple Silicon for quite some time, I always go into Windows laptop reviews with no expectations; I set them up how I would my personal machine, and use them as such. The suite of benchmarks also gives me a decent picture of performance, but the proof really is in the pudding when it comes to judging performance. Lenovo Yoga 9i (2025) Core Ultra 7 258V HP EliteBook Ultra G1i Core Ultra 7 268V Yoga 7i 2-in-1 Core Ultra 7 256V HP EliteBook X G1a Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 Geekbench 6 (single / multi) 2,701 / 10,739 2,709 / 10,742 2,641 / 10,685 2,750 / 14,075 Cinebench 2024 (single / multi) 117 / 490 119 / 479 116 / 577 109 / 1,033 3DMark (Time Spy / Wild Life Extreme / Night Raid) 4,551 / 5,270 / 34,066 4,196 / 7,371 / 30,687 3,320 / 4,513 / 27,613 3,916 / 7,043 / 32,294 CrossMark (Overall) 1761 1,815 1,804 1,735 PCMark 10 (AC best perf / battery / battery balanced) N/A 6,730 / 6,287 / 5,457 6,764 / 6,637 / 6,527 7,542 / 6,828 / 5,473 These benchmarks were done on Lenovo's higher performance setting, which can be toggled with a key on the keyboard. I really dislike that Lenovo has taken power and performance settings out of the normal Windows settings menus and put them into their "Lenovo Vantage" app. The 3 modes that you can swap between aren't explained anywhere within the app, and when I went to select the "High Performance" power plan within Windows, it was totally gone, and only "Balanced" was present. That, along with the presence of apps like "Lenovo Subscription Marketplace", just left a bad taste in my mouth. Let me change the settings I want to, Lenovo! In terms of how it felt in daily workflow, I couldn't find anything that the Core Ultra 7 285V couldn't handle well. My normal suite of Photoshop, Lightroom, and some light Premiere Pro ran just as I'd expected, and even when running some light games, the Yoga 9i takes it in complete stride. Rocket League ran at well in excess of 120 FPS with high settings, which is a win for the Arc 140V in my book. The graphics processing is pretty impressive compared to that of the Apple Silicon M4. Battery life was nothing short of solid, lasting well beyond my normal workday, even at full brightness. It still doesn't hold a candle to what my MacBook Air is capable of, but that's a bit of an unfair comparison. Even with that high bar, the Yoga 9i was able to be more than serviceable for 2 workdays without a charger. Should you buy the Lenovo Yoga 9i (2025)? You should buy the Lenovo Yoga 9i (2025) if: You need an ultrabook A nice display is important to you You want to play casual games You should NOT buy the Lenovo Yoga 9i (2025) if: A haptic touchpad is a must You're hunting for the best value You really hate fingerprints All in all, the 2025 iteration of the Yoga 9i is a well-executed one. It's the same, sleek design with even better performance than before. While the price is a bit high for what's under the hood, Lunar Lake gave this thing the refresh it deserved, and the result is one of the best laptops on the market. Lenovo Yoga 9i (2025) CPU Intel Core Ultra 258V GPU Intel Arc 140V RAM 32GB LPDDR5X Display type OLED, 30-120Hz Adaptive RR, $1750 at Best Buy $1800 at Lenovo Expand Collapse

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition Review: A Premium All-Rounder with a Few Rough Edges

The laptop comes offers decent performance in this price segment The Lenovo Yoga series has long stood out as the premium ultra-portable laptops in the market. The company has been consistently launching laptops under its Yoga branding with a special focus on sleek design and lightweight build. And the new Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition continues this tradition. The latest laptop from Lenovo comes loaded with some interesting features, including the latest Intel Core Ultra processors, a 2.8K IPS touchscreen, a long battery life, and more. That said, is it enough to make it stand out from the crowd? I have been using the laptop for a while now, and here's everything you need to know. Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition surely reflects the brand's design ethos. The laptop comes with rounded corners that give a premium look and feel. It is made using a mix of raw and recycled aluminium, which surely adds some sturdiness. Moreover, the company has also added a special coating that prevents smudges all over the laptop, which is a good thing. I got the Luna Grey colour option for review, and it sure feels lightweight despite offering a 15.3-inch screen. It is also reasonably slim with no noticeable flex anywhere. The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition comes with an aluminum chassis, which looks sturdy. The hinge could have been better, in my opinion. Firstly, you cannot open it with one hand (an instant turn-off considering the price). Secondly, the hinge feels incredibly stiff, which doesn't make it fluid when you open it. And surprisingly, despite featuring a touchscreen, it is not a 2-in-1. The hinge only rotates back 180 degrees to lie flat on a surface. Also, I feel the weight distribution could have been slightly better, which is noticeable when you place it on your lap. The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition features a wide range of connectivity ports. As far as IO ports are concerned, the brand has done a pretty good job in providing almost all the necessary ports. You get a 3.5mm audio jack, one USB Type-C port, and an HDMI port on the left side, while the right side features one USB Type-A port, one USB Type-C port, a power on/off button, and a physical camera kill switch. The ports are plenty for a thin and light laptop. Lenovo has given two display options for this laptop: a non-touch OLED screen and an IPS touchscreen. I got the touchscreen model for the review, which comes with a 15.3-inch 2.8K display with a resolution of 1800 x 2880 pixels. The display also features a 100 percent DCI-P3 colour gamut, 500 nits of brightness, a 16:10 aspect ratio, and a 120Hz screen refresh rate. The laptop comes with a 15.3-inch 2.8K touchscreen display with 120Hz screen refresh rate. Starting with the strong points, the display is sharp and offers crisp visuals. The colours are well-balanced, and you will not see any oversaturation at