The Nokia brand was famous for its innumerable smartphone designs, some of which have stood the test of time and are being revived today. Although not as old as those, the Nokia Lumia with its blocky silhouette, curved sides, and raised 2.5D screen is just as distinctive, becoming the DNA of the product line until its demise. HMD Global, who now eagerly wants to remind everyone that its name stands for “Human Mobile Devices,” is bringing back that iconic form but with a twist. The HMD Skyline might be a blast from the past, but it is also the most forward-looking of its kind thanks to its strong self-repair spirit.

Designer: HMD

The Skyline is notable for two things. The first is, of course, is design that is both dated yet ironically fresh to people’s eyes today. The more geometric block is almost in line with art trends today, and its neon pink colorway definitely shouts for attention. Given the retro design craze gripping multiple industries, its arrival couldn’t be more timely.

This juxtaposition also shows itself in the HMD Skyline’s other strength: its easy repairability. Sure, it’s not as easy as popping off the back plate with a fingernail and swapping out batteries in a snap, but it’s still worlds apart compared to most smartphones today, including its mid-range buddies. There’s only one screw to lift the back panel, which you can gently pry off with plastic cards or guitar picks, then other connectors can be easily unscrewed or lifted. It’s probably the least risky process around when it comes to replacing the screen. And all that while still having an IP54 dust and water resistance rating.

Images courtesy of: iFixit

The irony is that HMD is positioning this Gen 2 repairability as an attractive feature for Gen Z users who, it claims, are more likely to keep their phone if they can repair it themselves. That said, this is also the generation that lives for the latest and greatest designs, convenient services, and near-instant gratification from social media. Then again, it’s also the maker culture, so there might be some DIY DNA running through their veins as well, waiting to be awakened.

The HMD Skyline’s specs are a bit less impressive, but it’s actually almost a miracle that some of them are even there. The 6.55-inch 1080p, for example, is capable of 144Hz refresh rates, and its 4,600mAh battery supports magnetic wireless charging. There’s a massive 108MP camera teamed up with a 50MP telephoto shooter and a 13MP wide-angle camera. The Snapdragon 7s Gen 2, however, clearly marks it for the mid-range class. All things considered, the $500 Android phone isn’t as bad a deal, especially if you’re truly into retro designs that you plan on maintaining for a very long time.

The post HMD Skyline is a Nokia Lumia throwback with repairability at its core first appeared on Yanko Design.

Microsoft has been very aggressive with its push of AI on new Windows computers, represented by its now omnipresent CoPilot key. New laptops have just been launched touting AI capabilities that revolve largely around the usual culprits like content generation or summarizing content, but they’re not the only new kids on the block either. A new breed of gaming laptops is also on the rise, advertising some AI tricks to optimize their performance. That also means a refresh of popular models that promise even smoother performance and pack more power, but those always come at some cost. Rarely will you find a design that delivers the power that gamers need at a more affordable price point, which is the proposition that the 2024 Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 9 (16IRX9H) is making, so we naturally had to put it to the test to see if it holds up in practice.

Designer: Lenovo

Aesthetics

Common gaming laptops often look like tanks, and the Legion Pro 7i (2024) is sadly no different. It’s not rugged by any means, sporting a sleek and sharp appearance, but it’s thick, heavy, and sharp at the edges. It has an aggressive look to it, though coupled with some RGB lights, it does have a bit of a cyberpunk flair. While it doesn’t shout to the world that it’s a gaming laptop, it doesn’t try to deny its identity either.

It’s also not that different from its Gen 8 predecessor, so there’s practically nothing that sets it apart visually. On the one hand, it establishes a familiarity with the Legion Pro line, so buyers will know what to expect. On the other hand, however, it also feels like it’s lagging behind when it comes to aesthetics, especially when Lenovo has quite a few interesting and distinctive designs available.

Overall, the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 9 looks pretty plain on the outside. It isn’t as obnoxious as other gaming laptops that show off all their kaleidoscopic lighting, but it isn’t subtle either. You might feel a bit conscious bringing it to the workplace or meeting (unless you work at a game studio), but it will probably only get a few passing looks. Fortunately, most gamers will be willing to overlook this aspect if they’re getting the performance that they’re actually paying for.

