Lenovo Yoga Book 9i Handson: Bringing Dualscreens To A New Level

Ryan Haynes / Android Authority

Lenovo is no stranger to unique and sophisticated designs, including the very impressive X1 Fold. Now some of that magic is in the all-new Yoga Book 9i. While the 9i isn't a foldable, it's a dual-screen OLED laptop with a lot of unique uses that might sound familiar to many fans of the X1 Fold and even the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold.

Not your father's laptop

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The Yoga Book 9i looks like a regular laptop from the outside, but instead of a keyboard and display, you get two 13.3-inch OLED screens connected by a hinge. The screens offer a crisp 2.8k resolution, 400 nits brightness and a 60Hz refresh rate.

When you open the laptop, you're greeted with just two screens. You can fully use the laptop this way by connecting the virtual keyboard and trackpad. I was a little concerned that the experience would be terrible for typists like me, but with haptic feedback, it's better than expected. Also, this mode is perfect if you want to use it as a large chart with a stylus.

However, what really sets the Yoga Book 9i apart are the accessories that come with it. You get a magnetic Bluetooth keyboard and a foldable case that doubles as a kickstand, which we'll get to later. There's even a pen with a stand built right into the body. In addition to handwriting input support, the stylus also includes a handy button that makes it easy to take screenshots on the go.

Focusing on the keyboard, Lenovo offers many ways to use it. For starters, you can place the keyboard at the bottom of the screen and you immediately get a traditional template with a virtual touchpad. Most importantly, it gives you tactile feedback, so it really feels like a real touchpad.

If you're interested in the Yoga Book 9i, you'll likely want more out of it than just using it as a traditional laptop. So let's take this keyboard and move it to the bottom screen. Instead of a virtual touchpad, you now get a set of widgets for things like your calendar, calculator, notes, and more. This mode is very similar to what we've seen on Asus Duo laptops over the years, but with a Bluetooth keyboard instead of an integrated keyboard.

We are not done yet. Let's pay attention to the case of the folio. An origami container can be turned into a diaper in just a few simple steps. You can then stack the two screens on top of each other, giving you plenty of screen real estate to work with. Place the keyboard under everything and get a comfortable workspace with a large screen.

Ryan Haynes / Android Authority

It's also possible to place the screens side-by-side in landscape mode if you want a huge screen, but this is probably my least favorite use case. First, you have a very awkward hinge in the middle, and the screens are quite high. I'm sure some people will find landscape mode useful, but I don't think it's the mode for me. Who knows, maybe in time I will be too.

The Lenovo Yoga Book 9i also supports tent mode, which is perfect for situations where, for example, you're in a face-to-face meeting and want to move your presentation around the screen while viewing and controlling it from the other side.

Lenovo offers a lot of specialized software

Ryan Haynes / Android Authority

Lenovo has integrated custom software and gestures to make the most of the Yoga Book 9i's many uses. We've already talked about the stylus, the virtual keyboard, and the touchpad. There are also some handy gestures like movie mode. Just press and hold any app, then tap the screen with your finger. The program switches between screens instantly.

The Yoga Book 9i is all about multitasking, and that's why Lenovo makes it easy to network your screen so you can run up to four programs at the same time. We've seen this before with the Lenovo X1 Fold. And of course, snap modes aren't technically new to laptops in general, it's just that the grid system works better here because of the extra workspace.

Grids are especially useful when you have many properties to work with.

Next we have my favorite programming tips. In foldable mode, you can also tap the screen with five fingers and the app will spread across two screens. You immediately get a huge amount of screen real estate, which is great for viewing web pages, documents, and more. While all this screen real estate is appreciated, keep in mind that using the app on any screen is disruptive. However, I quickly got used to it.

My time with the device was limited, but we're sure there are plenty of other software tricks out there. Clearly, Lenovo is ensuring that its software is designed to take full advantage of the Yoga Book 9i's hardware.

What specs and performance are we talking about here?

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The Yoga Book 9i is a unique option for dual screens, but none of that matters if it doesn't have the power to back it up. Fortunately, you get some pretty cheap specs here, including a 13th Gen Intel Core i7-U15 processor, Intel Iris Xe graphics, 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, Wi-Fi 6e, and a 512GB or 1TB SSD. 1080p camera and four speakers. The notebook is powered by an 80 watt-hour battery that Lenovo claims should last for around 7 hours.

Considering how thin and light the device is, it's no surprise that Lenovo ditched the legacy ports. Instead, there are three USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports. As long as you don't interfere with the dongle, this shouldn't be a problem for most users.

Overall, the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i is quite a powerful device considering its slim form factor. While it's not a video editing or gaming beast, it should be more than adequate as a productivity and entertainment device.

Is the Yoga Book 9i what you've been waiting for?

I have to say, I was very impressed with the Yoga Book 9i. You get essentially the same thing as a foldable laptop, but it looks a lot more modern and is actually cheaper, starting at $2,100. It's not that much cheaper than the X1 Fold, but it's still a savings of almost $400. Let's also face it, folding technology is still new and can be fragile, so the Yoga Book 9i is the perfect compromise for those who like the look of foldable laptops but aren't ready to dive into a product category that most aren't. familiar to know about. your childhood

The Yoga Book 9i combines the functionality of the X1 Fold with more familiar display technology.

The only negative I can say here is that if you don't like carrying tons of accessories, this might not be the device for you. To get the most out of the Yoga Book 9i, you need a Bluetooth case, pen, and keyboard. You can also bring your own mouse. That's a lot to take in. It's not too bad for me, but I still carry a lot of them in my laptop bag.

Have you spotted the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i? You have the opportunity to take it in June.