Productivity Has No Limits
The latest Yoga Book 9i breaks the convention of a laptop and empowers the owner to use it in any way possible
For a user who is so used to multi-monitor desktop work, the Yoga Book 9i Gen 8, powered by Intel® Core(TM) i5/i7™ processors, presents so much freedom and versatility. It is even ergonomically better as the main display is elevated to eye level if you prop the laptop flat up on the stand. It feels like carrying around a foldable dual monitor with an invisible processor, rather than a laptop. The amazing thing is that you could place it either in landscape or in portrait orientation, which would be a productivity boost when processing documents.
Yet there is a familiarity in the form factor, with a hinge holding Bowers and Wilkins speakers – which sounds great for a laptop. Compared to the ThinkPad X1 Fold, having two separate display panels instead of a single huge foldable panel makes app management easier and definitely less flimsy.
The included keyboard and pen are stored neatly in a separate folio stand, which is brilliant. When the origami stand unfolds, the pen remains housed in place when supporting the Yoga Book 9i while the keyboard snaps magnetically on the folio. No longer would I have to worry about finding ways to store the pen.
With a separate keyboard that connects via Bluetooth, you can place it anywhere you want. Position the upper section of the lower display and the bottom display will automatically pop up a virtual touchpad and mouse buttons. Position on the lower section and the top part will display widgets. Remove it and you have two full displays at your disposal. You can even command the virtual keyboard to appear by putting all eight fingers on the bottom display. Lenovo tries to make the virtual keyboard as realistic as possible with haptic feedback and even typing sounds in stereo.
Having two built-in displays also means you get colour consistency when traversing between the two panels. Folding the Yoga Book 9i into a tent also makes it more useful as you can select to mirror both displays at the same time so both parties can watch the same content, or you can go for presentation mode. Pen-dwellers will also be able to make use of both display panels to express their creativity. Gamers would also enjoy the ability to see more information and use the touch screen for controls.
No longer would you need a separate webcam or microphone, the Yoga Book 9i offers a 3.7MP 2560×1440 pixel camera that can record 1440p video, as well as intelligent microphone noise-cancelling, as well as speaker noise cancelling that will filter out noises other than voice. My favourite feature, like other Lenovo laptops, is its intelligent sensing feature that will auto-lock the laptop and auto-unlock when sensing my presence. While there are no USB Type-A or HDMI ports, the YogaBook 9i makes up of three Thunderbolt USB-C ports which offer flexibility in charging and connecting other accessories with a Hub.
Of course, the biggest question is whether you can justify the price tag. You probably could buy a separate portable monitor. And you have to remember to consistently charge your keyboard and pen for them to work.
Rating: 4.5/5
We Say: A productivity boost for users who multi-task or those who tinker with tablet design, or multi-screen presentation that folds.
From S$3,599
www.lenovo.com/sg
Technical Specifications
Processor 13th Generation Intel Core i7-1355U Processor
Operating System Windows 11 Home 64
Display 13.3″ 2.8K (2880 x 1800), OLED Touch, 100% DCI-P3, 60 Hz, Glass
Memory 16 GB LPDDR5X-6400MHz (Soldered)
Storage 1 TB SSD M.2 2242 PCIe Gen4 TLC
Graphics Integrated
Camera 5MP RGB+IR with Dual Array Microphone
Pen Lenovo Digital Pen (Gen 3)
Battery 4 Cell Li-Polymer 80Wh
Dimensions 16 x 299 x 204 mm
Weight 1.34 kg
