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I was there in person, and you better believe I was among the first in line to test it out, but fast-forward a month, and I was just as excited to go hands-on with the other unique features in Lenovo’s Aura Edition Yoga 7i.
The Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition is a new Copilot+ PC powered by Intel’s “Lunar Lake” Series 2 line of processors. These chips take aim at the other AI-powered PCs that exploded onto the consumer market this year (usually powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite chip) with unique features that attempt to set the device apart in an increasingly crowded market of AI PCs.
I went hands-on with another laptop with Intel’s Series 2 chip earlier this year, the Asus Zenbook S 14, and was impressed with its performance, ultra-thin build, and marathon battery life, so I was curious to see how Lenovo’s Yoga Slim 7i would compare.
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Right off the bat, I can say the physical form factor of the Yoga Slim 7i is about on par with other laptops in its class. At 3.3 pounds, it’s not quite as thin and light as the Zenbook S 14, but it’s also a 15-inch device. It looks like a quintessential Lenovo device, with a slate gray colorway and signature notched lid where the webcam is housed.
Despite the seemingly solid physical build, my review unit had a slightly loose backplate. I contacted Lenovo and was assured this was an issue with my individual unit and not something found on others, but other well-known laptop reviewers reported similar quirks with the laptop’s physical chassis.
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Under the hood, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i comes with the previously mentioned Intel Core Ultra 7 (Series 2) chip, up to 32GB of RAM, an Intel Arc GPU, and a 15-inch 2.8K (2880 x 1800) LCD touch display. This is a pretty standard mid-range hardware configuration, but it’s the Intel Series 2 chip that is noteworthy here. It aims to supercharge the device with high performance, a thin and light form factor, and a great battery life.
Cinebench 24 MC | Geekbench 6.2.2 SC | Geekbench 6.2.2 MC | |
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i with Intel Core Ultra 7 258V (Series 2) | 507 | 2,736 | 10,887 |
Asus Zenbook S 14 with Intel Core Ultra 7 200V (Series 2) | 481 | 2,748 | 11,050 |
The Intel chip powers a suite of features that makes this laptop an Aura Edition. The previously-mentioned Smart Share feature is one of the most handy. It works by pairing the laptop with your phone (via the Intel Unison app on iOS or Android), allowing you to drag-and-drop photos and files from your phone to the laptop (and vice versa). Tapping the side of the device brings up the menu, although just bringing the phone in proximity to it works as well.
Demoing the Smart Share feature on an Aura Edition laptop at IFA Berlin 2024.
Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET
Aura Edition laptops also include a bevy of new Smart Modes of varying usefulness, which, when activated, assign a series of presets. The Shield Mode is one of the more interesting ones, as it uses the laptop’s camera to alert you if it detects someone looking at your screen over your shoulder, blurring your display or shutting it off altogether in response.
The battery on this device, just like the other Lunar Lake device I reviewed, the Asus Zenbook S 14, is very good. I got over 17 hours in my battery test, although during more sustained workloads, I don’t feel like the battery was as robust as the Zenbook S 14, lasting about as long as the workday but not much more.
I have to mention two pet peeves regarding this device, even though they’re not dealbreakers. First up is the absolute onslaught of ads and notifications.
I recommend opting for the 32GB configuration, since the RAM is not upgradeable. This raises the price by $100, but it’s absolutely worth it for future-proofing.
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Lastly, features like Smart Share are useful, but I would caution Intel and Lenovo alike from spending too much time on flashy tricks and instead focusing on enduring well-designed devices. The hardware here is impressive, and Intel’s Series 2 “Lunar Lake” chips are absolutely worthy contenders to Qualcomm’s ARM-compatible Snapdragon X Elite and Apple’s M4 chips. Performance (and thoughtful, well-designed physical form factors) speak for themselves more than buzzy features ever will.