Ergonomics

At 4.93 lbs (2.24kg) and 17.6mm (0.69in), there is no mistaking the Legion Pro 7i Gen 9 for a thin and lightweight notebook. Again, this is your expected dimensions for a gaming laptop, so many gamers won’t be so bothered by it. But if you’re a creator and a gamer who find yourself moving around a lot, you best prepare your back and shoulders for some workout.

Fortunately, actually using the laptop turned out to be a more enjoyable experience, from the bright and vibrant screen to the responsive and comfortable keyboard. That keyboard is a bit notable in how it sufficiently spaces out the keys and still has room for a numeric keypad as well as a regular T-shaped cursor key arrangement. The latter actually extends a bit lower than the rest of the keys, which has the effect of pushing the touchpad to the left just a little. Definitely not enough to make the button-less surface painful to use.

As we’ll get to later, the Legion Pro 7i has a wide selection of ports, and they’re placed in a way that really takes into account how most people use laptops these days. The left side has a USB-A and a USB-C port, while the opposite side gets a USB-A along with a 3.5mm headphone/mic jack. This gives easy access to accessories you’ll connect and disconnect often, like a gaming mouse or your phone. The back has connections like two USB-A ports, one USB-C port, HDMI, and Ethernet, practically the ones you’ll use to “dock” the laptop to more stationary peripherals, making cable management a bit easier. Whether it’s gaming on the go or maybe even working in the office, the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 9 is designed with ease of use and comfort in mind.

Performance

As a somewhat high-end gaming laptop, the 2024 Legion Pro 7i carries some of the best hardware in the market today. Sure, it might not have an NPU-toting processor, but the Intel Core i9-14900HX is definitely as or even more capable than an “Ultra” chip. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is just one step lower than the top-of-the-line card, but it’s more than enough for both gaming and content creation. Our review unit came with 32GB of DDR5 RAM and 1TB of storage, which is to say it’s not wanting in any aspect. With both benchmarks and actual usage alike, the Legion Pro 7i Gen 9 performed impressively, yielding consistent high frame rates in games even high settings. It’s also a testament to the laptop’s cooling system that it’s able to squeeze out as much performance consistently, though it naturally did get warm to the touch and the fans were quite audible.

Visual quality is important for gamers, but it is an even more critical aspect for content creators who need color accuracy. This is one area where the Legion Pro 7i Gen 9 surpasses the previous generation, adding support for NTSC, Adobe RGB, and DCI-P3 color gamuts. Not only does this make colors really pop, it also means that the 16-inch 2K screen is now able to support the needs of creatives, making the gaming laptop more of an all-around high-performance tool. And with extremely thin bezels, you experience a better immersion into that colorful world, especially when the decent bottom-firing speakers complete the audiovisual experience.

This heavy laptop carries a 99.99Whr battery, the largest allowable on planes, and its uptime is as much as you’d expect. Normal use, which is a mix of multimedia and browsing, can net you around 7 hours, but heavy gaming makes that figure nosedive to just two or less. Lenovo compensates for this with a “Super Rapid Charge” technology that can fully charge the Legion Pro 7i in around 80 minutes, presuming you’re using the hefty 330W power brick with a proprietary connector. You can also charge the laptop via USB-C if you have a 140W charger, but Lenovo doesn’t ship one in the box.

All in all, the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 9 performs so well that we have very little to complain about it. There’s very little bloatware aside from Lenovo’s own tools, as well as those from Nahimic for audio and Tobii for the webcam. Yes, it’s heavy and it burns through a battery quickly, but that’s also expected from high-end gaming laptops. It’s a rather powerful package made even more enticing by its bang-for-buck value.

