In its time, Lenovo's Yoga line made 2-in-1 laptops a household name, while the company's various Yoga Books have often taken on an experimental bent. Some, for example, have employed E Ink-style screens on their lid backs or keyboard decks, all in service of pushing the laptop-design envelope.
Quirky elements are usually on the menu with this particular Lenovo family, but the latest Yoga Book, the Yoga Book 9i (Gen 8) is taking the familiar flexible laptop in a radical new direction at CES 2023. This time, the laptop features a dual-screen design that reimagines the hybrid laptop with two OLED displays and a slim, lightweight form factor.
A 2-in-1 in More Ways Than One
By replacing the traditional clamshell design with a pair of 13.3-inch touch screens, the Yoga Book 9i can be used in several modes. A detachable Bluetooth keyboard lets you use it like a laptop, or you can change the position for a dual-screen desktop-style experience on the go.
An included folio stand lets you use the two screens stacked, one on top of the other, or turned sideways, like a pair of portrait monitors. And thanks to the Yoga Book 9i's multimode hinge, you can also switch among the usual 2-in-1 laptop, tablet, and tent modes, depending on your needs at the moment.
What's on the Inside?
Powered by a 13th Generation ("Raptor Lake") Intel Core i7 U-Series processor and Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics, the Yoga Book 9i offers plenty of productivity power for work, and Lenovo claims that dual-screen mode will still yield up to 10 hours of battery life per charge. The dual 13.3-inch screens feature sharp 2.8K native resolution, with, according to Lenovo, 100% DCI-P3 color coverage coverage, 400 nits of peak brightness, and Dolby Vision HDR support.
To amp up the impact of the laptop's sound, a 360-degree rotating sound bar with Bowers & Wilkins speakers bumps up the quality to match the twin OLED displays. Dolby Atmos simulated surround-sound support backs the sound bar.
Additional Features and Release Details
Lenovo has also made some software tweaks to make the most of the new design. Smart handwriting and note-taking features leverage the second screen for viewing documents or browsing the web on one screen while jotting down notes on the other, using an optional Lenovo Smart Pen stylus. The laptop gets a few new gesture controls, as well, like a five-fingered motion that lets you expand an image or window to fill both screens.
Lenovo expects to begin selling the 13-inch Yoga Book 9i in June, starting at $2,099.