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Want something more? Lenovo delivers the most comprehensive Qualcomm Snapdragon laptop yet, focused specifically on media consumption. This summer is the summer when Qualcomm can finally gain a
Want something more? Lenovo delivers the most comprehensive Qualcomm Snapdragon laptop yet, focused specifically on media consumption.
This summer is the summer when Qualcomm can finally gain a foothold alongside Intel and AMD with its Snapdragon chip. Most PC brands also support it. There are twelve different devices available today. All so-called Copilot+ PCs. You can read in detail what that means and what it doesn’t here.
The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 9 (from 1,198 euros excl. VAT) is a treat and appears to be the umpteenth iteration in the Yoga lineup, but is the brand’s first notebook with a Snapdragon chip on board. With Qualcomm chips, it’s not the cheapest laptop in the range, but the device does have some interesting advantages. As long as you’re in the target audience, that’s important here.
In the race for taller screens, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 9 has a traditional 16:9 screen ratio. Perfect for media consumption, as films and series have the same ratio. For everyday professional work, 16:10, 4:3 or even 3:2 are preferable. We are also seeing this trend more and more often in business devices and it is reflected in the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7.
The screen ratio makes this device a bit wider. This is not a specific disadvantage, it just depends on what you are used to. Practical: Lenovo places speakers to the left and right of the keyboard to make use of this space. They sound very good, much better than conventional models that push the sound downwards from below.
Don’t expect surround sound or a boom blaster, but for a laptop, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 9 sounds above average with its four built-in speakers.
The OLED screen is the main advantage of this PC. Unfortunately, it also brings with it an important disadvantage, but more on that later.
The 14.5-inch screen (2,944 x 1,840 pixels) is touch-sensitive and has a glossy surface. The screen looks great and the colors are very well calibrated. The panel supports HDR and has a peak brightness of 1,000 nits. A completely white image reaches a maximum brightness of 600 nits. Ideal for watching series or films. Using the laptop outdoors in direct sunlight works relatively well. Only the glossy screen sometimes spoils things.
The refresh rate of 90 Hz is higher than the traditional 60 Hz on laptops. This increase ensures smoother animations when scrolling, for example.
This laptop contains the same Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chip as in the HP OmniBook and features aggressive cooling.
A Qualcomm chip requires less cooling than an Intel or AMD chip because ARM chips are more efficient. For example, look at your smartphone or tablet: it doesn’t have a fan. The Microsoft Surface Pro 7 is almost always whisper quiet. The HP OmniBook’s fan on the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 9 does this almost instantly. This allows the chip to maintain a high clock speed for longer while maintaining the whisper quiet effect.
To read in detail how the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chip compares to Intel and AMD, you can click here. Spoiler: The chip is faster than an Intel Core Ultra 7.
Another thing that is noticeable is that there is a very large performance difference between the performance from the device’s battery and from electricity. We measure a drop of 60 percent. This is in line with what happens with most AMD and Intel chips, but other Qualcomm laptops are less affected.
The HP OmniBook The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 is the absolute king of consistency: zero percent difference.
If you reduce the performance that much, you lose a key advantage of the Qualcomm chip. Yes, you can increase the performance in Windows settings, but why do it manually? The chip stays cool enough.
The 1080p webcam on board the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 9 is very good. A separate webcam for video conferencing is not necessary at all. You can turn off the webcam using a hardware button next to the keyboard. No physical slider, there is no space for it. Login with facial recognition via Windows Hello is possible.
The built-in microphones, four in total, also record your voice very well. You can hear the results below.
In our opinion, you don’t need to use a separate headset with this laptop, unless you can’t make any noise. In that case, a headset makes sense. Below you can hear what such a special headset sounds like. The result is more precise, but also more artificial. Judge for yourself.
The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 9 is extremely thin. This has its advantages in terms of mobility, but you also have to sacrifice a lot for it. We only find three USB-C ports around. Fortunately, all three are equally efficient (40 Gbit/s, Power Delivery 3.1, DisplayPort 1.4). Lenovo provides two on the left and one on the right, ideal for working with an external USB-C monitor in any situation.
Unfortunately, you need dongles for the rest. Nice: Lenovo includes a USB-C hub for VGA, HDMI, jack and USB-A in the box. We appreciate that, but you can expect to forget this hub at an important moment when you need HDMI or USB-A, for example.
The keyboard is excellent despite the laptop’s thin profile. Lenovo has put all its know-how into the excellent ThinkPad keyboards. Typing on this laptop feels very good. The large touchpad is also comfortable to use.
Annoying: the on/off button on the left edge next to the enter key. In two weeks we accidentally put our laptop into standby mode almost ten times because the USB-C port is just above it. Downright annoying.
Thanks to the robust aluminum casing, this laptop is MIL-STD-810 certified. You can read what that means here. The laptop is just 12.9 millimeters “thick” and weighs 1.28 kg. That’s heavier than you’d expect from such a thin 14.5-inch laptop, but the larger battery has something to do with it.
The other laptops we’ve tested with a Qualcomm chip on board tend to have a battery capacity between 53Wh and 59Wh. The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 9 has a strong 70Wh battery on board. This is reflected in the battery test, but the difference could be bigger. The OLED screen is the main culprit here. On average, it consumes more than a traditional LCD screen.
One important note: Lenovo significantly reduces performance when you unplug the device. Lower performance requires less energy, which means the manufacturer is cheating a little. Ultimately, we can’t complain: almost all laptops with a Qualcomm chip on board are absolute battery kings.
Since it contains a slightly larger battery, charging it with the included 65W USB-C charger takes a little longer. Fortunately, it’s not really annoying and the result is still within expectations.
The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 9 (from 1,198 euros excl. VAT) is able to charm us. Thin and light has its advantages and disadvantages. The same applies to an OLED screen. By choosing a 16:9 screen ratio in conjunction with OLED, we see a future for this laptop especially for users who consume a lot of media on a laptop.
The best (and cheapest) laptop with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7x Gen 9 in the best place.
Tested configuration: Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 9 (83EDCTO1WWBE3): Qualcomm Snapdragon
Warranty period: Standard consumer warranty of 2 years upon delivery.
Source: IT Daily
As an experienced journalist and author, Mary has been reporting on the latest news and trends for over 5 years. With a passion for uncovering the stories behind the headlines, Mary has earned a reputation as a trusted voice in the world of journalism. Her writing style is insightful, engaging and thought-provoking, as she takes a deep dive into the most pressing issues of our time.