Sustainability

Before we get to that, however, a word has to be said about Lenovo’s actions to leave a more positive impact on the planet. Though the Legion Pro 7i Gen 9 might look plain to the naked eye, it actually uses quite a number of sustainable materials for its body. It uses recycled aluminum as well as magnesium, giving the laptop both durability as well as a premium touch. The bottom, in particular, is made with 50% recycled aluminum, while the cover frame utilizes 30% post-consumer recycled polymers.

The laptop is also designed to be upgradable, at least as far as RAM is concerned. Repairs and other upgrades, however, require a bit more work, so it comes up short of getting a high score. Given how gaming laptops are more likely to wear out components faster than regular laptops, repairability should be the next priority for Lenovo’s designers and engineers.

Value

There’s no getting around the fact that the Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 9 is a bit pricey, starting at around $2,420 all the way to $2,850 for the highest configuration. And that’s with discounts already! On its own, that price tag might feel quite burdensome, until you consider that many laptops on this tier ask for more and deliver less.

With this sub-$3000 gaming laptop, you’re getting a near-perfect configuration that is useful not just for gaming but even for content creation as well. It’s not perfect, of course, and we wished it had a longer battery life given its weight, but you’d also be hard-pressed to find a similar experience on designs that won’t require you to pay even more with not as much performance gains.

Verdict

With PC gaming on the rise again, the number and variety of gaming laptops have also seen an uptick. While the need for power has never changed, gamers have become more conscientious not just about price value but design value as well. Carrying the design DNA of its predecessor, the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 9 (16″, 2024) looks sleek yet deceptively simple, belying the power it carries inside. But more than just unrelenting performance, it brings a well-rounded set of features that give gamers, creators, and any other user a powerful tool for a relatively fair price.

The post Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 9 (2024) Laptop Review: Uncompromising Power at a Fair Price first appeared on Yanko Design.

With the way how cameras on the back of the phones seem to be dancing around, or how every new model has some innovative glass-etching process, you’d think that the smartphone design field is bursting with activity and changing at every turn. You’d be partially correct, at least if only external appearances are concerned. In one important aspect, however, phone design has somewhat stayed still, held back by the demands of technology. Phones these days are either made up of glass and plastic covers on top of metal or plastic frames, with all-metal designs almost just a footnote in history. As one that never settles for anything less, OnePlus embarked on a bold and ambitious quest to design the first and so far only 5G phone with a metal unibody, a journey that took them back not only through the history of smartphone design but also through the history of human innovation.

Designer: OnePlus

Mobile Innovation, Material Stagnation

It wasn’t always the case that smartphones had a singular formula when it came to materials. It wasn’t too long ago that OnePlus itself launched a metal unibody design in the form of the 2017 OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5T. Since then, however, smartphones have moved to those glass-metal or plastic sandwiches and there hasn’t been a full unibody design ever since. Ironically, the reason for that is one of the biggest innovations in the mobile industry: 5G networks.

OnePlus 5

OnePlus 5T

The speed and power of 5G placed heavier demands not just on hardware but also on design, specifically on how radio waves are transmitted through the phone’s body. Wireless signals already have a difficult time passing through metal, and even more so for 5G, forcing phone designers to either have plastic strips on the frame’s edges or simply ditch the all-metal design altogether. Unfortunately, it almost seems as if the industry as a whole is no longer interested in solving this puzzle, but OnePlus has risen to the challenge to provide its loyal users with a no-compromise option that will speak to their hearts through their fingers.

Metal Matters

Since the beginning of human history, especially when it came to trade, metal has played an important role not just in building up civilization but also as a symbol of prestige and luxury. Metal has always had this dual character of being a durable and malleable worker’s tool as well as a premium material for jewelry, decorations, and art. It is this long history that has endeared French designer Mathieu Lehanneur to metal. Famed for his nature-inspired metal-based works, Lehanneur was chosen to design the distinctive Paris 2024 Olympic Torch, perfectly symbolizing not only the aspirations of the Olympics itself but also the poetry in nature found in this year’s location for the event.

