It’s March now, and coming off of MWC 2025, where Lenovo blew us away with their parade of innovations (solar-powered laptops, anyone?), it’s refreshing to finally get my hands on products announced at CES earlier this year. The Yoga Slim 9i has landed on my desk at Yanko Design, and this peculiar beauty has certainly captured my attention.
Designer: Lenovo
Sustainability: More Than Just a Buzzword
Before diving into the laptop itself, I have to appreciate the unboxing experience. Lenovo has completely reimagined packaging with its plastic-free approach, and it’s genuinely impressive. The Yoga Slim 9i arrives in a minimalist kraft cardboard box with clean, simple branding. “Plastic-free packaging” is proudly displayed on the front—not as a marketing gimmick but as a statement of intent.
Opening the package reveals an ingenious interior design with cleverly folded cardboard compartments that securely hold the laptop and accessories without a single piece of plastic, foam, or adhesive tape. The inner trays feature printed instructions showing how to remove components and, more importantly, how to reuse or repurpose the packaging afterward. “Reinvent, Reuse, Repurpose” isn’t just printed on the box—it’s built into its very design.
I noticed the Carbon Neutral Product certification badge on the packaging as well, indicating that Lenovo has offset the carbon emissions from the manufacturing, shipping, and five years of use of this device. The laptop itself incorporates recycled aluminum in its chassis, and Lenovo has eliminated harmful substances like mercury from the display. The company has also designed the system for easier disassembly and recycling at end-of-life, though, as with most modern ultra slim laptops, user repairability remains limited.
Lenovo’s CO2 Offset Services allow businesses to offset the carbon emissions of their device fleets, and the company has committed to using 100% renewable energy in its operations by 2030. These broader initiatives suggest that the Yoga Slim 9i’s sustainability features aren’t isolated efforts but part of a comprehensive corporate strategy. While no electronic device can claim to be truly “green,” it’s encouraging to see a major manufacturer taking concrete steps to reduce environmental impact across the product lifecycle.
That Glass Lid, Though!
Let’s address the elephant in the room—this laptop wears a glass hat. Not just any glass, mind you, but a swirling, shimmering pane of Tidal Teal glory that catches light like a jewel. It’s as if Lenovo’s designers said, “Aluminum is so 2023. Let’s wrap this thing in something that belongs in a cocktail cabinet!” The 3D cat-eye effect shifts and dances as you move the laptop, making it rather difficult not to show it off to colleagues.
Despite my initial concerns about carrying around what amounts to a premium snow globe, this glass lid is apparently engineered to handle pressure, drops, and scratches. It’s passed the same military-grade durability tests as Lenovo’s buttoned-up ThinkPads, which feels somewhat like sending a fashion model through military training.
What’s particularly impressive is how Lenovo managed to maintain structural integrity while using glass as a primary material. The lid is reinforced with an aluminum frame that provides rigidity without adding excessive weight. This hybrid construction approach allows for eye-catching aesthetics without compromising on durability—a rare feat in laptop design where form and function often find themselves at odds.
I learned that the aluminum used in the chassis contains recycled materials, part of Lenovo’s effort to incorporate post-consumer recycled content into its products. This small detail speaks to a larger commitment to reducing virgin material use across its product lines.
At 14.55mm thin and a feathery 2.76 pounds, it’s surprisingly portable for something that looks like it should be displayed in a museum. The weight distribution is also remarkably balanced, making it comfortable to use on your lap without feeling top-heavy despite the glass lid.
Now You See Me, Now You Don’t
The true magic trick of the Yoga Slim 9i is its disappearing webcam. Lenovo has somehow managed to hide a 32MP camera under the display—no notch, no punch hole, just pure, uninterrupted screen. This camera-under-display (CUD) technology is a first for laptops, and it’s enhanced with Visionary.ai image processing to compensate for the challenges of capturing light through display pixels.
This technological sleight of hand enables a 98% screen-to-body ratio that makes the 14-inch display feel like it’s floating in space. The camera stays completely hidden until summoned, like a digital genie, and even includes IR sensors for Windows Hello facial recognition.
In practice, the image quality is better than I expected for a first-generation implementation. While there’s some inevitable softness compared to traditional webcams, the 32MP resolution compensates by capturing more detail. The camera performs admirably in good lighting conditions, though it does struggle somewhat in dimmer environments. For video calls in typical office lighting, it’s more than adequate, and the tradeoff for that seamless display is one I’m personally willing to make.
There’s also a physical privacy shutter because even invisible cameras occasionally need blindfolds. This e-shutter provides peace of mind for the privacy-conscious, allowing you to electronically disable the camera when not in use—a thoughtful addition that doesn’t compromise the clean aesthetic.
