One of the lightest and most stylish laptops on the market, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Carbon 2023 may irritate some customers because to its exorbitant price. Should you buy a MacBook Air or Yoga Slim 7i Carbon for Rs. 1.32 lakh?
Although the Yoga Slim 7i Carbon 2023 edition shares a similar exterior with the Slim 7i Carbon 2022 model, the laptop receives just minor internal changes. First off, it uses a 12th-Gen Intel Core i7 CPU rather than an 11th-Gen processor, which is comparatively more powerful. Moreover, LPDDR5 (clocked at 4800MHz) has replaced LPDDR4x in the Memory technology (clocked at 4266MHz). It now supports Wi-Fi 6e 11AX (2×2) for quicker internet access, which is another noteworthy feature.
Yet outside these little (but significant) improvements, not much has changed. The chassis of the Yoga Slim 7i Carbon is still made of a combination of magnesium alloy and carbon fibre. While there haven’t been many design revisions, it is still one of the most attractive and portable Computers on the market. In addition, it features the Intel Evo certification, which guarantees excellent performance, long battery life, and enhanced mobile connection. The same 4-cell 50Wh battery is also available, and 65W charging is supported.
Luckily, despite the addition of a new processor, the cost of the new Lenovo laptop has not increased much. Yoga Slim 7i Carbon’s starting price in 2023 is Rs. 1,31,990, compared to Rs. 1,24,990 for the model’s predecessor.
Nevertheless, while having the same CPU, the Slim 7i Carbon costs more than numerous competitors, like the Asus Vivobook S15 OLED 2022, Samsung Galaxy Book 2, and HP Pavilion Plus. Moreover, it costs more than Apple’s M1/M2 SoC-equipped premium MacBook Air. If that’s the case, it begs the question if the Yoga Slim 7i Carbon 2023 edition is worthwhile to contemplate, particularly given the unfavourable financial environment. Let’s investigate.
Design for the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Carbon 2023
The laptop’s design is understated and straightforward since it was made for people who prioritise work. It does not, however, imply that Lenovo is not experimenting with novel designs. During CES 2023, we spotted several stylish Lenovo computers. A few bizarre laptops with twin displays are available from its rival, Asus.
Although the Yoga Slim 7i Carbon has a simple design that I like, this is my first time using a computer with a carbon fibre body. All I can say is that a carbon fibre body isn’t just a marketing ploy. Moreover, this keeps the lid lightweight and strong. Due to a solid foundation, it is also one of the rarer Windows laptops that allows you to open the lid with just one hand.
Lenovo has also shamelessly pushed the branding envelope. Several locations use Lenovo’s distinctive logo. Partner branding for companies like Intel, Dolby, and Harman is one of the other categories. I don’t mind that personally, but I am aware that some ardent Apple customers would.
The port choice, in my opinion, might have been better. There are Thunderbolt 4 and USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 ports on the Yoga Slim 7i Carbob (2023). Both ports support DisplayPort 1.4 and PD 3.0. There is a convenient switch to turn on the webcam for discretion. However, there isn’t a 3.5mm audio jack, which seems excessive.
Moreover, Lenovo has offered a proprietary 4-in-1 Hub, which is cumbersome to carry about all the time. It has a USB-A port, an HDMI port, a VGA port, and a 3.5 mm audio jack. On the 4-in-1 hub, the manufacturer might have included at least two Type-A ports.
Although the Yoga Slim 7i Carbon is among the sexiest and lightest laptops available, the manufacturer should have been more considerate with ports. The dual-tone finish is attractive, but I’m sure many buyers would prefer a design with a single colour.
Display for the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Carbon 2023
The Yoga Slim 7i Carbon’s 13.3-inch IPS display with 2.5K (2560×1600 pixels) resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate will remain the same in 2023. Dolby Vision is also supported, which is advantageous for watching movies and television shows on platforms that support it. By accessing the settings and customising the colour parameters, you may calibrate the HDR manually. But keep in mind that utilising the display at its best uses more energy, which might reduce your overall playback duration.
I didn’t play a lot of games, but the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Carbon proved dependable for light online picture editing. The colour looked to be more or less realistic, and most of the time the contrast ratio was perfect. Although the auto-brightness was a little spotty, the brightness is also acceptable.