Mathieu Lehanneur, Designer of the Paris 2024 Olympic Torch

“I love materials that get their own history,” says Lehanneur as he explains his fascination with metal, “and metal’s history actually starts from the Earth, from the very planet itself. At the same time, it is also a part of human invention and skill, thanks to its ability to be transformed. I love the flexibility of the material, being able to create something that appears like a single piece of metal, a unibody design like the Olympic torch.”

It is that same trait that has allowed OnePlus to craft a seamless and unified metal shell for its latest design, the OnePlus Nord 4. The material delivers a lustrous look and a premium feel, something that users today are craving more than just features and specs. More importantly, however, this metal unibody design was made to address the flaws and concerns that smartphone makers have with mixing the material and current technologies, opening the door to fresh new designs that go beyond limitations imposed by hardware.

OnePlus Nord 4: Metal for the 5G Era

Choosing metal for the new Nord was both logical yet also difficult. It presented an opportunity to uplift the user experience but also put hurdles that needed to be sufficiently overcome lest it actually become a burden to that same user experience. Fortunately, the creative minds over at the OnePlus Industrial Design Studio got together to solve these issues to deliver a fashionable product without compromises.

Ryan Ruan, Head of OnePlus Industrial Design Center, shares the many challenges the team had to face and eventually solved to create the OnePlus Nord 4. In the early stages of the design, it was already clear that the higher thermal conductivity of metal would be a concern. “That’s why we chose the power-efficient (Qualcomm) Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 and designed a heat dissipation system that uses 17,900 sq. mm. of high-density crystalline graphene and a steel vapor chamber to ensure that even in extreme temperatures, the phone can still operate normally,” the designer explains. This serves to minimize the impact of heat on the metal surface and keep the phone performing optimally.

Wireless charging is another feature that is absent on phones with metal covers, and, unfortunately, there is still no way around this limitation. That said, the desire for this feature is more of a symptom of a much deeper cause. “Ultimately, users are pursuing high charging efficiency and a better user experience overall. Wireless charging is just one of the solutions, but we provide another solution,” according to Ruan. That solution is the OnePlus Nord 4’s extra-large 5,500 mAh battery and super-fast 100W SuperVOOC charging, minimizing not only the charging time but also the number of times you even need to charge the phone.

As for that tricky 5G antenna problem? OnePlus re-designed the phone’s internals to not only maximize battery space but also improve the signal strength. More importantly, the new U-shaped antenna design at the bottom of the internal chassis ensures that there is no degradation of wireless signals when you hold the phone at the sides with the so-called “Death Grip.” In other words, there will never be a wrong way to hold the Nord 4.

The Future of Burdenless Design

“When you choose a device, a product, or an art piece, it’s not only a question of specs or functionality but also a question of emotion, what you can feel from an object,” says Lehanneur. This relationship between object and person is especially true with today’s smartphone users who no longer pick just from a list of features but based on, as the designer describes it, “a question of how you want to be part of this object and how you want it to be a part of your life.” In that regard, Lehanneur expressed his delight in the Nord 4’s metal unibody design, and not just because it was made of metal. The Mercurial Silver colorway, in particular, has this visual effect where you can feel a relief or embossed surface even when there’s none. Lehanneur compares it to the “guillochage” design of luxury watches that provide beautiful visual and tactile experiences in a simple yet striking manner.

It’s a kind of detail that isn’t lost on OnePlus users who Ruan describes as “very playful, very young, and very personalized, pursuing designs where they can express themselves.” That is why early on, OnePlus designers decided to have a very different metal unibody design for the Nord 4 that distinguishes it from the 4G era OnePlus 5 and 5T. The dual-tone design of this generation’s “Nordtones” expresses that spirit of dynamism and vibrancy, while still trying to appeal to a broad range of tastes. It allows the Nord 4 to establish an emotional connection with users and allow them to express themselves in more unique and personalized ways.

A metal unibody is definitely a bold design to use for a phone, but it’s one that looks to the past glories of smartphone history while also safeguarding its future. “Metal is probably one of the most sustainable materials because it can live endlessly,” says Lehanneur. Unlike plastic that loses a part of its substance every time it’s recycled, metal can be recycled again and again. The recycled metal used in the Paris Olympic Torch, for example, could have very well come from a car in the past. In a way, that is also one way that metal carries its history, creating an interesting narrative with each lifetime.