A Display That Makes Other Screens Look Ordinary
The 14-inch PureSight Pro OLED display is so gorgeous that it makes my TV at home contemplate early retirement. With 4K resolution (3840×2400), 120Hz refresh rate, and color accuracy that would make professional photographers nod approvingly (Delta E<1, 100% coverage of sRGB, DCI-P3, and Adobe RGB), it’s a creator’s dream and a content consumer’s delight.
At 750 nits peak brightness, it’s visible even in bright environments, while VESA DisplayHDR True Black 600 certification means blacks are deeper than a philosopher’s late-night thoughts. The 16:10 aspect ratio provides additional vertical space compared to traditional 16:9 displays, which is particularly useful for productivity tasks like document editing and web browsing.
What’s particularly impressive is how Lenovo has managed to implement touch functionality without adding a visible layer that compromises display quality. The glass surface is responsive and smooth, with excellent palm rejection when typing. Multi-touch gestures register accurately, and the screen’s coating does a reasonable job of minimizing fingerprints—though they’re still visible at certain angles, especially on dark content.
The display is also certified by TÜV for low blue light emission and carries Eyesafe certification, which reduces potentially harmful blue light without compromising color accuracy. After several hours of use, I noticed less eye fatigue than I typically experience with other laptops, suggesting these certifications aren’t just marketing fluff.
OLED technology itself is also more energy-efficient when displaying darker content, as pixels can be completely turned off rather than blocked by a backlight as in traditional LCD displays. This contributes to the laptop’s overall power efficiency, especially for those of us who prefer dark mode interfaces.
Speakers That Surprise
Laptop speakers are typically an afterthought, like those little paper umbrellas in tropical drinks—cute but functionally questionable. The Yoga Slim 9i, however, houses a quad-speaker system with tweeters under the keyboard and woofers on the base, all tuned with Dolby Atmos.
The result? Audio that doesn’t remind you of tin cans connected by string. Bass has actual presence, dialogue comes through clearly, and music has dimension. I’ve caught myself nodding along to tracks while working, momentarily forgetting I’m not wearing headphones.
What makes this speaker system particularly effective is the thoughtful placement of the drivers. The upward-firing tweeters provide directional clarity for high frequencies, while the downward-firing woofers use the surface the laptop sits on to amplify low frequencies. This arrangement creates a surprisingly immersive soundstage that belies the laptop’s slim profile.
The Dolby Access app lets you tweak audio profiles for different content types—music, movies, games, or voice—and includes an equalizer for more granular control. I found the music profile added a pleasant warmth to most genres, while the voice profile enhanced clarity during video calls.
Brains and Beauty
Under its fashionable exterior, the Yoga Slim 9i packs an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor with Intel Arc Graphics 140V. This combination represents Intel’s latest architecture, designed with AI acceleration in mind. The processor features 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores, with a maximum turbo frequency of 4.8GHz.
My unit came loaded with 32GB of remarkably fast 8533 MHz LPDDR5x memory (soldered, unfortunately) and a 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD. This hardware configuration handled everything I threw at it with aplomb—from basic productivity tasks to more demanding creative workloads like photo editing and light video processing.
While not a replacement for dedicated gaming GPUs, the Intel Arc Graphics 140V provides enough graphical horsepower for creative applications and casual gaming. In Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, the system handled large files without noticeable lag, and even some light 4K video editing in Premiere was manageable with proxies.
Given the slim profile, the laptop’s thermal management is impressive. During sustained workloads, it gets warm but never uncomfortably hot, and fan noise remains relatively subdued. Lenovo has clearly put significant engineering effort into the cooling system, balancing performance with acoustics in a way that doesn’t distract during everyday use.
The 75Wh battery supports Rapid Charge Express, providing 3 hours of runtime with just a 15-minute charge—perfect for those “oh dear, I forgot to plug in last night” moments before rushing to a meeting. We’ll be putting the battery through more rigorous testing for our final review, but the quick-charge capability alone is a significant advantage for mobile professionals.
Lenovo’s power management system includes intelligent features that learn from your usage patterns to optimize battery life. The system can automatically adjust performance parameters based on your typical workload, reducing power consumption without noticeably impacting responsiveness—another example of how AI features can contribute to sustainability by extending battery lifespan and reducing energy use.
Minimalist Ports (Perhaps Too Minimalist)
In its quest for svelteness, Lenovo has been rather conservative with ports—just two Thunderbolt 4 connections, one on each side. While these ports are versatile, supporting data transfer, display output, and charging, the absence of USB-A, HDMI, or an SD card reader means dongles become necessary accessories.