any point. The large screen size also makes it an ideal choice for streaming movies, TV shows, or even playing casual games. The 120Hz refresh rate also makes the whole animation buttery smooth. That said, an IPS display can only do so much. I would have loved the combination of an OLED and a touchscreen. Ultimately, no matter how good an IPS panel can become, it still falls short compared to an OLED display. This is primarily because you get better saturation, colours, contrast, deep inky blacks, and more, which is not possible with an IPS display. The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition comes with a backlit keyboard. The laptop comes with soft keys that make it a smooth experience when you are typing. The keys are well-spaced and offer 1.5mm key travel, which is pretty standard in this price segment. However, what I liked the most was the oil-resistant coating, which prevents it from smudges and grease. Other brands do take note. The backlit keyboard offers a soft-touch keys, which makes it a delightful experience to type on this laptop. That said, the touchpad is not the laptop's strongest point. First of all, it does feel short and wide, which is a weird combination, to be honest. I do feel a bit restricted while using the touchpad because of this configuration. In terms of security, you get an IR-based camera for Windows Hello support, which works fine, even when the lights are dim. The FHD+ camera is passable, if not great. I was not impressed with the quality of the webcam, to be honest. However, I do like the fact that the company has given a physical shutter button to kill the camera feed. The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition comes with a four set of speakers that delivers a some great performance. Coming to the speakers, it surely works well. The sound is loud and clear, with no noticeable distortion at high volumes. The speakers exhibit a good command of the bass, while the mids and highs also feel solid. It is rare to find good speakers in such a compact form factor in a laptop. The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition runs on the Windows 11 operating system. Since it is a CoPilot+ PC, you get all the usual AI features that a typical CoPilot laptop offers. However, what makes it different is the company's own set of AI features that it has heavily advertised. There are multiple smart modes, which you can access by going to the Lenovo Vantage application or by simply pressing the F9 key. These modes are designed to enhance your workflow in different scenarios. So, there is an Attention Mode, Power Mode, Wellness Mode, Shield Mode, and Collaboration Mode. In Attention mode, you can easily minimise distraction by blocking social media applications for a set amount of time. The Power Mode lets you optimise the performance of the laptop, while Wellness Mode helps you provide digital well-being and encourages you to take breaks. The Shield Mode enables you to enhance privacy and data security, and it automatically blurs the screen when someone looks over your shoulders. Lastly, we have the Collaboration Mode, which basically enhances video conferencing. All these modes are fun to play with, though you have to choose them manually, which kind of defeats the purpose. It would be more interesting if all these modes got activated automatically to suit my work schedule, which would have been a different case altogether. The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition is loaded with the latest Intel Core Ultra 2 processor. The review unit came with an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V that offers a clock speed up to 4.8GHz. It also comes with a new Intel Arc 140V iGPU, which handles most graphics-related tasks with ease. This, coupled with 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 1TB of PCIe M.2 SSD storage, makes it a powerful, thin, and light laptop in this price segment. I have compiled the synthetic benchmark scores below. Coming to the performance, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition glides effortlessly through all the tasks that you throw at it. I used this laptop for my daily work schedule and was impressed with the performance it offered. With medium to heavy usage, which includes opening multiple Chrome tabs and windows, writing articles, and playing music in the background, the laptop delivered a stable performance throughout the review period. The laptop offers a good day-to-day performance with no noticeble thermal issues. Moreover, you can also enjoy some casual gaming on this laptop, although it is not intended for serious gaming. The thermal management was good enough for me, and I never noticed the laptop getting too hot to handle. The fan speeds were passable with sustained load. Interestingly, if you want to get the maximum output, then switching to Performance mode helps you get the full usage of TDP for a stable performance. The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition comes equipped with a 70Wh battery, and the brand ships a 65W USB-C charger with the laptop. The battery performance of the Lenovo laptop is on par with that of the rest of the competition. The laptop efficiently delivers around 12 hours of battery life with conservative to normal usage. With normal to heavy usage, I comfortably got around 7 to 9 hours of battery backup. Moreover, the laptop took almost 2 hours to charge fully. The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition sure brings some interesting features to the table. The design does not stand out, but it still looks premium and elegant. The IPS touchscreen display works well in most cases, but if you are someone who wants those contrasty colours and inky deep blacks, then going with the non-touch OLED version would make more sense. The performance is on par with the rest of the Intel Lunar Lake laptops available in the market. The AI features look good but still need some polishing. On the other hand, the stiff hinge could be a turn-off for some. Moreover, the touchpad on this laptop was disappointing. That said, if you are looking for a reliable, thin and light machine that can handle most of the tasks and offer a soft-key keyboard with great audio, then you can surely consider this one.