What you need to know
- CES is here, and Lenovo is updating its popular Yoga family with Intel's latest hardware and some new features.
- Windows Central's favorite Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 is getting refreshed with Intel Core Ultra, an improved OLED display, and a gorgeous new "Cosmic Blue" color.
- Other Lenovo Yoga and Yoga Pro devices, as well as the IdeaPad family, are also being updated with new hardware (mainly Intel Ultra) and refined designs.
- Even the innovative, dual-screen Lenovo Yoga Book 9i is being bumped up to Intel Core Ultra and up to 32GB of RAM.
If you're at all interested in mobile computing and PC gaming, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas is the place to be. Lenovo always has a ton of announcements for the annual CES, and 2024 is no different. Straight out of the gate, Lenovo has unwrapped the latest lineup for its Yoga and IdeaPad families, giving consumers countless options for powerful, efficient, and mobile Windows PCs.
The theme of the year is, as expected, Intel Core Ultra, with most of the major changes announced being CPU upgrades. Windows Central's top pick for the current best Windows laptop is enjoying a healthy internals update, for example, while also improving its already-awesome OLED display and adopting a brand-new, gorgeous blue colorway. There's no time to waste, though, so let's get started on the details.
Yoga 2-in-1s don't change the winning formula
The Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 is one of the best laptops you can currently buy, and Lenovo isn't attempting to fix what's clearly working already. The company's premium, 14-inch convertible ultrabook is getting a sweet update in 2024, but it's more on the subtle side. The design and basic features are remaining largely the same, with the laptop's two halves characterized by soft curves and connected by the innovative 360-degrees hinge-turned-soundbar. It's still Intel Evo certified, and still features plenty of modern ports, fantastic wireless connectivity, and all the features you'd expect a high-end Windows laptop to have.
What is changing is the move to an Intel Core Ultra 7-155H for improved performance, efficiency, and AI capability versus the older Core i-series CPUs common in Windows laptops. This also means a shift to far more powerful Intel Arc graphics versus the aging Iris Xe that hasn't seen a meaningful upgrade in several years. The gorgeous 14-inch OLED panel is being improved with up to a 120Hz refresh rate at 2.8K, which will undoubtedly be the sweet spot for many. You're still limited to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage (I would've liked to have seen an option for 32GB of RAM, at least), but it is faster than before.
I already mentioned that the overall design hasn't been altered much (it's pretty much already perfect), but Lenovo is introducing a gorgeous new "Cosmic Blue" colorway in addition to the traditional grey that I think looks wonderful. Love seeing blue laptops, especially when that laptop is almost guaranteed to be awesome. The new Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 2-in-1 (Gen 9) laptop is expected to arrive in Apr. 2024 with a starting price of $1,449.99. As before, the Yoga 9i comes with a laptop sleeve and Lenovo's smart stylus included in the box.
The more affordable Lenovo Yoga 7i series (both the 14-inch and 16-inch variants) are also being updated with new Intel Core Ultra CPUs, but are sticking with Intel Iris Xe, presumably to save on costs. The smaller 14-inch model features options for OLED displays as well, while both devices will include a Windows Copilot key on the keyboard for easy access to Window's growing suite of AI features.
I liked the last-gen Yoga 7i 16 (Gen 8), so I'm interested to see if the new version improves anything beyond the new CPUs. I'm a little sad that there are no OLED display options for the larger device, at least. With both of the Yoga 7i (Gen 9) variants boasting the same size battery, too, the Yoga 7i 14 may end up being the better overall budget option for most people.
The Lenovo Yoga 7i 14 (Gen 9) will be available from Apr. 2024 starting at $849.99, while the Yoga 7i 16 (Gen 9) will be available in the same month starting at a slightly higher $899.99.
Yoga Pro gets more powerful than ever
For those that are willing to trade the 360-degrees hinge for a whole lot more powerful, Lenovo's Yoga Pro line is here to deliver. There are three models getting updated here. The high-end Yoga Pro 9i 16 still boasts an option for an absurd 16-inch 3.2K miniLED display with incredible brightness and color accuracy, but now it'll rock up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070, with options for up to 64GB of the latest RAM.
The more affordable Yoga Pro 7i 14 lets you save some cash and still get a great Intel Core Ultra-powered creative laptop, but is limited to a max of an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 and 32GB of RAM. It also drops some of Lenovo's Yoga Pro 9i and Yoga 9i-exclusive productivity software features, and trades the epic miniLED display option for a still-impressive 14.5-inch 2.8K OLED option. The very similar Yoga Pro 7 14 is even more limited (up to an RTX 3050 and 16GB of RAM), and also trades the Intel Core Ultra CPUs for the AMD Ryzen 8845HS.
Whatever you choose, these laptops are still designed to be as portable as possible, but pack proper discrete GPUs for those that need more graphical oomph for their workflow. The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 (Gen 9) will launch in Apr. 2024 starting at $1,699.99. The Lenovo Yoga Pro 7i 14 (Gen 9) won't be launching in North America, sadly, but will be coming to other regions at some point in the future. Finally, the AMD-powered Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14 (Gen 9) lands in Apr. 2024 with a starting price of $1,349.99.
The Yoga Book is already being updated
The super cool and interesting dual-screen, 13-inch Lenovo Yoga Book 9i is getting its first update. Shocker, there's no major update to its hardware or design, but it is making the jump to Intel Core Ultra, which will hopefully translate to improved performance and efficiency. When Window 12 arrives, potentially bringing much-needed optimizations for the Yoga Book 9i's unique form factor, the Core Ultra internals should also play better with the increased AI features. There will also be a new option for up to 32GB of RAM, which should help users take full advantage of the dual displays.
The updated Lenovo Yoga Book 9i (Gen 9) will arrive in Apr. 2024 with a slightly reduced starting price of $1,999.99 (versus $2,100 for the first iteration), and will still include the much-needed kickstand, keyboard, and stylus accessory bundle.
Other updates to affordable IdeaPads and more
I won't spend too long on these, since they're mostly boring updates. The Lenovo Yoga Slim 5i, IdeaPad 5i, and IdeaPad 5 are all also enjoying bumps to Intel Core Ultra or AMD Ryzen 8040, providing highly affordable entryways into the new generation of Intel and AMD-powered Windows laptops. The IdeaPad variants are particularly interesting, with all four variants (14 and 16-inch Intel and AMD models) providing an option for an OLED display. These laptops will become available in Apr. 2024 and start at around $729.99, but prices will rise depending on the model and configuration you choose.
A Lenovo laptop for every situation
I'm a huge fan of Lenovo, and have loved watching the company evolve over the years, experimenting with new form factors and refining its winners. This year, the company mostly seems to be playing it safe, relying on new hardware from Intel and AMD to spearhead its latest generation of Windows laptops. I'm mostly fine with this, since many of these laptops were already absolutely amazing. The Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 is a fantastic example, and I have no doubt the new Intel Core Ultra version will continue to be one of the best Windows laptops you can buy. The new Dell XPS 14 and 16 will undoubtedly deliver stiffer competition than ever before, though.
I'm also curious if Intel Core Ultra can shore up some of the weaknesses of the innovative Yoga Book 9i, for example, especially with an expected Windows 12 update coming in 2024 that may better support the dual-screen form factor. Can Lenovo's Yoga Pro devices offer better competition for the most dominant player in that category, Dell's XPS 15 and 17? Will Lenovo's more affordable entryways to Intel Core Ultra-powered Windows PCs appeal to potential buyers? I'm optimistic considering Lenovo's recent track record, but Windows Central will have to go hands-on to be certain.