This port limitation is perhaps the most significant compromise in the Yoga Slim 9i’s design. For a device aimed at creative professionals who often work with external peripherals, the need for adapters adds friction to the workflow. I found myself constantly swapping dongles depending on whether I needed to connect a USB drive, an external display, or a wired mouse.
Wireless connectivity is cutting-edge with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.3, which is a small consolation when you’re searching for that USB-A adapter at the bottom of your bag. The Wi-Fi 7 support is forward-looking, offering theoretical speeds up to 46 Gbps and reduced latency when connected to compatible routers, though most users won’t see these benefits until Wi-Fi 7 infrastructure becomes more widespread.
Keys and Clicks
The keyboard offers a satisfying 1.5mm of travel with slightly dished keycaps that cradle your fingertips like tiny hammocks. This is notably deeper than many ultraslim laptops, which often sacrifice key travel for thinness. The result is a typing experience that feels substantial and precise, with clear tactile feedback that reduces typing errors.
The keycaps feature a soft-touch coating that provides a pleasant feel while resisting fingerprints and shine—a common issue with cheaper keyboard finishes. The backlighting is white with three brightness levels, evenly distributed across all keys without light bleed around the edges.
Lenovo has included dedicated Quick Keys for enhanced productivity, providing one-touch access to frequently used functions. These include audio profile switching, performance mode toggling, and camera controls. It’s a thoughtful addition that saves time navigating through settings menus.
The trackpad is responsive and precise, handling Windows gestures with grace. While not as expansive as some competitors’ offerings, it provides ample space for navigation and multi-finger gestures. The smooth glass surface offers just the right amount of resistance, making cursor control feel natural and intuitive.
Software and AI Features
As a Windows 11 Copilot+ PC, the Yoga Slim 9i comes equipped with Microsoft’s AI assistant integrated into the operating system. The Intel Neural Processing Unit (NPU) handles AI tasks locally, reducing the need for cloud processing and preserving privacy for sensitive operations.
Lenovo’s AI Core software adds additional intelligence to the system, optimizing performance and battery life based on usage patterns. It learns which applications you use most frequently and allocates resources accordingly. It also adjusts power settings to maximize battery life when you’re away from an outlet.
The Smart Share feature enables seamless image sharing between your smartphone and the laptop. Simply tap a supported phone on the edge of the screen, and the Smart Share app launches on both devices, allowing for drag-and-drop transfer of recent photos. I tested this with both Android and iOS devices, and while the Android experience was slightly more polished, both worked reliably after initial pairing.
Lenovo has thankfully kept bloatware to a minimum, with most pre-installed applications providing genuine utility rather than serving as promotional vehicles. The system comes with a clean Windows installation, enhanced only by Lenovo’s hardware-specific utilities and the aforementioned AI features.
Final Thoughts (For Now)
The Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i is a curious creature—part art piece, part technological marvel, part productivity machine. It represents a refreshing departure from conventional laptop design, embracing materials and technologies that push boundaries without completely sacrificing practicality.
The glass lid and camera-under-display technology are genuine innovations that set it apart in an increasingly homogeneous market. These aren’t merely gimmicks but thoughtfully implemented features that enhance both aesthetics and functionality. The invisible webcam, in particular, feels like a glimpse into the future of laptop design, where displays become truly borderless.
Performance is robust for an ultra-slim device, handling everyday tasks and creative workloads with aplomb. The combination of a stunning OLED display, impressive audio, and capable internals makes it a versatile machine for work and entertainment.
Of course, it’s not without compromises. The limited port selection will frustrate some users, and the premium materials and cutting-edge technology command a premium price. But for those who value design innovation and are willing to adapt their workflow to accommodate its limitations, the Yoga Slim 9i offers a unique computing experience that stands out in today’s market.
The sustainability aspects—from the thoughtfully designed plastic-free packaging to the carbon-neutral certification—add another dimension to the product’s appeal. They suggest a future where high-performance computing doesn’t have to come at a high environmental cost.
Coming off the whirlwind of MWC 2025, where Lenovo showcased even more boundary-pushing concepts, the Yoga Slim 9i feels like the perfect bridge between wild innovation and practical computing. It’s unusual in all the right ways, capable where it counts, and distinctive enough to turn heads in a coffee shop full of MacBooks.
Is it perfect? No. Is it the right laptop for everyone? Certainly not. But it’s exactly the kind of bold design statement that keeps the PC market interesting, and I’m looking forward to spending more time with it in the coming weeks.
The post Teal Glass & Hidden Cameras: The Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i Is a Delightful Oddity first appeared on Yanko Design.