In the same vein, metal wasn’t just a material choice for OnePlus but a representation of the brand’s design philosophy and ideals. “OnePlus is founded on the belief that while form should always perform a function, good design is what ultimately defines the user experience,” says Ruan. Choosing a metal unibody design, despite its numerous challenges, demonstrates the battle cry that launched OnePlus into stardom: Never Settle. “Our aim is to always strike the ideal balance between modern, elegant design and fast, smooth performance while providing users with a burdenless experience.”

Be sure to look out for our review of the OnePlus Nord 4 that will cover not just the design but also the overall value of this bold metal unibody phone.

The post OnePlus Nord 4 Design Story: Metal Unibody for an Emotional, Burdenless Experience first appeared on Yanko Design.

PROS:

• Gorgeous 3.8K screen with very thin bezels


• Stylish, lightweight, and flexible workstation on-the-go


• Competitive performance even for light gaming


• Creative speaker soundbar hinge design

CONS:

• Included pen feels cramped


• No HDMI port or SD card slot

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS

ERGONOMICS

PERFORMANCE

SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY

VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

With a more portable design and solid performance, the Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 9 makes for a competitive all-rounder that can cover almost every need and use case.

There has been a sudden flood of new laptops in the past months, most of them trying to ride the AI wave. With so many designs and so many configurations available, it can be a bit daunting to pick one for your next major computer purchase. There’s no shortage of models catering to gamers and content creators, as well as pro models aimed at high-performance workers. On the opposite side lies the “economy” choices meant for students and some employees, carrying barely enough power for the most basic tasks. When it comes to those who need a general-purpose computer that can keep up with their changing needs and situations, the choices can be a bit more difficult because they’re all over the place. A solid option with well-balanced features and an accessible price tag is always in demand, and that’s what the 2024 Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 9 (14IMH9) 2-in-1 convertible laptop is promising, so we take put it to the test to see if it does keep its word.

Designer: Lenovo

Aesthetics

The Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 9 has a presence that grabs your attention without being loud or distracting. The simple yet sleek shape of the lid combined with the soft curves of the base creates an interesting silhouette whether the laptop is closed or open. And the dark Cosmic Blue hue, still a rarity in this product line, makes it stand out in an aesthetically pleasing way. When the lid is open and the screen powered on, the extra slim bezels around the display further emphasize the laptop’s modern appearance.

Even at first glance, it’s immediately evident how slim and small the 2-in-1 laptop is, at least for a 14-inch device. Compared to its Gen 8 predecessor, this year’s Lenovo Yoga 9i is significantly smaller and lighter, which greatly improves its portability. This attribute is even critical for this kind of laptop since it can be used as a tablet that you’ll sometimes have to hold up for long periods of time, though it does have some drawbacks compared to typical tablets, which we’ll get to later.

One design detail that might prove divisive is how the lid and the base practically have two different designs. The lid is thin and has flat edges with a matte surface, while the base sports curved edges with a shiny finish. The difference between the two is even more stark when you realize that the base is actually wider at its edges than the lid so that these two parts don’t sit flush with each other when closed. It’s an asymmetrical design quirk that might not sit well with some, while others might grow accustomed to it over time, enough to take it for granted.

Ergonomics

At only 2.98 lbs (1.35kg), the Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 9 is relatively lighter than its predecessor as well as the nearest competition. This gives it an advantage when it comes to portability, especially when you consider how it doesn’t skimp on the specs in return. You still won’t want to hold it up unsupported for long periods of time, but it’s less straining than most. That said, you won’t be able to hold it as comfortably as a regular tablet like an iPad or a Surface because the keys fold to the back of the lid. They’re disabled, of course, but you will still undoubtedly press on them, making for a rather awkward experience.

