This new Lenovo laptop I tested proves work computers don't have to be boring

One of the things I appreciate about Lenovo is its willingness to try new things with its products. The brand has developed powerful gaming handhelds and even a Windows 11/Android hybrid. This pioneering mindset continues with the 10th-generation Yoga Slim 9i, a laptop with a very interesting design.

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During CES 2025, this laptop impressed ZDNET Editor Kyle Kucharski and other reviewers for two distinct reasons. First, claims Lenovo, it’s the “world’s first camera-under-display” (CUD, for short) laptop. This means the webcam is actually underneath the glass instead of on top. It’s hard to see, but when you open the camera app, a small black circle appears near the top of the screen, signifying the lens’ location.

A CUD layout expands the touchscreen to the laptop’s edge, making the 14-inch display appear larger and more impressive. The laptop sports a 4K OLED that runs at a 120Hz refresh rate supported by various image-enhancing software (like Dolby Vision), enabling vibrant colors. It also has VESA-Certified DisplayHDR True Black 600 for rich shadows. Needless to say, the visual fidelity is stunning. 

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Lenovo raised the computer’s lid notch to facilitate lifting the lid. And yes, the model passes the one-finger test. You can open it without fear of the Yoga Slim 9i sliding around.  

Touchscreens with a CUD are known for having poor-quality selfie cameras since an entire pane of glass obscures the lens. Apparently aware of this issue, Lenovo gave the laptop a 32MP webcam to compensate for any problems with the image quality — at least, that seemed to be the intent. 

Despite the company’s best efforts, the webcam isn’t very good. Image clarity is passable (if a little grainy), but the colors are way off. There’s a blue filter over everything, and videos look too white as if someone messed with the color grading. 

Below the screen is a keyboard stretching from end to end. Each key is evenly spaced from each other and covered in a soft matte material, providing a comfortable typing experience. It has a standard layout with four extra buttons on the far right that tweak certain features.

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To give some examples, the top key below Delete lets you adjust the power mode on the fly. Depending on your needs, you could focus on battery longevity or better hardware performance. Meanwhile, the second button allows users to jump among three different audio profiles: one for music, one for videos, and one for video games.

Despite how much I liked the Yoga Slim 9i, there are a few design problems. At just 2.76 pounds, this lightweight laptop makes the ideal travel companion — but this comes at a cost: limited ports. 

Only two USB-C inputs are found on either side of the device — there’s no headphone jack, no USB-A, nothing. And although the ultra-glossy back is impressive, the glass finish attracts fingerprints like a magnet.

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Performance is solid overall. My review unit was the high-end model housing an Intel Core Ultra 7 256V processor, an integrated Intel Arc GPU, and 32GB of RAM. As expected, it did exceptionally well handling more than 50 Chrome tabs playing videos, music, and short repeating GIFs alongside several open apps. It did cause the cooling fans to spin faster. They were a little noisy but nothing too distracting.

The 10th-Gen Yoga Slim 9i also performs better than some of its rivals. Below is a table comparing Lenovo’s machine with the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro and HP Omnibook Ultra Flip, two laptops housing similar hardware. As you can see in the numbers, the Yoga Slim is the standout winner, delivering the best processing power and graphical render out of the trio. Bare in mind that the other two laptops cost slightly less than the Lenovo.

Another bonus is the laptop’s decent battery life. The laptop lasted about 13 hours on a single charge under Best Power Efficiency mode and roughly 10 hours under Best Performance. 

ZDNET’s buying advice

Lenovo’s 10th-generation Yoga Slim 9i is on sale with a starting price of $1,760. I recommend the device for those who don’t mind paying a premium for a lightweight laptop with a vibrant touchscreen. Its hardware will allow the 10th-Gen Yoga Slim 9i to be a defining member of its series and stand the test of time. However, you can find other products delivering a similar experience at a slightly cheaper price.

The Galaxy Book5 Pro and HP Omnibook Ultra Flip are good alternatives for shoppers eyeing ultraportable and high-performance laptops. Samsung’s model is normally the cheaper of the two; however, the Omnibook is on sale at this time.