58 PCWorld JUNE 2022REVIEWS LENOVO YOGA 9i 14 (2022)
It’s an eye-catching
look with practical
benefits. The rounded
edges mean you never
encounter a hard touch
point while
maneuvering the
laptop. This will be a
minor point for many.
After all, it’s not like
other 2-in-1s will slice
your finger. Still, the
Yoga 9i is more inviting
than the norm.
The Yoga 9i’s low
weight and touchscreen
further improves ease of use. It’s a great
machine to carry with one hand or spin
around to share something with a friend or
co-worker across a table. It’s not small or light
enough to be an iPad replacement, but the 9i
comes as close as you can expect from a
device without a detachable keyboard. That’s
good news if you need a 2-in-1 for use in
cramped spaces or for travel.KEYBOARD AND TRACKPAD
The Yoga 9i 14-inch offers a quality keyboard
despite its thin profile. Key travel is good and
has a firm, pleasant bottoming action. The
layout is also excellent and makes full use of
the laptop’s 14-inch size. Key caps are
reasonably sized yet there’s plenty of space
between keys.Several unique keys can be found on the
keyboard’s right side. These include a key that
turns the Windows systemwide dark mode
setting on or off and one that flips through
performance modes. Though a nice extra,
they’re not a must-have and won’t change
how most people use the 2-in-1. The
keyboard has a backlight and uses a light
sensor to automatically turn it on in a dark
room (it can also be activated manually).
I appreciate the large touchpad. It
measures about 5 inches across and 3 inches
deep. This is a great size for a thin, portable
2-in-1 and provides plenty of room for
Windows’ multi-touch gestures. The touchpad
does a good job of rejecting unintended input,
which is important, as its large size means my
palms came to rest on its surface.We were impressed by the Yoga 9i’s keyboard.