The name Lenovo is often associated with iconic notebook designs. However, it's typically for corporate ThinkPads. Lenovo's Yoga consumer range has been the leader in 2-in-1 convertible laptops for over a decade. Our Editors' Choice Award for premium convertibles currently goes to the Yoga 9i Gen 7, and the Yoga 7i Gen 7 at $879.99 (as tested) is comparable in quality, but at a lower price. Its 14-inch dimensions are ideal for systems that can be used in tablet mode, but still small enough that they can be carried around with you as a tablet. The Yoga 7i 14 portable is beautifully made and earns our Editors' Choice award. This may be the most advanced Yoga.
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Lenovo's 7th Gen, Intel's 12th
The $879.99 base model of the Yoga 7i 14 Gen 7 combines one of Intel's latest Core i5-1235U processors, 8GB of memory, a 512GB PCIe 4.0 solid-state drive, and what Lenovo calls a 2.2K (2,240-by-1,400-pixel) IPS touch screen. The $949.99 unit we tested bumps the processor up to the Intel Core i7-1255U and increases the RAM allocation to 16GB. There are also options for a Core i7-1260P processor and a 1TB SSD. For $1,799.99, the flagship model replaces the IPS panel with an OLED display that has sharper 2,880-by-1.800-pixel resolution, 400 nits brightness and 300 nits.
Available in Storm Blue or Arctic Gray, the Yoga 7i 14 is made of light but strong anodized aluminum, a sleek slab with rounded edges that are extremely comfortable to hold (and let you type without feeling as if the edge of the keyboard deck is going to slash your wrists). It measures 0.68 by 12.5 by 8.7 inches, nearly matching its rival the Dell Inspiron 14 7415 2-in-1 (0.71 by 12.7 by 8.4 inches), but is a fraction lighter at 3.2 versus 3.4 pounds.
There are plenty of ports for such a compact convertible. On the left side, you'll find an HDMI video output, two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports, and a microSD card slot.
On the right is a USB 3.2 Type A port, as well as an audio jack to connect headphones and headsets. This is a refreshing contrast to ultraportables such as the Apple MacBook Air or Dell XPS 13 Plus, which only have a few Thunderbolt 4 ports. You will need to connect an adapter to access an external monitor or USB flash drive. Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 and Bluetooth 5.2 wireless support are also top of the line.
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Look (and sound) good
It's all about the screen. The Yoga 7i can double as a tablet display or tablet touch screen. Our test unit had a high-quality 14-inch IPS panel. Its 16/10 aspect ratio makes scrolling a little easier than usual (16:9). The screen works great in tablet mode. We were disappointed to find that the pen was not included in this glossy screen.
Whether I was working on documents or watching videos, the display was colorful and sharp, looking especially vivid and fine when viewing HDR content on Netflix and other sources. Our objective tests backed up Lenovo's claims, with the panel registering a full 100% of the sRGB color gamut and 324 nits of peak brightness. It should also be comfortable for long-term use, thanks to low-blue-light technology that minimizes the part of the spectrum most likely to fatigue or damage eyes.
The stereo speakers and dual woofers combined with a pair tweeters ensure excellent audio quality. Dolby Atmos is supported by the array, and an included Smart Amplifier increases volume when necessary.
Keyboards have long been a Lenovo strength, and the Yoga 7i 14 Gen 7 is no exception. The keys offer a supremely comfortable typing feel, with a good depth of travel, substantial springiness with every keystroke, and Lenovo's signature scalloped key design that's both visually appealing and pleasantly tactile. Below the keyboard is a generous extra-wide touchpad, with a smooth glass surface and support for multitouch gestures. On a notebook without touch-screen and tablet capability, the pad alone would be great for comfortable navigation. On the touch-centric Yoga, it's a welcome flourish that enhances the laptop experience.
The Communication Bar is the subtle raised area Lenovo places just above the screen. The bar provides a lip to make it easy to lift the lid, and purchase the product from the smooth edges. It also houses the Windows Hello compatible webcam. This webcam has 1080p resolution, and a privacy shutter. It offers a better than average picture quality. It is amazing that so many functions can be combined in such an intimate, discreet space.
The Yoga 7i14 Gen 7: How lightweights handle heavy benchmarks
We compared the Yoga 7i14 against two convertible models: the Dell Inspiron 14 745 2-in-1, and Lenovo's step-up Yoga 9i. These are both earlier generation 7 models. It was also compared to non-convertible HP Pavilion Plus 14, and 13.6 inch Apple MacBook Air M2, both of which, while lacking touch capabilities, are some of the most compact travel devices we have tested.
With UL's PCMark 10 simulations, we test Windows laptops for productivity. This simulates daily tasks such as word processing, web surfing, videoconferencing, and more. Geekbench 5, a CPU-focused test, performs the same simulations as PDF rendering and speech recognition. Maxon's Cinebench employs Cinema 4D to render complex images that stress all cores and threads of a processor.
Other benchmarks include CPU measurements and suitability for creative applications. HandBrake converts 12-minute 4K video clips to smaller 1080p files, while Puget Systems' PugetBench to Adobe Photoshop, a workstation vendor, uses Adobe Creative Cloud 22 to perform a range of general and GPU-accelerated tasks such as opening and rotating a photo, applying gradient fills and filters, masking, filling in gaps, and applying masks. High scores on PugetBench and HandBrake indicate a better fit for creating digital content.
The Yoga 7i was in the middle for productivity benchmarking. In most of our tests, the Yoga 7i edged out its Dell competitor but trailed only the Pavilion Plus and MacBook Air.
Two game-like benchmarks are used to test system graphics capability. These include the DirectX 12 subtests Night Raid, Time Spy and DirectX 12 subtests Time Spy, both from UL's 3DMark Windows and the 1440p Aztec Ruins, 1080p Car Chase and GFXBench cross-platform subtests. These two benchmarks are displayed off-screen in order to adapt to different resolutions.
The Yoga 7i 14 & HP Pavilion Plus 14 rely upon Intel's Iris Xe embedded graphics. This makes them ideal for streaming video and casual gaming, but is not as powerful as a real gaming laptop. Apple's M2 chips in MacBook Air offer more powerful graphics performance.
We then test the battery life of laptops by running the Blender short video Tears of Steel. This loops with Wi-Fi on and keyboard backlighting turned off. Display brightness is set at 50% and the audio volume at 100%, until it quits. To measure the brightness and color coverage of notebook screens, we use Datacolor SpyderX Elite software and a Datacolor SpyderX Elite colorimeter.
In terms of battery life, the Yoga 7i14 14 shows 14 hours unplugged endurance in our video. The screen is also great for an affordable laptop. However, it does not match the OLED panels on the Yoga 9i or HP Pavilion Plus nor the Retina displays of the MacBook Air.
One Classy Convertible
It's not just an Intel processor upgrade, the Lenovo Yoga 7i 14 Generation 7 adds Intel's most recent silicon to its 2-in-1 laptop. This new model has some of our favorite industrial designs, from its sleek chassis to its top-notch webcam. The convertible's battery life and performance are among the most impressive, while the overall package is outstanding. It is an exceptional 2-in-1 laptop, which earned it a PCMag Editors Choice Award.