The Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i has all the premium features and durability one would expect from a flagship ultrabook—but with an unexpected level of class. It’s easily the most striking Windows laptop I’ve seen. The Yoga Slim 9i is powerful, efficient, and features a show-stopping 4K 120 Hz OLED screen, a hefty 75 Wh battery, and a stylish tempered glass case. While its overall performance isn’t class-leading, its seemingly endless battery life, elegant styling, and ultralight design make it nearly perfect for productivity on the go.
It’s fair to call the Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i a luxury item. Don’t believe me? Check the price. Under the hood, the Yoga Slim 9i is equipped with decent enough hardware but isn’t the upgrade over a MacBook Air or a ZenBook that its premium price tag might suggest. Its performance is comparable to both, but its style isn’t—the holographic blue tempered glass lid and near bezel-less display don’t just bridge the gap between function and fashion—they catwalk across it.
It’s not a laptop for the masses—it’s a status symbol for your boss. The colour accuracy and smooth playback of the PureSight OLED display make it an excellent device for reviewing files (preferably in public), but the hyper-efficient processor, limited ports, and compact form factor make it less suitable as a workhorse laptop.
That being said, the 14-inch 4K monitor is breathtaking. With a peak brightness of 750 nits, a 120 Hz refresh rate, and 100 percent colour representation for sRGB, DCI-P3, and AdobeRGB, this display is a video editor’s dream and an enviable piece of hardware for any creative professional.
“The Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i has all the premium features and durability one would expect from a flagship ultrabook—but with an unexpected level of class.”
Additionally, it has touchscreen functionality. The lid’s inability to lie flat limits the usefulness of the touchscreen, but it’s there if you need it. However, the screen is very glossy, which—when paired with the incredible brightness—immediately highlights every fingerprint. It would be a tragedy if one of your greasy little fingers landed on the hidden webcam.
The hidden webcam is one of the more premium features—but also the most disappointing. The 32 MP camera is integrated into the screen and remains masked by an OLED patch until activated. The main drawback is that there’s no matte box or light insulation to protect it from the glow of the surrounding pixels. While the resolution is high, it struggles in low light and it’s almost impossible to get an image free of haze or glare.
On the reverse side of the screen, the camera module’s plastic housing protrudes from the otherwise streamlined, metallic blue, glass lid. Despite the handle-like webcam bump, it’s likely to be the most stylish piece of technology on whatever surface you place it.
The Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i comes exclusively in “Tidal Teal”—a mesmerizing holographic coating whose reflective index changes based on the viewing angle. Simply turning your head or lifting the lid causes a shimmer to move across the surface like a wave.
“Lenovo has a reputation for making some of the best laptop keyboards, and with the Yoga Slim 9i, they’ve outdone themselves.”
The coating sits beneath a layer of tempered glass that Lenovo assures is impact-resistant and engineered to handle pressure, ball drops, and scratches. I did not test this claim, but I immediately discovered one thing it could not resist—oil. As stunning as the swirling metallic pattern looks under glass, it’s a fingerprint magnet, and a microfiber cleaning cloth will be an essential accessory to pair with this device.
Lenovo has a reputation for making some of the best laptop keyboards, and with the Yoga Slim 9i, they’ve outdone themselves. It’s an aluminum-framed, six-row, edge-to-edge keyboard with FN multimedia controls and five quick keys that can switch between power modes, audio profiles, eye care settings, quick access to a favoured app, and a fingerprint scanner.
The keycaps are slightly concave, backlit, and have a satiny, oil-resistant coating. The keystrokes have a 1.5 mm travel and use a soft-landing switch that provides a satisfyingly muted click. Thanks to the low profile of the case and the edge-to-edge layout of the keys, the typing experience remained comfortable for the entire time it took to write the first draft of this review.
Our test model came equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V and 32 GB of integrated RAM. It has just enough power to handle light 4K video editing in DaVinci Resolve but more than enough memory to cache a few minutes’ worth of data on the timeline. However, adding effects and grades is where the processor’s efficiency started to show its limitations.
For editing 1080p timelines, photo editing, and digital painting, however, the Ultra 7 was more than sufficient. While the performance didn’t knock my socks off, the temperature control did. Heat distribution isn’t the sexiest topic in the world, but I’ve never used a laptop that managed to stay at room temperature for as long as the Yoga Slim 9i. After an hour of editing and rendering, it was still cool enough to sit on my lap—which isn’t something I can say about my Lenovo Legion 5 after doing 20 minutes of the same work.
I tested the battery by leaving some 4K YouTube streams running at full volume and maximum brightness. After 11 and a half hours, the battery finally entered power saver mode—and the bottom of the laptop was still cool to the touch.
The 75 Wh battery can easily outlast a typical workday, and while I would have preferred a dedicated charging port, it didn’t end up being an issue. The battery life was never a concern, and charging from flat to full took just an hour and a half. The laptop’s charger is also impressively compact, measuring just 5.5 x 5.5 x 3 cm.
It’s a great device for creative work and general productivity, but really, it’s a laptop I wanted to relax with. When I needed some background music while painting, the speakers effortlessly filled the room with deep bass and crisp mid-tones. The audio was so clear that I was able to pick out new details in songs I have been listening to for years.
The integrated Intel Arc graphics card is suitable for light gaming and can run modern titles in 1080p with low to mid settings while maintaining a consistent 30 FPS. However, where the device truly shines is when it’s used to take in some 4K video. It’s easy to sit back and lose yourself in the borderless PureSight display.
“It’s suitable for creative work, general productivity, and some light gaming, but its performance alone doesn’t justify its $1,759.99 price tag.”
However, it’s not without drawbacks. My main issue was the commitment to minimalism over practicality. The Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i is limited to a pair of Thunderbolt 4 ports, one on each side—that’s it. That pair of ports is reduced to one if you need to work while tethered to the Thunderbolt 4 power supply. There’s also no audio jack, limiting headsets to wireless units. Even Apple, which first axed audio jacks, has returned to including them on their MacBooks. It’s true that Bluetooth quality and battery life have come a long way in the past few years, but for people like me who haven’t fully embraced going all-in on wireless, it was a disappointing omission.
As much as I enjoyed using the Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i, my time with it ended with some confusion. It’s not a hard device to recommend—but I’m not sure who to recommend it to. It’s suitable for creative work, general productivity, and some light gaming, but its performance alone doesn’t justify its $1,759.99 price tag. However, when it comes to relaxing with some 4K video or streaming music, its PureSight OLED monitor and rich, resonant speakers are class-leading.
As capable as it is for work and play, the true value lies in how it makes you look. It’s equal parts ultrabook and fashion accessory, and for its intended market, price won’t be a factor. If you’re strictly looking for power and versatility, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i is a good option but not a great value. But if aesthetics are a primary concern—you won’t find a better deal.
