Rejoice, Floor Neo followers: Lenovo’s Yoga E book 9i delivers every part that Microsoft promised however did not ship and extra, in a fantastic and premium kind issue.
Introduced at CES 2023, the Yoga E book 9i is a dual-screen pill or laptop computer, relying in your definition of these items. Every show is equivalent, so there are two 13.3-inch multitouch- and smartpen-capable OLED panels with a 2.8K (2880 x 1800) decision and a 16:10 side ratio, every of which outputs 400 nits of brightness. In early use, I can let you know that the shows are very good, with all the shiny colours and inky blacks that we count on from OLED.
The hinge that connects the 2 shows is hidden by a speaker bar, and between the bezels on every show, the air hole between every show and the speaker/bar hinge, and that speaker bar and its underlying hinge, there’s one-inch break in show continuity. However I feel that’s the purpose of the speaker bar: somewhat than attempt to reduce the hole, which might weaken the machine’s integrity, Lenovo has merely embraced it. And that’s positive: there’s at all times hole in a twin show setup.
The shows are equivalent, however the two sides of this machine are usually not as a result of one is actually only a show with the webcam and Lenovo’s new “reverse notch,” whereas the opposite is the bottom and accommodates all the inner elements plus its restricted vary of growth ports, which features a single Thunderbolt 4/USB-C port on the left and two Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports on the proper.
Contained in the Yoga E book 9i is an actual pc, with a thirteenth Gen Intel Core i7-1355U processor, Intel Iris Xe graphics, 16 GB of quick LPDDR5X RAM, and 1 TB of PCIe SSD Gen 4 storage. There’s Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.1 for connectivity, and a 5 MP webcam with Home windows Good day facial recognition capabilities.
Lenovo claims the PC can obtain as much as 7.3 hours of battery life, or as much as 14 hours with single-screen video playback. It helps fast cost and comes with a 65-watt wall-mounted charger.
However you need to know concerning the Yoga E book 9i’s distinctive utilization modes. And that’s certainly the place issues get actually fascinating.
Most PC makers market their convertible designs as “2-in-1s,” which is a little bit of a misnomer as these PCs help 4 distinctive utilization modes—laptop computer, tent, presentation, and pill—not two. However the Yoga E book 9i takes issues to 11, and nearly actually. I’m having bother counting all of the methods wherein you may use this.
The obvious draw, in fact, is simply utilizing it as a dual-screen laptop computer, although that is difficult by the truth that you are able to do so in two completely different configurations. Utilizing the bundled origami folding stand, which supplies an built-in pen holder and protects the bundled keyboard whereas in transit, you may align the Yoga E book 9i’s two shows side-by-side, with every in portrait mode.
Or you may benefit from the uncommon and distinctive configuration wherein one display screen is on prime of the opposite, with every show in panorama mode and the machine itself extending twice as tall as the conventional peak for a laptop computer. This mode is fascinating to me as a result of it places the webcam in a spot that gives a much more flattering view, versus the up-the-chin view you usually get with a laptop computer.
That stand has magnets that maintain the keyboard in place, however the keyboard is Bluetooth primarily based so you too can detach it and use it anyplace you need close by. Sadly, it lacks a touchpad, so Lenovo bundles a mouse with the PC. That’s lots of stuff to hold round—the machine with the 2 screens, the keyboard wrapped within the stand with the pen connected, the mouse, and an influence provide—however I really feel like Lenovo made the proper design selections right here given the shape issue.
However actually, there’s a lot extra.
You need to use simply the PC itself in laptop computer mode, and have a digital keyboard take up the decrease show. Or you may write on that decrease show whereas viewing content material on the higher show. You need to use it like a pill. In tent mode, the place you may alternatively give a presentation wherein you see one display screen and your viewers see the opposite. There’s a particular sport mode the place you need to use on-screen controls on the underside show, whereas different video games help each shows (a racing sport with the principle view on the highest and an overhead view of the monitor on the underside, for instance). It sort of goes on and on.
Serving to issues, that speaker bar works in any orientation, helps Dolby Atmos, and is powered by 4 Bowers & Wilkins audio system, in order that mixed with the shows ought to be fairly fascinating for leisure. (That stated, I’d use a single show to observe movies, in fact.)
Nicely, this one will probably be fascinating, that’s for certain. However even with just some hours of time with the Yoga E book 9i, I really feel that it’s much more sensible than a few of Lenovo’s different experimental designs, just like the ThinkBook Plus Gen 3, which contains a second, 8-inch show in its wrist relaxation. This one may really make sense. Pricing seems to be to be about $2100.
Extra quickly.