The Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition (Gen 10) has made its debut, and it’s truly impressive. Since my main laptop is the Yoga 9i 2-in-1 (Gen 7), I anticipated enjoying many aspects of this machine. However, I was not prepared to be utterly amazed by the incredible battery life it offers, while still featuring many of the same outstanding elements as its predecessor.
The most eye-catching features of the Yoga 9i Aura Edition encompass a vibrant, colorful OLED display, an exceptionally responsive and springy keyboard, and an elegant cosmic blue chassis that makes it stand out amidst the sea of gray and black laptops. While it comes with a slightly less robust processor compared to its Gen 9 predecessor, it continues to perform exceptionally well and provides over three times the battery longevity.
The period of Windows laptops delivering ridiculous battery durations while MacBooks lead the way may be nearing an end. Indeed, this laptop has a few drawbacks, but with a battery that can last nearly 24 hours, who is concerned about a few small issues?
Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition pricing and specifications
The Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition carries a somewhat hefty price, but you receive a laptop packed with high-end features, remarkable battery life, and all-around performance in return. Our review model is priced at $1,749 and includes the following specifications:
– Intel Core Ultra 7 258V CPU
– Integrated Intel Arc graphics
– 32GB of RAM
– 1TB of SSD storage
– 14-inch, 2880 x 1800-pixel, 120Hz OLED display
The configuration above, featuring 32GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage, facilitates effortless tab management, multitasking, and organization of files. However, you can reduce the cost to slightly below $1,500 through Lenovo’s website, where this model starts with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage and often sees discounts.
It’s a stylish and portable fingerprint magnet
Lenovo’s Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition is an excellent travel companion with its convertible convenience. Weighing just 2.9 pounds and measuring 12.4 x 8.7 x 0.6 inches, it’s hardly noticeable in a backpack, and the effortless switch between a traditional laptop and tablet form is unbeatable when on the go.
The all-aluminum shell feels cool and looks attractive, but it does tend to pick up fingerprints easily, which was not the case for the Yoga 9i. When I touched my Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Gen 7 daily driver, my fingerprints vanished nearly immediately. In contrast, doing the same on this Gen 10 Yoga 9i results in visible fingerprints that linger until cleaned.
Our review model is in the cosmic blue color scheme, but there’s also a luna gray option available, which was my choice for the Gen 7 daily driver. This variation in colors may explain the noticeable difference in fingerprint visibility.
Aside from its tendency to attract fingerprints, the Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition is a well-designed and appealing laptop. The top lid protrudes slightly where the webcam is located, making the laptop easier to open, and the mirrored edges along the bottom provide a unique design feature. Most importantly, the hinges are durable (without being overly stiff) when switching between laptop, tent, and tablet modes.
An exquisite display that’s surprisingly efficient
The Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition sports a 14-inch, 2.8K (2880 x 1800) OLED touchscreen with a fluid 120Hz refresh rate, and this is likely my favorite feature of the laptop.
This laptop’s OLED display enhances color vibrancy without oversaturation, and blacks appear deep and rich. Furthermore, the 2.8K resolution offers an upgrade over the 1920 x 1080-pixel resolution found in many laptops, yet is less demanding on battery life compared to 4K. Alternatively, you can choose a 4K display with this laptop, but you’ll be limited to 60Hz.
With a maximum brightness of 500 nits (1,100 nits HDR), the display is adequately bright, even at 50 percent brightness during the day. It is glossy and therefore quite reflective, but I did not encounter any frustrating issues while using it, even in direct sunlight.
Whether I was binge-watching Bridgerton, managing my weekly tasks in Trello, or enjoying lo-fi music on YouTube while working, the colors leaped off the screen, significantly enhancing my overall laptop experience.
Although I refrained from using the touchscreen too much to avoid greasy fingerprints…