Lenovo Yoga Guide 9i evaluation: The world isn’t prepared for dual-screen laptops, however Lenovo is

Every so often, a tool comes alongside and challenges you to contemplate the viability of a completely new product class. That’s exactly what Lenovo is doing with the Yoga Book 9i. By changing the normal bodily keyboard with a second show, the corporate is rethinking what a laptop computer can do. In tight confines, you may depend on a digital keyboard or an included magnetic various. However when area isn’t a priority, you may prop the entire system up on its customized folding cowl to create an interesting dual-screen workspace. It’s like a miniature all-in-one PC that’s extremely straightforward to hold round. And whereas its software program nonetheless wants work and it prices twice as a lot as a typical clamshell, the Yoga Guide 9i is proof that it’s value exploring this new department of the laptop computer’s evolutionary tree.

Design and shows

There’s a profound class to the Yoga Guide 9i’s design. Although the laptop computer’s backside half is a bit thicker than the highest, it appears like Lenovo has boiled the gadget all the way down to its most simple parts: two halves (on this case, screens) joined by a hinge within the center. The twin 13.3-inch shows (2,880 x 1,800) look nice too, boasting OLED panels with wealthy colours and a examined brightness simply shy of 400 nits.

Across the exterior, the Yoga Guide contains a polished steel body with three Thunderbolt 4 ports, which is sweet to see on a system this measurement. Sadly for followers of wired audio, you don’t get a 3.5mm audio jack. Fortunately, Lenovo’s 5-megapixel IR webcam is sharper than what you get on most competing gadgets, and holding all the things collectively is the corporate’s signature speaker bar hinge, which is impressively loud and punchy. All instructed, regardless of being barely heavier than a typical 13-inch ultraportable as a consequence of that second layer of glass, it’s nonetheless very straightforward to hold round.

The remaining items of the Yoga Guide 9i’s equipment are its equipment, which embrace a stylus, a indifferent magnetic bodily keyboard, a folding kickstand cowl and even a glossy journey mouse. The keyboard communicates by way of Bluetooth and has its personal USB-C port for charging. Regardless of its measurement, it doesn’t really feel cramped and presents extra key journey than you may count on. Throughout transport, the duvet wraps across the keyboard to maintain it protected, whereas Lenovo’s Digital Pen 3 may be stashed within the connected loop. 

The mouse is the odd one out as a result of whereas it is a useful inclusion, it’s additionally slightly fundamental (its solely noteworthy attribute is having a toggle on the underside for rapidly switching between two paired gadgets). Plus, it does not connect to the remainder of the system in any manner. Nonetheless, what you may create if you put these items collectively is when issues get actually attention-grabbing.

A dual-mode machine

In clamshell mode, the Yoga Guide 9i seems and capabilities like a daily laptop computer. However after all, it’s lacking a discrete keyboard and touchpad, so what do you do if you want them? That’s straightforward, you simply faucet eight fingers on the underside panel and immediately you get digital stand-ins. And for instances if you solely have to mouse round, you need to use a three-finger faucet as an alternative, which summons a floating touchpad that leaves room for Lenovo’s widgets (climate, information, and so on.) or the rest you’d wish to put down there.

Surprisingly, typing on a touchscreen isn’t as dangerous as you may assume. Don’t get me fallacious, it’s nonetheless not almost as quick or correct as utilizing a bodily keyboard. But it surely’s serviceable, so long as you’re prepared to make some changes. You may’t slam your fingers down as a result of there are not any switches or precise keys with depth to cushion each strike and it’s essential be extra conscious of when your palms begin to drift lest your sentence devolves right into a jumble. However after somewhat follow, I’m in a position to hit 60 to 65 phrases per minute, which is down from round 85 wpm usually. As for mousing, the tackiness of the glass means swiping round isn’t fairly as fluid both. However that’s OK, as a result of in the event you don’t wish to rely fully on a digital keyboard or touchpad, you don’t need to.