I used the Yoga Slim 7i Carbon for a limited period of time while watching a range of shows and films on OTT services. For instance, even though there were several moments with low light, I had no problems with the colours while viewing The Last of Us on Disney+ Hotstar. In fact, because the gloomy scenes looked better, I enjoyed viewing the programme in low light. While viewing The Lord of the Rings trilogy on Netflix, I experienced a similar experience. There were no issues when watching football and cricket on Sony Liv and Hotstar.
Lenovo makes the somewhat improbable claim that their displays are 100% sRGB. There was a discernible change in the visual quality when I played the identical video on the laptop and iPad Pro M2. The iPad seems to have a superior sense of colour. Nonetheless, this does not imply that the Yoga Slim 7i Carbon’s display is subpar, and most users will be happy with the performance.
Performance of the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Carbon 2023
The 12th-generation Intel Core 7i (1260P), a powerful CPU that can perform a variety of jobs and desktop applications without stuttering, is the chip that comes with the new Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Carbon 2023. The Processor is combined with 1TB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0×4 NVMe storage and 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM.
I often use Chrome (with at least 15 tabs open), the desktop version of WhatsApp, and notepad. Most of the time, I forget to close the Steam desktop software, so it continues to run in the background. Nonetheless, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Carbon functions without any issues and shows no indications of overheating.
I have participated in the Xbox version of Age of Empires 4 and the Steam version of Apex Legends. Even on the maximum settings, the former operated without any issues; nevertheless, Apex required more power to run at its peak. You may play challenging multiplayer games, but it’s best to keep your expectations low.
I believe that using spreadsheet programmes like Excel on the Yoga Slim 7i Carbon might be a little challenging for business users. In general, I advise customers to get 15-inch computers in order to run spreadsheet applications since the bigger screen gives users more creative freedom. There isn’t much to gripe with if you’re OK with a 13-inch display, though.
The Yoga Slim 7i Carbon achieved a respectable benchmark score of 5058 on PC Mark10 when compared to its rivals. It received a 1,479 on the 3D Mark Time Spy test, which is typical in this area.
Keyboard and batteries for the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Carbon 2023
Under pressure, the keyboard deck hardly moves at all, and I appreciate that the trackpad is positioned in the centre, where it won’t be accidentally touched when typing. This guarantees that there will be space on the deck for you to rest your wrists. The keys move rather well, although I’ve seen better. If you become acclimated to the positioning, it shouldn’t generally interfere with your typing experience. Similar to how I enjoy the trackpad’s finish since it doesn’t feel like cheap plastic. Trackpads tend to lose colour with time, which may also be the case here, though I’m not certain.
The Yoga Slim 7i Carbon 2023 has a 50Wh battery and supports 65W fast charging, so let’s talk about battery life. Considering the device has Evo certification, a long battery life is expected. On the most conservative settings, the firm guarantees a 9-hour battery backup. In contrast, I put the Yoga Slim 7i Carbon through a lot of use and received around 5 to 6 hours each cycle, which is decent but not great. The MacBook Air, which has a comparable price tag, has a battery life of 7-8 hours.
Nonetheless, it would be foolish to single out Lenovo because the battery performance of the majority of Windows laptops is subpar.
2023 Evaluation of Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Carbon
The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Carbon 2023 is straightforward to suggest if mobility and performance are your top priorities. The construction quality is uncompromised by the firm. The laptop is weightless in your backpack because of the well distributed weight.
The 12th-Gen Intel Core i7 CPU can handle the majority of jobs, and the battery backup is also respectable despite not having the newest 13th-Gen Intel Core processor. Expect the laptop to be unable to perform demanding games due to its mediocre GPU.
I appreciate that the Type-C connector allows for charging on both sides of the laptop. It eliminates the inconvenience of packing an extra charger. To charge your Android phone, wireless headphones, Kindle, and even the most recent iPad, all you need is a PD charger, which is universally compatible with all of these devices. Users of iPhones can also use an adaptor that supports PD charging, but the cable must have a Type-C connector on the other end.
The Yoga Slim 7i Carbon is obviously costly at Rs. 1.32 lakh, and if build quality isn’t a big deal to you, the MacBook Air is still a great option in this price bracket. I might not advise business clients who are constantly on the run to get the Yoga Slim 7i Carbon notebook since it will take up too much room in their suitcase and reduce productivity.