Lenovo introduces the brand new Yoga Book 9i dual-screen device with the new concept of a foldable dual-screen laptop with a magnetic keyboard. The new, cutting-edge Yoga Book 9i hails a new chapter for Yoga with incredible innovation, premium style, and performance for versatile experiences.
The Yoga Book 9i looks just like a typical laptop. But it actually contains TWO 13.3-inch 2.8K OLED displays that dominate the inside of the device. That means unlike ASUS’ rivals, there’s no room for a physical keyboard – at least not on the body of the device.
However, to support all sorts of setups and use cases, Lenovo also provides a range of bundled accessories including a folding kickstand, a detachable Bluetooth keyboard, and a stylus. And it’s this combination of peripherals that really elevates the Yoga Book 9i into something more than a simple clamshell.
You can also fold this device at 90 degrees and use it like a regular 13-inch laptop. This is a feature of single-screen foldable devices as well, but the deal with those is that it usually makes the screen you’re working with much smaller.
Lenovo’s press release calls the Yoga Book 9i the “first full-size dual screen OLED laptop” among vendors selling at least 1 million units a year. Targeting creative consumers who also want a machine with strong productivity that’s also fit for entertainment, the laptop has two 13.3-inch OLED panels connected by the soundbar hinge that Lenovo has been using in its Yoga convertible lineup for a while.
Powered by up to the latest generation of Intel Core™ processors, the Yoga Book 9i enables users to take advantage of a full laptop experience along with the flexibility and multi-tasking potential of dual screens. These thin and light laptops, built on the Intel Evo platform, are designed and engineered to provide seamless communication experiences across a wide range of apps while minimizing the impact on responsiveness, battery life, and connectivity.
The Yoga Book 9i has 13th-gen Intel Core i7 CPUs, up to 16GB of DDR5 RAM, 512GB of storage, and three USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4. And despite being a relatively sleek system that measures just 0.63 inches thick, Lenovo managed to cram a large 80Whr battery inside. That’s important because those dual OLED displays are pretty power-hungry, with the company claiming the laptop will last around seven hours in dual-screen mode or closer to 14 hours when only using a single display.
Yoga Book 9i also comes complete with a folio stand enabling users to work on the go more easily. A detachable Bluetooth® keyboard enhances the multi-tasking potential, as does the Lenovo-designed Smart Pen stylus which can be used to further enable and elevate productivity.
The Yoga Book 9i will come with a physical Bluetooth keyboard that you can use detached from the system or magnetically docked to the bottom two-thirds of the lower screen. Alternatively, you can use a virtual keyboard on the southern screen.
With a physical or virtual keyboard docked, you can use the remaining top third of that display for Windows widgets, such as the Weather, News, and Sticky Notes. But if you don’t use Windows widgets, the area is kind of useless because you can’t use it for anything else, like a shrunken window.
With the virtual keyboard on display, I was also able to quickly bring up a virtual touchpad by sliding the virtual keyboard up with my fingers. If this touchpad works well, it’s a clever inclusion for times when you want more traditional navigation but doesn’t have a mouse on hand.
The Yoga AIO 9i is an unapologetically style-oriented all-in-one that mates a 31.5-inch 4K, HDR-capable display with a reasonably powerful PC tucked behind it. You can equip the system with up to a Core i9-13900H processor and NVIDIA’s next-gen laptop graphics.
The laptop does not give more than 1TB of built-in SSD storage, but you will find up to 32GB of RAM and decent expansion that includes one USB 4 port, three USB 3.2 ports (one of them USB-C), and HDMI 2.1 output. The PC arrives in the third quarter of the year and will start at $1,800 with a Core i7-13700H, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB drive.
The Yoga Book 9i is a cheaper alternative to the 16-inch ThinkPad X1 Fold, offering twice the screen. You get a somewhat more traditional form factor but also have to contend with a massive bezel in the form of an audio-producing metallic teal hinge. Hinge durability is less of a concern, but there are plenty of questions remaining around practicality (including managing pesky fingerprints), battery life, and performance.
In April, Lenovo said that it expects the ThinkPad X1 Fold to start at $2,500 for the lowest specs and no keyboard or stand, and the ZenBook 17 Fold OLED is currently going for $3,500. The Yoga Book 9i’s dual-screen design helps net it a cheaper starting price than foldable. The 2-in-1 will start at $2,100 and is expected to come out in June.
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