The Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16 is nearly great, except for one huge flaw

Sometimes, I review a laptop that I really want to love, and I get so close, only for a massive drawback to sour my experience. Unfortunately, the Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16 is a perfect example.

The Yoga offers good speakers, solid battery life, a relatively affordable price tag, and integrated graphics that perform much better than I expected. If that was the whole story, I'd have no trouble wholeheartedly recommending this laptop.

However, the Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16 has a critical flaw that's enough of an issue to make me think twice before counting it among the best Lenovo laptops or best 2-in-1 laptops. Unfortunately, the Yoga's incredibly disappointing display is its Achilles' heel. That doesn't mean it can't be the right laptop for you, but there are a few things you should consider before making a purchase.

Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16: Specs (as reviewed)

Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16: Price and configurations

The Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16 is available in a few configurations, starting at $899 for the model with an Intel Core Ultra 5 226V processor, Intel Arc 130V integrated graphics, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of SSD storage, and a 16-inch, 1920 x 1200 IPS touch display.

The configuration we reviewed costs $1,099 and includes an Intel Core Ultra 7 256V processor, Intel Arc 140V integrated graphics, 16GB of RAM, 1TB of SSD storage, and a 16-inch, 1920 x 1200 IPS touch display. For an additional $65, you can upgrade to Windows 11 Pro.

It's worth noting that Lenovo offers education discounts for the Yoga 7i 2-in-1, but you have to purchase the laptop using a confirmed education email address.

Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16: Design

Lenovo didn't change much on the design of this year's Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It sports a polished aluminum chassis that will blend in seamlessly at school or work. The bezels around the 16-inch display could be thinner, but that's a minor flaw.

The keyboard is spacious and snappy, as Lenovo's keyboards usually are, and includes a number pad and function row, perfect for productivity users. The touchpad below is roomy, as well.

As its name suggests, this is a 2-in-1 laptop, meaning you can flip the display all the way back to use in tablet mode. It's compatible with the Lenovo Yoga Pen, available separately for $59, in case you want to use the Yoga's tablet mode for drawing or taking handwritten notes.

The Yoga 7i 2-in-1 is reasonably thin and light for a 16-inch laptop, measuring 14.21 x 10.12 x 0.67 inches and weighing 3.96 pounds. That's on par with other laptops in this size and price range:

• Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 (DB06250): 14.05 x 9.87 x 0.67 inches, 4.52 pounds
• Asus Vivobook 16 Flip (TP3607): 13.98 x 9.62 x 0.69 inches, 3.9 pounds
• MacBook Air M4 (15-inch): 13.4 x 9.35 x 0.45 inches, 3.3 pounds

Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16: Ports

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The Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16 doesn't offer a lot of ports, but it features a diverse enough selection to cover most people's needs, including:

• 1x HDMI 1.4
• 1x USB Type-A
• 2x USB Type-C Thunderbolt 4
• 1x MicroSD card reader
• 1x 3.5mm audio jack

One more USB port might've been nice, but I was pleasantly surprised to see an HDMI port and even a microSD card reader. If you find yourself needing more ports, you can hook up the Yoga to one of the best laptop docking stations or USB Type-C hubs.

Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16: Battery life

The Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16 performed well on our battery life tests, lasting 13 hours and 19 minutes.

While other laptops have done better, like the 15-inch MacBook Air M4 (15 hours, 22 minutes), the Yoga's time is still more than enough to get through a typical day at work or school. It's also nearly twice as long as the Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1, which features a similar price and specs but lasted less than 8 hours in our tests.

Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16: Display

The Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16 really let me down with its display quality. There's a lot to like about this laptop, but the display is a huge flaw to overlook. It's visibly dull, with little vibrancy and noticeably washed out colors. The difference is impossible to miss looking at the Yoga's display side-by-side with other laptops or even my ViewSonic Omni desktop display.

I could visibly tell that the scenery in episodes of Survivor looked less vibrant and colorful on the Yoga's display. The Fijian jungles looked noticeably washed out, even if the contrast and sharpness was fine.

Considering how dull the Yoga's display is, I wasn't surprised that it did poorly on our display benchmarks. It covered just 44% over the DCI-P3 color gamut, barely half of the usual 80% or more I prefer to see. Even for a relatively budget-friendly laptop, that is a seriously disappointing color gamut score, one that's important to note if you're a creative or want to use your laptop for art, design, or gaming. It defeats the purpose of a 2-in-1 laptop.

Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16: Keyboard and touchpad

I'm often a fan of the keyboards on Lenovo laptops and the Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16 is no exception. It features a snappy, responsive, and roomy full-size keyboard that's perfect for pounding out essays and emails.

On the Monkeytype typing test I scored 100 words per minute with 100% accuracy, which is above average but just shy of my personal best of 108 words per minute with 98% accuracy, scored on the HP EliteBook Ultra G1i AI.

The touchpad on the Yoga is also good, with plenty of space and a smooth, responsive surface. It offered just the right amount of travel and feedback to be satisfying without slowing me down.

Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16: Audio

The Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16 features bottom-firing speakers in the front right and left corners that sound surprisingly good for the price. They get much louder than I expected and deliver solid range, detail, and depth.

"Dead Club City" by Nothing But Thieves sounded great on the Yoga, with assertive bass, clean vocals, and surprisingly good depth, making for an immersive listening experience. "Overcome," also by Nothing But Thieves, came through the speakers great, as well, with crisp highs (although the mids in this song were a tad muffled, most likely because of the bottom-firing speaker orientation).

Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16: Performance and heat

The Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16 is powered by an Intel Core Ultra 7 256V processor that performs well for the price. It kept up with everyday tasks like word processing or web browsing, even with multiple apps and numerous tabs open.

I didn't notice any lag or slow loading times during my daily use. If you're a student or a casual user, the performance you'll get from the Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16 should be more than enough.

If you're a power user or a professional, you may run into the Yoga's limits. It scored 11,050 on the Geekbench 6 benchmark, which is on par with other laptops with this processor but not as high as some rivals scored.

For instance, the MacBook Air M4 15-inch scored 14,921, nearly 4,000 points higher. If you use your laptop for resource-intensive tasks like photo or video editing, you'll probably notice that difference. Of course, the MacBook Air is a bit more expensive than the Yoga 7i 2-in-1, and it isn't a 2-in-1 laptop, so there are trade-offs to consider.

However, if sheer performance is your top priority, the MacBook Air would be a better fit.

Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16: Gaming and graphics

The Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16 isn't a gaming laptop, but its Intel Arc 140V integrated graphics are surprisingly capable. If you want to use your laptop for some casual gaming, the Yoga can deliver a pretty decent experience for the price.

I played Risk of Rain 2 on the Yoga and got smooth, responsive gameplay with an average of 60 frames per second on Medium/High graphics settings at 1920 x 1200. The only time I noticed any lag or stuttering was during cinematic cutscenes, like the game's intro video. The actual gameplay didn't display any significant performance issues, though.

The Yoga also did fairly well on our graphics benchmark tests with a score of 9,249 on the 3DMark Fire Strike benchmark and an average of 56.8 fps in Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm. That's better than most other laptops at this price point can deliver, especially considering the Yoga's relying only on integrated graphics.

Of course, if you want to play resource-intensive modern AAA games, you'll be better off with one of the best gaming laptops. But if you're just looking to do a round of Fortnite here and there or play some lightweight indie games, the Yoga 7i 2-in-1 is up to the task.

The lackluster display does hold back the gaming experience, though. Plus, as we’ve tested, the Intel Arc 140V can’t handle games like Elden Ring Nightreign.

Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16: AI features

The Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16 is a Copilot+ PC, meaning it comes with Microsoft's Copilot AI assistant pre-installed and features a dedicated Copilot key on the keyboard for launching the AI.

You can use the Copilot app for basic generative AI tasks like asking questions or generating text and images. Copilot also powers features elsewhere in Windows 11, like Windows Studio Effects in the Camera app, which uses AI to enhance your video quality. You can also use Cocreator in the Paint app for combining generative AI with your own doodles.

Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16: Webcam

Laptop webcams often leave a lot to be desired in terms of camera quality and the Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16 is no exception. While I've seen worse, I've also seen better. The 1080p webcam delivered visibly grainy visuals in my test video, even in good indoor lighting. This webcam would be fine for basic everyday video calls, but for anything beyond that you'd be better off getting one of the best webcams.

While the camera isn't great, the Yoga's built-in mic is solid. My voice was clear and crisp in my test video. The mic even managed to cut out the background noise from my air conditioner.

Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16: Software and warranty

The Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16 comes with Windows 11 Home and includes the standard suite of basic Microsoft apps like Copilot, the Microsoft Store, Microsoft Edge, and the Xbox app. The Yoga also includes the Lenovo Vantage app, where you can see all of your device's specs, adjust your settings, check for updates, and access troubleshooting guides.

The Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16 is covered by Lenovo's standard one-year warranty for parts and labor, which you can extend or upgrade through Lenovo Premium Care Plus.

Bottom line

I wanted to love the Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16, especially after its graphics performance and audio quality proved to be much better than I expected. Unfortunately, the display quality is so poor it's hard to overlook, even at the Yoga's relatively affordable price.

The 2-in-1 form factor and spacious 16-inch display would otherwise make the Yoga perfect for creative tasks, gaming, and watching movies, but all of those rely on a high-quality display, counteracting what would otherwise be great selling points for the Yoga. Unfortunately, the display is so underwhelming that I'd only suggest you pick up this laptop if you can find it at a good discount during a sale or if display quality isn't a concern for you.

Aside from the display, the Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16 delivers pretty good value for your money with plenty of performance for students and casual users. The battery life is enough to get through a full day of school or work, and the integrated graphics can handle some lightweight gaming in your downtime. If the display were better, the Yoga would be a no-brainer. You may want to consider one of the best 2-in-1 laptops instead, though.