Intel may have lost ground to AMD and Apple in the CPU arena, but its latest Evo-certified laptops — highly responsive and with good battery life — are still among the best premium notebooks in the market. Take the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Carbon, a handsome all-white laptop that weighs just under a kilogram.
Quick specs
- 13.3-inch QHD (2,560 x 1,440 pixel) screen
- From 966g
- Two Thunderbolt 4 ports, USB 3.0 Gen 2 port
- Intel 11th-gen processor
While the Lenovo is more handy than most, there are some downsides to its ultra-slim design. For instance, the lid exhibits some flex, though Lenovo says it is more sturdy than the previous iteration. The keyboard, too, is shallow, but the keys are tactile and not mushy. Another minor nitpick: The Lenovo only has USB-C ports, so a dongle is required for HDMI or USB Type-A devices. The laptop's bottom can get quite warm while charging, though stays relatively cool for tasks like video playback and Web browsing.
Easily my favourite feature on the Lenovo is presence detection. Basically, the notebook can sense the presence of a person using a time-of-flight sensor. The magic happens when this is used together with the integrated infrared facial recognition camera. When I approach the laptop, it gets ready to scan my face and log me in. And when I walk away, the laptop automatically locks for security while its screen dims to save energy. Taking this a step further is the preloaded Mirametrix's Glance technology, which uses the camera to detect the presence of a nosy neighbour and blurs your screen for added privacy.
With its QHD (2,560 x 1,440-pixel) screen, the Lenovo offers a good compromise between full-HD and 4K resolutions. The latter will, of course, take a toll on the laptop's battery life, while full-HD obviously does not look as crisp. I also like the display's anti-glare matte finish and slim bezels, but the screen could be brighter (300 nits max). And while this laptop is not equipped for intensive computing tasks, its 11th-gen Core processor is fast enough for most mainstream users.
Battery life is decent enough at 7hr 50min in my video playback test at maximum brightness. It's not as good as some Intel Evo laptops like the Acer Swift 5, but the Lenovo is thinner and lighter. Overall, the slim build, good looks and responsiveness of the Yoga Slim 7i Carbon are worth the S$1,999 retail price (Core i7 model). Get it now from online platforms such as Shopee and Lazada, as well as Lenovo's online store.
Note: Review unit provided by Lenovo.
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