The Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 9Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

There are plenitude of great13 - inchand14 - inch laptopsout there , but none that can defeat the M3 MacBook Air head - to - head . That notebook computer is the complete package when it comes to extremist - portable laptop computer .

The Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 9 , however , invest up an impressive fight . In fact , it beats the MacBook Air in nearly every category other than battery life . It ’s not quite as thin , either , but as you ’ll see , the Yoga 9i Gen 9 is one of thebest MacBook Air alternativesyou can buy .

Specs and configurations

Lenovo ’s pricing and configurations are highly subject to modification , sometimes making it difficult to love when you ’re getting the good deal . mighty now , the Yoga 9i Gen 9 starts at $ 1,330 for a Core Ultra 7 155H chipset , 16 GB of RAM , a 512 GB SSD , and a 14.0 - inch 2.8 K OLED display . With a 1 TB SSD and a 4K+ OLED instrument panel , the Yoga cost $ 1,430 .

Apple ’s pricing is typically reproducible and its full array of configurations continue constantly available . The base MacBook Air M3 be $ 1,299 with an M3 8/10 chipset , 8 GB of RAM , a 512 GB SSD , and a 13.6 - inch IPS exhibit . With 16 GB , which would make it comparable to the Yoga ’s base manikin , the MacBook Air M3 is $ 1,499 , or about $ 170 more . The MacBook can also be configure with 24 GB of RAM and a 2 TB SSD for $ 2,299 .

The MacBook Air M3 is therefore the more expensive laptop computer unless you choose its groundwork modelling . However,8 GB of RAMisn’t the best execution choice for laptop computer , except for those with the very uncomplicated workflow .

Design

The Yoga 9i Gen 9 is an excellent example of the modern 360 - degree convertible 2 - in-1 . It has rounded edges and a gorgeous flesh that is cohesively plan and revel a 360 - arcdegree hinge that ’s smooth , but secure in clamshell , collapsible shelter , and mass medium modes . It ’s an all - aluminum laptop that ’s extremely well built and has no deflexion or flexing in its lid , keyboard deck , or chassis . And it ’s drop - dead gorgeous , with narrow video display bezels and a reverse snick holding the webcam .

That MacBook Air M3 is also one of the well - built laptop computer available today , with just some little flexing in its display and an incredibly satisfying chassis that ’s CNC machine out of a city block of atomic number 13 . It ’s also very attractive , with a slightly more angular visual aspect and narrow display bezels that , in Apple ’s case , require a showing pass to domiciliate the webcam . It sports one of the smoothest hinge around and sports Apple ’s typical elegance .

just put , whether you buy the Lenovo or the Apple laptop computer , you ’ll be start out one of the near in its class .

The Yoga 9i Gen 9 ’s keyboard is excellent , with large , sculpted keycaps and plentifulness of key spatial arrangement . Its switches are light and rattling and have mickle of travel . Apple ’s Magic Keyboard stay one of the good , with less travel , but equally as big and spacious key with even snappier substitution . Either keyboard will keep you type at full speed .

The MacBook Air M3 ’s Force Touch haptic touchpad is better than the Yoga 9i Gen 9 ’s mechanical version , and it offers the Force Click social function that adds supernumerary functionality with a “ fast ” practical click . The Yoga 9i Gen 9 , on the other hand , has touch- and pen - enable displays that support Lenovo ’s active penitentiary for compose and drawing on the screen .

Connectivity is a clear winnings for the Yoga , which offers as many USB - coulomb with Thunderbolt 4 ports as the MacBook Air M3 while adding another USB - C port and a legacy USB - A interface . Both have the same modern level of wireless connectivity .

ultimately , the Yoga 9i Gen 9 has a higher resolution 5 - megapixel webcam and build up in an infrared camera for Windows 11 Hello support . The MacBook Air M3 has a Touch ID fingerprint reader built into the business leader button . Both webcams offer very unspoiled range of a function , with the Lenovo ’s being more or less good , and both login methods are fast and in force .

Lenovo builds in user - presence sense engineering that handle the laptop when a user leaves and returns , logging off and back on and going to kip and waking up consequently .

Performance

The Yoga 9i Gen 9 apply the 28 - watt Intel Core Ultra 7 155H , a 16 - nub ( six Performance , eight Efficient , and two Low Power Efficient ) , 22 - train of thought chipset . It packs in Intel Arc integrated graphics and has been a upstanding performer across a range of laptop , receive the needs of require productivity users . The MacBook Air M3 uses Apple ’s M3 chipset , which has eight CPU cores and either eight or 10 GPU cores . It ’s also a substantial performing artist for demand productivity workflows , but its integrated GPU is immobile than Intel Arc .

Looking at our suite of benchmarks , the MacBook Air M3 is faster in all but our Handbrake test and the Cinebench R24 multi - core CPU mental test . The MacBook Air M3 can also fill out the Cinebench R24 GPU test , which Intel Arc wo n’t run , and its performance in the real - world PugetBench Premiere Pro benchmark is about 56 % quicker .

All in all , the MacBook Air M3 is a faster laptop for virtually all users . Neither laptop computer makes for a enceinte gaming machine .

Display and audio

Lenovo offer two display options with the Yoga 9i Gen 9 , a 14.0 - inch 2.8 K 2880 x 1800 ( 242 PPI ) OLED display running at 120Hz and a 14.0 - inch 4K+ 3840 x 2400 ( 322 PPI ) OLED board at 60Hz . The MacBook Air M3 expend a 13.6 - in 2560 x 1664 ( 224 PPI ) IPS showing at 60Hz . That makes the two Lenovo displays sharper , with the 2.8 K panel provide the high refresh rate .

We tested the Yoga 9i Gen 9 ’s 2.8 K OLED display and it had wide and more accurate colors and much deeper dividing line than the MacBook Air M3 ’s display . The MacBook ’s panel was shining . Overall , the Lenovo scores a pregnant win .

The Yoga 9i Gen 9 has Lenovo ’s Soundbar that put up two tweeters , and there are two side - firing woofers . The MacBook Air M3 has a four - speaker sound system . While both have very practiced audio quality , the Yoga ’s implementation has more loudness , with clearer highs and mids and more bass voice .

Portability

The MacBook Air M3 is the thinnest laptop computer available today at just 0.44 inches and it ’s sensibly light at 2.7 hammering . The Yoga 9i Gen 9 is thicker at up to 0.64 inches and slimly gruelling at 2.98 Irish punt . The MacBook is therefore the more portable laptop , but neither laptop computer is a load to carry around .

However , when it come to battery life , the MacBook Air ’s M3 chipset is far more efficient . Even though it has a much smaller shelling at 52.6 James Watt - hours versus 75 James Watt - hour , the MacBook lasts 19.5 hours when web browse versus the Yoga 9i Gen 9 ’s more or less six hours . The MacBook Air M3 will last you more than a full sidereal day ’s work , while the Yoga 9i Gen 9 is n’t likely to make it much past lunch .

The Yoga 9i Gen 9 puts up a spectacular fight

If you ’re looking for a 14 - in transformable 2 - in-1 , the Yoga 9i Gen 9 should be on your short list . It ’s fast , well - built , and has spectacular displays . It ’s also reasonably affordable even while being a bounty laptop computer . If you ’re considering a MacBook Air , but need something in the Windows ecosystem , it receive a red-blooded recommendation .

However , the MacBook Air M3 ’s leanness and stamp battery animation are still unbeatable , and in this type of equipment , those are both paramount aspects . That make it the better overall laptop computer in this course , even if the Yoga 9i Gen 9 order up a spectacular fight .