As the new hybrid setup is gaining popularity in the constantly evolving workplace, Lenovo ramps up its personal devices game. The Lenovo Yoga 9i is a compact laptop packed with features that can turn it into a powerful tool for work, school, and play.

Design

The slim design of the 14-inch Lenovo Yoga 9i gives it the premium look it is actually built and marketed for. Considered to be Lenovo’s thinnest and lightest laptop at just 13.9-14.6mm, it weighs only 1.29 kg, which is just about right for the work-from-anywhere worker. Bringing it in a coffee shop to test if carrying it will stress the shoulders. It did not.

With aerospace-grade metal bonded with an authentic European leather cover that is responsibly sourced in Shadow Black, it sure looks pretty sleek and expensive. The clamshell laptop had me at the leather cover because it means that 1) I didn’t have to worry about fingerprint blotches and 2) I wouldn’t have to worry about it slipping from my hands when carrying it from one room of the house to another. The aerospace-grade metal gives it a much sturdier look than other laptops.

The camera is inconspicuously placed just a notch above the 4K touchscreen (Yes, it is a touchscreen, and who wouldn’t love that?). The Lenovo Yoga 9i has up to 50% more clickable active surface area with the trackpad encased under glass and it is also equipped with a Smart Sensor Trackpad which vibrates when used.

True to its promise, this Lenovo premium laptop shows bright and vibrant thanks to Dolby Vision, which offers color and brightness optimization for more natural-looking images.

For those working (or playing) late into the night, the backlit keyboard 2-segment curve dome design makes it kinder to your fingertip because they are “bouncier” and softer. The keyboard surface is smooth with an anti-oil and abrasion-resistant coating.

The ports are strategically placed on either side of the Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i, which made it easy to manage cables and wires.

Performance

The Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i runs on Intel Evo, which is a platform-based device embedded “with the superfast responsiveness of up to 11th Gen Intel Core processors combined with graphics based on the Intel X e architecture.” The laptop boots up when the lid is lifted and it took only a few seconds to log in. Those who are in a hurry for impromptu video meetings won’t be late wherever they are.

The Dual Charging feature enables fast charging without overheating the system. Used for an extended period of time, the battery lasted for quite a decent period and the same went for heavy usage of various applications such as image and video. But for writing, net surfing, and Netflix, it lasted for more hours than expected.

A smart feature that is also energy saving that I particularly like is the zero-touch lock which dims and goes to the lock screen when the laptop is not in use. When watching a video and suddenly there is a call, it will automatically stop when it senses that the user is away. As an AI-equipped device, it also detects if someone is in front of the computer and plays back the video.

However, the webcam can use a lit bit of polishing because it can get a bit grainy.

The most notable, at least to me, is the audio. For something that is slim and small, one would expect satisfactory built-in speakers. Pleasantly surprised that the speaker is powered by Dolby Atmos Speaker System (2x2W Dolby Atmos Front-
facing System). You have a choice to change audio mode depending on your current “needs”: game, movie, music, or voice (if you are on a video call). Needless to say, when watching movies or videos with a powerful musical score, you wouldn’t think that you are watching from a 14-inch display.

The audio jack enables you to use your headphones but it also has Bluetooth 5.0 for wireless connections.

From design to performance, I believe that the Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i is perfect for the hybrid workforce who wants a premium-looking but compact personal device. While it is not easy on the budget (P100,000), it is a good investment for long-term — and long period of — use.