This ultraportable Lenovo laptop is a worthy MacBook Air alternative (and has a useful iPhone feature)

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Version is out there now for $999 for the 32GB of RAM configuration.
• It pairs a myriad of customizable options with a pleasant show, surprisingly beefy audio system, and a marathon battery.
• A couple of bodily design selections could be of concern for some, and I want it had an OLED.

extra shopping for selections

At Finest Purchase, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition is on sale for $999, a $300 low cost. 

When Lenovo introduced its Intel-powered Aura Edition laptops at IFA in Berlin final 12 months, it led with the Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition, wowing attendees with demos of its tap-to-share characteristic. You activate the characteristic by bodily tapping (gently, Lenovo pleads) the aspect of the laptop computer’s show together with your telephone, permitting you to drag-and-drop photographs on to the laptop computer, one of the attention-grabbing options we noticed.  

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I used to be there in individual, and also you higher imagine I used to be among the many first in line to check it out, however fast-forward a month, and I used to be simply as excited to go hands-on with the opposite distinctive options in Lenovo’s Aura Version Yoga 7i.

The Yoga Slim 7i Aura Version is a Copilot+ PC powered by Intel’s “Lunar Lake” Collection 2 line of processors. These chips take intention on the different AI-powered PCs that exploded onto the patron market final 12 months (powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite chip) with distinctive options that try to set the gadget aside in an more and more crowded market of AI PCs.

I went hands-on with one other laptop computer with Intel’s Collection 2 chip, the Asus Zenbook S 14, and was impressed with its efficiency, ultra-thin construct, and marathon battery life, so I used to be curious to see how Lenovo’s Yoga Slim 7i would evaluate.

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Proper off the bat, I can say the bodily type issue of the Yoga Slim 7i is about on par with different laptops in its class. At 3.3 kilos, it is not fairly as skinny and light-weight because the Zenbook S 14, but it surely’s additionally a 15-inch gadget. It appears to be like like a quintessential Lenovo, with a slate grey coloration and signature notched lid the place the webcam is housed.

The keyboard is spacious and roomy, with easy, plastic-coated keycaps which might be responsive and satisfying to kind on. Lenovo opted to forego a full keyboard in order that it may match the upward-facing audio system on both finish of the keyboard, which was the proper name, because the Dolby Atmos-powered audio system sound higher than common. In reality, they’re a number of the higher laptop computer audio system I’ve heard all 12 months.

The shiny 15-inch show helps a 120GHz refresh price and multitouch capabilities, and it folds flat, however not all the way in which again into pill mode. General, it appears to be like effective, however an OLED would have actually set it aside as a noteworthy flagship gadget, notably for the value.

Regardless of the seemingly stable bodily construct, my evaluation unit had a barely free backplate. I contacted Lenovo and was assured this was a difficulty with my particular person unit and never one thing discovered on others, however other well-known laptop reviewers reported comparable quirks with the laptop computer’s bodily chassis.

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Below the hood, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i comes with the beforehand talked about Intel Core Extremely 7 (Collection 2) chip, as much as 32GB of RAM, an Intel Arc GPU, and a 15-inch 2.8K (2880 x 1800) LCD contact show. This can be a fairly normal mid-range {hardware} configuration, but it surely’s the Intel Collection 2 chip that’s noteworthy right here. It goals to supercharge the gadget with excessive efficiency, a skinny and light-weight type issue, and an excellent battery life.

The Intel chip powers a collection of options that make this laptop computer an Aura Version. The beforehand talked about Sensible Share characteristic is among the most helpful. It really works by pairing the laptop computer together with your telephone (through the Intel Unison app on iOS or Android), permitting you to drag-and-drop photographs and recordsdata out of your telephone to the laptop computer (and vice versa). Tapping the aspect of the gadget brings up the menu, though simply bringing the telephone in proximity to it really works as properly. 

Aura Version laptops additionally embrace a bevy of latest Sensible Modes of various usefulness, which, when activated, assign a collection of presets. The Protect Mode is among the extra attention-grabbing ones, because it makes use of the laptop computer’s digicam to warn you if it detects somebody your display over your shoulder, blurring your show, or shutting it off altogether in response.

The battery on this gadget, similar to the opposite Lunar Lake gadget I reviewed, the Asus Zenbook S 14, is excellent. I received over 17 hours in my battery take a look at, though throughout extra sustained workloads, I do not really feel just like the battery was as strong because the Zenbook S 14, lasting about so long as the workday however not far more.

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I’ve to say two pet peeves relating to this gadget, regardless that they don’t seem to be dealbreakers. First up is absolutely the onslaught of adverts and notifications.

Between notifications from Lenovo Vantage, a persistent pop-up from McAfee, Home windows adverts for Microsoft Edge (even whereas actively utilizing it), and chronic “ideas” and “reminders”, extra time is spent coping with all of the issues Home windows and Lenovo needs to speak to you about than what you may really do. Sure, that is nothing new with units in 2024, but it surely appears notably potent with this laptop computer.

Second, I am not a fan of the ability button being on the aspect of the gadget, proper in proximity to the place you seize it. Its placement resulted in me shutting off the laptop computer on a couple of event.

ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation

The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition is a stable 15-inch gadget with a handful of distinctive options. The Intel Core Extremely 7 (Collection 2) chip offers quick, cool, battery-efficient efficiency, and on a regular basis customers will respect the good show, comfy keyboard, and marathon battery life.

I like to recommend choosing the 32GB configuration, because the RAM shouldn’t be upgradable. This raises the value, but it surely’s completely price it for future-proofing.

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Lastly, options like Sensible Share are helpful, however I’d warning Intel and Lenovo alike from spending an excessive amount of time on flashy methods and as an alternative specializing in enduring, well-designed units. The {hardware} right here is spectacular, and Intel’s Collection 2 “Lunar Lake” chips are completely worthy contenders to Qualcomm’s ARM-compatible Snapdragon X Elite and Apple’s M4 chips. Efficiency (and considerate, well-designed bodily type elements) converse for themselves greater than buzzy options ever will.