Dropping Lenovo’s keyboard on the underside display immediately converts the Yoga Guide right into a extra conventional setup. The magnets inside even assist align it correctly. From there you may sort away on bodily keys in the event you want. Simply don’t neglect to take away the accent earlier than you shut the lid.

What’s most spectacular concerning the Yoga Guide 9i’s is its potential to remodel into a conveyable all-in-one PC when it’s propped up on its kickstand cowl. On this mode, there are two choices for its shows: a stacked setup with one display on prime of the opposite and a side-by-side association. Each configurations have their makes use of. Twin portrait-mode panels are nice for rapidly referencing supplies like spec sheets whereas writing. Alternatively, the vertically stacked orientation is superb for preserving an necessary undertaking open up prime whereas the underside display is reserved for e mail or messaging apps.

No matter your choice, merely being able to make use of two shows on a tool provides the Yoga Guide 9i a novel benefit over just about each regular laptop computer. Positive, you may recreate an analogous state of affairs utilizing a bunch of add-ons, nevertheless it’s by no means going to be fairly as glossy.

Software program

The largest draw back to the Yoga Guide 9i is that whereas its {hardware} is stable, its software program is hit and miss. Lenovo makes an attempt to mitigate this with its Person Middle, which does an excellent job of showcasing the laptop computer’s dual-screen options and is a straightforward place to regulate settings like show modes, brightness and extra.

Sadly, even with the additional help, it’s clear Home windows 11 isn’t designed for laptops like this. Typically when launching full-screen apps like a recreation, the Yoga Guide will get confused and places the window on the fallacious panel. Different instances, like if you’re putting in a program or logging in, a immediate pops up that fully disables the decrease show, which is form of annoying if you’re counting on a digital keyboard and touchpad. I can perceive that it is exhausting to optimize software program if you don’t have a tool to check issues on. Besides, there’s no hiding that this creates a stilted expertise in comparison with a typical laptop computer, and in the event you’re contemplating shopping for a Yoga Guide 9i, it is a fact you’re going to need to stay with (at the least for now).

Efficiency

Packing an Intel Core i7-155U chip, 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, the Yoga Guide 9i can deal with most productiveness wants. Even when multitasking throughout each shows, efficiency felt comparatively snappy. Nonetheless, in the event you’re planning on often doing extra demanding issues like video enhancing, you’ll in all probability desire a beefier machine. On our video encoding check, the laptop computer took a minute and a half to transform a one-minute film trailer from 4K to 1080p. That’s not nice when in comparison with techniques with quicker chips that may carry out the identical process in 30 to 40 seconds.

Battery life

Even with a comparatively massive 80Wh battery, for a system with two screens, the Yoga Guide 9i fared higher than anticipated on our normal video rundown check. It posted a time of eight hours and 12 minutes, which is a pair hours shorter than conventional similarly-sized rivals just like the Asus ZenBook S 13 (10:39). But it surely’s longer than what you get from extra highly effective thin-and-light gaming notebooks, which frequently battle to get north of 5 hours on a cost.

Wrap up

As the primary laptop computer to characteristic two shows, the Yoga Guide 9i is a slightly divisive machine. Beginning at $2,000, not solely is it actually costly, its efficiency can also be slower than extra conventional rivals on this value vary. Nonetheless, for folks like me who continuously yearn for extra display actual property once I’m away from residence, Lenovo has created one thing that’s greater than the sum of its elements. When area is proscribed, the Yoga Guide 9i’s clamshell mode feels proper at residence on an airplane tray desk. However when it is not, it could actually increase into a conveyable dual-screen workstation–full with all of the fixings of your desktop at residence. And when it’s essential pack up, all the things collapses right into a neat, semi-self-contained bundle that matches within the smallest of laptop computer baggage.

The Yoga Guide 9i is a nifty little transformer that’s extra partaking than something Michael Bay has directed within the final 20 years. With how little laptops have modified not too long ago, it feels just like the Yoga Guide has much more room to develop within the years to come back. Positive, it’s nonetheless a bit awkward, however as the start line for a brand new sort of pocket book, Lenovo’s debut dual-screen convertible has me satisfied.