Lenovo Yoga 7i 16-Inch Gen 8 Review: Great Price, Lacking Display

The Lenovo Yoga laptop series is well-known for its ultimate flexibility, thanks to its signature 2-in-1 design. I recently had the opportunity to test out the Lenovo Yoga 7i 16-inch Gen 8, the latest addition to the lineup. I enjoyed this computer, although I did find some notable faults.

First introduced in 2012, the Lenovo Yoga lineup has always been exceptional. After all, this was one of the first laptops to transform into multiple form factors thanks to a hinged screen. Throw in solid construction and competitive pricing, and Yogas are worthy investments.

With the latest Yoga model, Lenovo once again provides maximum versatility; the Lenovo Yoga 7i 16-inch Gen 8 quickly transforms into four modes: laptop, tablet, tent, and stand. And yet, it was the little surprises that left me the most excited about this new product. From its higher-than-average number of ports to its stellar keyboard and gigantic touchpad, the Lenovo Yoga 7i 16-inch Gen 8 has nearly everything whether you’re a student looking for an all-in-one solution or a creative who needs a laptop and tablet.

The Design: Yes, It’s a Yoga

Spec-wise, the Lenovo Yoga 7i 16-inch Gen 8 isn’t a bulky or heavy device. And yet, there’s no denying its bigger-than-average size takes some getting used to—especially if you’re coming from a smaller laptop. However, this heftiness has an advantage: it feels firm and should provide years of operation without any worries—at least from a hardware perspective.

Meanwhile, like the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 I recently reviewed, the Lenovo Yoga 7i 16-inch Gen 8 has a somewhat drab look. At the minimum, it’s simply plain. While I liked how the Yoga name is branded on the top of the device, its aluminum build won’t turn any heads in either of the available colors, Storm Gray and Stone Blue. And watch for fingerprints—you’ll find them everywhere.

When opened, the first thing you’ll notice about the laptop is its gigantic touchpad, which sits below the keyboard slightly to the left. That keyboard is also massive and includes a numeric keypad to the right.

The 2-In-1

Like all Yoga models, the laptop’s top selling point is its ability to switch back and forth between laptop, tablet, tent, and stand modes. Changing between modes works as expected, and I was not worried the machine would fall or move out of position—and I tried numerous times. As mentioned above, a 16-inch display isn’t necessarily for everyone, but it can be very beneficial if it’s part of a larger package.

We’ve Got Ports

Some laptops are lackluster in the ports department; this isn’t one of those. The Lenovo Yoga 7i 16-inch Gen 8 has seven ports, including two USB 3.2 Gen 1, two USB-C Thunderbolt 4, a microSD card reader, HDMI 1.4b, and a headphone/mic combination. Thunderbolt 4 is the biggest surprise, as this port is sometimes kept off lower-priced laptops.

Touchscreen, Trackpad, and Keyboard

Regarding inputs, Lenovo usually gets it right, and the same can be said here. The Yoga 7i 16-inch keyboard includes six rows of keys and a numeric keypad. Both are backlit. I had no problems using the keyboard as I moved back and forth between keys. The keypad (which also works well) is an excellent addition, although it probably won’t be used by most users.

The large-sized trackpad is also a winner, as is the ability to use your fingers on the display using the Dolby Vision touchscreen. This Yoga also supports a Lenovo Active Pen (Base Pen 3.0) with 10 touch points, but one wasn’t included with the review unit.

Audio and Video: Good and Bad

Unfortunately, the Yoga 7i doesn’t produce beautiful sounds. If that’s a huge factor in your buying decision, it might be wise to look elsewhere. The laptop only includes a pair of 2W, top-facing speakers, and these are located in the grille above the keyboard. If you want to play around with the sound quality, check out the Dolby Access app (with Dolby Atmos support), where you will find an equalizer.

But again, there’s nothing special here. If audio is important to you, check out the (more expensive) Yoga 9i lineup. It offers audio by Bowers & Wilkins and includes built-in woofers and tweeters.

Moving on, videos look good on the Yoga thanks to the integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics. Throughout testing, videos never jumped or froze, regardless of where they were located (internally or through streaming). And with Dolby Vision, colors pop just at the right times.

Performance: New Intel U series processors

The review unit Lenovo sent features a 13th Generation Intel Core Processor (E-Core Max 3.70 GHz, P-Core Max 5.00 GHz with Turbo Boost, 10 Cores, 12 Threads, 12 MB Cache). This is one of Intel’s first laptops with Intel’s U series processors. In this case, it’s the Intel Core i7-1355U. It ships with 16GB of RAM and 512GB PCIe Gen 4 M.2 SSD.

After conducting various real-world tests, I observed that the laptop performed exceptionally well. It quickly opened multiple windows in Google Chrome, and even when using Adobe Photoshop, I experienced no issues. Considering its price point, the laptop’s performance was impressive.

Display and Camera: Read This

If there’s one area for concern about the Lenovo Yoga 7i 16-Inch Gen 8, it’s the Wide Ultra (1920 x 1200) IPS LCD. It’s unremarkable, at best, and even less so because of its maximum 300 nits. For extra, you can purchase the Yoga 7i 16-inch with an HD (2560 x 1600) IPS LCD, which gives you 400 nits. Regardless, both are lacking in the brightness department, which is the biggest knock on this 2023 laptop.

The webcam on this device is quite impressive, though. It boasts a 1080p resolution and is positioned at the top center of the screen. Whether for professional meetings or personal conversations, the camera captures facial features well, providing an immersive experience. Additionally, the camera’s integration with Windows Hello facial recognition is seamless—logins are quick and effortless. You can easily block your surroundings during video calls with a privacy shutter.

Video chatting has become a part of our daily routine even after the pandemic, and Lenovo understands that. Hence, the company has included software that allows users to tweak their appearance during video calls. This feature provides tools to adjust facial features, such as your nose and eyes, and even the size of the face. Additionally, you can also blur your background using the tool.

Battery Life: Excellent

The Lenovo Yoga 7i 16-Inch Gen 8 officially promises up to 13.5 hours between charges; during my tests, I could keep working for 12.3 to 13.1 hours. These are pretty good numbers made even better when considering the machine includes rapid charging technology. With it, you can add a few more hours of juice in just 15 minutes.

Should You Buy the Lenovo Yoga 7i 16-Inch Gen 8?

There’s much to love about the Yoga 7i, starting with its selling price, which starts at $799.99; my review unit is $999.99. Beyond this, I love just how easy Lenovo made it to switch between modes, and the keyboard, numeric keypad, and trackpad deserve praise.

The most significant negative, however, remains its dim display. At 300 nits, it’s simply not bright enough when performing some tasks, which is a shame. The built-in speakers are also primarily lackluster, but that’s why companies have created earbuds, so it’s less of a factor.

Overall, the Lenovo Yoga 7i 16-inch Gen 8 is a good laptop. However, it’s lacking just enough to cause you to pause.