This 16-inch laptop is designed for photo and video editors who may not require a full 4K display but still benefit from an RTX 5060 GPU and a touch-based OLED panel.
It features a laptop touchpad with designer pen input, offering a level of precision often desired by creative professionals. The device also boasts excellent ports, a high refresh rate, and impressive color accuracy.
The source reviewer found this device to be more than just a laptop; it functions as a portable creative graphics studio. For users in creative fields, this laptop is purpose-built to meet demanding needs.
Pricing and Availability
The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i Gen 11 Aura Edition 16-inch OLED Touch is available with various configurations from Lenovo US, Lenovo UK, and other regions. Prices started at $2,499.99 / £2,719.99 at the time of the review, with the reviewed unit costing just over $3,000.
Design and Build
The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i Gen 11 Aura Edition features a sharp and sleek design, even with its substantial 16-inch form factor. The packaging includes the laptop, power cable, adapter, Yoga Pen, and documentation. The Thunder Gray color was noted positively by the source reviewer.
Despite its robust build, the laptop remains manageable for daily use. While not ideal for one-handed operation, it is practical for transport between locations like a coffee shop, desk, or meetings, especially when carried in a quality backpack.
The portability is impressive given the power it delivers. The OLED panel and 120 Hz refresh rate provide a spectacular visual experience that is immediately noticeable.
The keyboard and haptic force trackpad were highlighted as significant assets for creatives, where quality input tools are crucial for design and production work.
A key strength of the laptop is its impressive OLED panel and Intel Core chips. It also features a high-quality force pad and the Yoga Pen Gen 2, which offers a drawing and design experience reminiscent of dedicated drawing pads.
The device also includes a touchscreen. The source reviewer noted that users quickly adapt to coordinating pen input on the force pad with visual feedback on the screen, particularly those familiar with drawing tablets. This precision is beneficial for photo editing and graphic design.
While drawing on the force pad differs from direct screen input, the precision is commendable, suggesting a deliberate choice by Lenovo, possibly to protect the OLED panel.
Beyond pen input, the trackpad functions as a high-quality, enlarged touchpad, supporting gestures and multi-finger motions, which was appreciated by the source reviewer.
Connectivity and Performance
The laptop offers a comprehensive selection of ports, including USB-A and full-size HDMI, which is a welcome return for many professionals who still rely on legacy peripherals and display connections.
While USB-C is increasingly common, the inclusion of HDMI and USB-A ports addresses the ongoing need for compatibility with various older devices and display setups in different work environments.
An SD card reader is also included, which is a significant advantage for creative professionals involved in photography and videography.
The laptop demonstrates effective thermal management, venting heat efficiently without throttling performance, even under intense workloads. The source reviewer observed stable operation during benchmarking, video editing, running large language models (LLMs), and complex terminal sessions involving agent building and simultaneous use of various AI and productivity tools. While fans activate under heavy loads, the machine maintains its speed.
During video editing in DaVinci Resolve with multiple lines of 4K video, the laptop allowed for seamless transitions without excessive loading, processing, or rendering, indicating fast and responsive performance suitable for video editors.
Although it may not match machines at triple the cost, its combination of price, portability, and capabilities makes it a highly capable video editing machine. It also handles large, multi-gigabyte photo files with ease.
The laptop successfully managed multi-gigabyte files for large banners that would typically crash other computers, underscoring the power and efficiency of its internal components.
User Experience and Display
The source reviewer subjected the laptop to a broad range of demanding daily tasks, including heavy AI use, terminal operations, app building, video and photo editing, content writing, systems engineering, and extensive database builds.
Utilizing the Yoga Pro 9i as a mobile workstation provided a sense of reliability, eliminating the need to offload heavier workloads to other devices. It proved capable of handling typical daily tasks without limitations.
The OLED panel is described as gorgeous, significantly enhancing the user experience compared to powerful machines with mediocre screens. The laptop's size and feel are comparable to a 16-inch MacBook Pro or Dell laptop, offering substantial screen real estate without being overly cumbersome, making it a worthwhile investment for those needing raw power on the go.
For users who prioritize raw power and larger screen real estate, this 16-inch form factor is highly recommended, even for those accustomed to smaller laptops.
The keyboard offers comfortable use during long sessions, and the touchpad is accurate and user-friendly. The camera is adequate for virtual meetings, and the microphone performs well in private or home office settings, though a dedicated mic or headphones are recommended for noisy public spaces.
The microphone's performance is sufficient for private environments, but for accurate vocal input in loud spaces, external audio solutions are essential, especially when using tools like Wispr Flow or voice agents.
Verdict
This laptop is clearly designed for creative professionals and individuals in heavy technical fields, including AI and coding. Its substantial power makes it suitable for a wide range of demanding applications.
With its impressive OLED panel and haptic force touchpad with pen input, the device is ideal for graphic designers, photographers, and video editors. While others may enjoy it, alternative Lenovo models might better suit users with different needs.
Score breakdown
Scored out of 10Price & Release Date
Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i Gen 11 Aura Edition
