This Lenovo laptop bombarded me with AI features - here's why that's a good thing

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition is connected merchantability for astir $1,512.
• It's a lightweight laptop with a coagulated artillery beingness and vibrant OLED show that is cleanable for enactment and entertainment.
• However, its lightweight quality extends to its hardware, too, since it isn't a peculiarly almighty computer.

If there's 1 happening you tin expect from Lenovo, it is simply a coagulated enactment laptop that is definite to impress. Over the past mates of weeks, I had the accidental to effort retired the company's latest convertible device: the Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition, 1 of Lenovo's caller lines of laptops that utilize artificial quality successful absorbing ways.

The word "Aura Edition" refers to a bid of AI features that purpose to heighten the idiosyncratic experience. For the involvement of brevity, I won't spell into each azygous 1 successful detail, but I volition item the tools I enjoyed the most.

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Through the Smart Connect app, you tin activate Aura Smart Share to link a smartphone to the laptop and transportation files betwixt them. I was capable to determination a representation from my telephone to the machine successful a substance of seconds. You volition request to instal Smart Connect connected your mobile instrumentality for this process to work. Once done, the enactment betwixt the 2 devices is seamless.

There is besides a postulation of optimization features called Smart Modes, which are accessible by hitting F9. There are 5 successful total, with my favourite being Wellness, which allows the laptop to nonstop retired literal posture checks and oculus wellness warnings. As idiosyncratic who types successful beforehand of a surface for hours, these tools travel successful precise handy.

Through its webcam, Lenovo's laptop volition archer you if you've been staring astatine the show for excessively long. A model volition appear, suggesting that you look astatine thing 20 feet distant for 20 seconds to springiness your eyes a break. And if you're hunched implicit similar a shrimp, different alert volition look successful the corner, telling you to beryllium up straight.

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I was besides a large instrumentality of Attention. This instrumentality lets users acceptable up timers that soundlessness each notifications truthful you tin enactment focused connected the task astatine hand. Timers tin scope from 10 minutes up to 4 hours.

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Working successful comfort

On the surface, the Yoga 9i Aura has a akin plan to the 10th-gen Yoga Slim 9i. They're some slim, lightweight laptops with rounded corners and a vibrant OLED touchscreen. The keyboard is arsenic arsenic comfortable. Like before, the keys agelong from extremity to end, are evenly spaced out, and are covered successful a brushed matte material. The 4 buttons connected the acold broadside marque a return, too. 

Also: Why I urge this fund Lenovo ThinkPad implicit laptops that outgo doubly the price

You person Smart Power astatine the apical for changing show profiles connected the file, Audio Profile to set audio profiles, and Eye Care Mode to code down the magnitude of bluish airy sent out. And that's beauteous overmuch wherever the similarities end. Notable differences betwixt them marque maine similar the newer Yoga exemplary more.

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET

You'll announcement the laptop is successful a antithetic color, sporting acheronian Cosmic Blue alternatively than Tidal Teal. I similar the teal colorway, though the space-inspired hue is beauteous nice. The backmost of the surface isn't ultra-glossy either, truthful fingerprints don't basal retired arsenic much.

I enjoyed the wider trackpad. It takes up astir fractional of the wrist remainder and is much comfy to use. You're fixed a wider scope of motion, letting you determination the cursor from 1 broadside of the surface to the different without lifting your finger.

What you get with this system

The Yoga Slim 9i was its CUD (camera nether display) design, meaning the webcam was virtually wrong the screen. It was a bold determination that didn't cookware retired -- the webcam is lackluster. For the Yoga 9 Aura Edition, however, Lenovo went backmost to a much accepted plan by placing its webcam supra the screen.

Also: This Lenovo ThinkPad exemplary ditches a decade-long streak - and I'm gladsome it did

As a result, video calls are mode amended connected this laptop, adjacent though it lone has a 5MP lens. Visuals are a batch little grainy, and determination isn't a weird bluish filter implicit everything. Colors are much accurate. 

The camera ridge isn't arsenic pronounced connected this model, but it inactive passes the one-finger test. Contrary to its ultrathin signifier factor, the Yoga 9 Aura Edition houses much ports than its counterpart. You'll find 2 Thunderbolt 4 inputs, a USB-C port, a USB-A input, and a headphone jack. 

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A brace of speakers is connected the bottom. Normally, I would kick astir this placement since it would muffle the sound. Thankfully, Lenovo placed different talker connected the laptop's hinge, truthful adjacent if you propulsion the show each the mode back, audio volition travel done crystal clear. 

Paired with the almighty talker is simply a vibrant 2.8K OLED touchscreen supported by aggregate image-enhancing software. This includes, but is not constricted to, an anti-glare coating, a refresh complaint of 120Hz for creaseless animations, and Display HDR True Black 1000 for acheronian shadows. In plain English, each this means that the surface is simply a ocular marvel.

Lightweight performance

The Yoga 9i Aura Edition falls down the 10th-gen Yoga Slim 9i successful presumption of performance. My reappraisal portion housed an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor, 32GB of RAM, and an Intel Arc graphics card. The different laptop had a akin configuration. Below is simply a array comparing the 2 devices crossed assorted benchmark tests.

These numbers amusement that the Yoga 9 Aura Edition isn't arsenic adept astatine processing dense workloads oregon rendering images. That said, it is inactive a susceptible machine. I performed my accustomed 50-tab test, opening a clump of web pages, Amazon listings, and YouTube unrecorded streams to spot however good it could grip everything.

And I'm blessed to accidental it did mostly great. I was capable to hop betwixt aggregate 4K YouTube videos without overmuch issue. However, erstwhile I got person to 50 tabs, I did statesman to acquisition immoderate slowdown.

Also: This Lenovo ThinkPad is 1 of the astir underrated picks for distant workers

The bully happening astir this hardware is that it's not excessively demanding connected the battery. Under Best Power Efficiency, I managed to get the Yoga 9i to past astir 12 hours connected a azygous complaint earlier it died. 

It is imaginable to widen the artillery beingness adjacent further by activating Battery Saver done the Smart Modes menu. Doing truthful extends the runtime to astir 15 hours. Additionally, recharge times are beauteous fast. A 30-minute complaint brought the artillery up to 43%.

ZDNET's buying advice

Lenovo's Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition is presently connected merchantability with prices starting astatine $1,512. On the company's website, you person a fewer customization options. Instead of a 512GB SSD and a 2.8K OLED touchscreen, you tin elite to person a 1TB SSD with a 4K OLED touchscreen. Be alert that doing truthful volition summation the last price.

If you privation a better-performing laptop and don't caput a lesser-quality webcam, I highly suggest the aforementioned Yoga Slim 9i. It's a spot much expensive, but worthy it for the show boost. If you're looking for thing extracurricular of the Lenovo ecosystem, I urge the HP EliteBook X G1a. It's a fantastic ultrabook that boasts a slim plan and a 3K OLED touchscreen.