But while using the laptop is comfortable and even enjoyable, the Lenovo Slim Pen that ships with the Yoga 9i Gen 9 is a different story. We don’t have any complaints when it comes to the performance of the stylus, since it does a great job at it, but holding the short and nearly flat stick can strain your hand if you use it for too long. There’s also no secure place to put the stylus on when not in use, because the magnet on the back and top of the lid is not exactly that strong. It almost feels as if designing the pen was an afterthought, especially since previous Yoga 9i models had a silo for its home.

Performance

In addition to its facelift, the 2024 14-inch Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 9 gets a major upgrade in hardware. That’s the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, the chip maker’s latest entry into the AI arena. This is matched with high-speed LPDDR5x RAM, 32GB for our review unit, and 1TB PCIe SSD Gen 4 M.2 of storage. In addition to the integrated Intel AI Boost NPU (Neural Processing Unit), a key feature of this configuration is the integrated Intel Arc graphics. It’s still a far cry from dedicated GPUs from the likes of NVIDIA and AMD, but it’s still a major leap forward in terms of performance. And it doesn’t disappoint, at least within the right context and expectations. It’s no gaming laptop, but light gaming with medium settings is no problem, as are content creation apps, especially those that utilize AI features.

The real star of the show here is the 14-inch OLED display, with a 3.8K WQUXGA (3840 x 2400) resolution in our review unit (there’s also a 2.8K 2880×1800 option). Both are touch-capable, as you would expect from a 2-in-1 laptop, and the image quality is just astounding in both brightness and color vibrancy. It’s by no means perfect, especially compared to more “pro” laptops, but on a consumer product, this is simply gorgeous. It doesn’t fall short when it comes to audio either, and its unique design solves one of the biggest problems laptops have: speaker placement. In the Yoga 9i Gen 9’s case, the wide hinge also acts as a soundbar that’s always firing in your direction, and the audio that it puts out is full and broad, and it doesn’t sound distorted or tinny at maximum volume.

As a 2-in-1 laptop, the Yoga 9i Gen 9 has to carefully balance the needs of both laptop users as well as tablet users, and nowhere is that more evident than in the choice of I/O ports. There are three USB-C ports, two of which support Thunderbolt 4, one full-sized USB-A port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. That’s pretty much it. The lack of an HDMI port means you’ll need to use a dongle if your external monitor doesn’t support USB-C video, and digital photographers might be unimpressed with the lack of a card reader. The I/O leans more on the side of portability and mobility, making some practical sacrifices along the way.

The typing experience is quite decent, and the keys have sufficient spacing and travel to keep most users happy. It’s also backlit, so typing in the dark is no problem at all. The touchpad is large, smooth, and responsive, leaving very little reason to complain. One design detail that some might take issue with is the column of special keys on the right edge, providing quick access to a few features, including a fingerprint scanner. Unfortunately, its placement makes it too easy to hit these keys accidentally, especially since they’re so close to important keys like Enter, Backspace, and the Left cursor key. It also means that the entire keyboard is practically shifted to the left, and so will your hands.

Battery life is decent, though not exactly remarkable. The 75Wh battery will last you an average of 5-7 hours on average use, shorter if you crank up the video or game settings. The good news is that it charges over USB-C and any of the three USB-C ports can be used for that purpose. That means you can opt for a faster and smaller GaN charger than the plain 65W brick that comes with the Lenovo Yoga 9i, not that it’s that big a charger in the first place.

Sustainability

The Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 9’s all-aluminum build means there’s less plastic in each laptop. Even better, it uses plenty of recycled materials as well, like 50% recycled aluminum for the base bottom, 50% post-consumer recycled plastic for the keyboard, and, of course, 100% plastic-free packaging. That’s definitely more than what you might find in other consumer laptops, so Lenovo deserves a pat on the back there.

Unfortunately, the longevity of the 2-in-1 laptop might be a bit of an issue, especially if you consider doing repairs or upgrades yourself. Although held down by four TORX screws, the base bottom panel also has some pretty strong adhesive that gets in the way of easily accessing replaceable parts. Also quite puzzling, this Gen 9 model has apparently dropped support for the longer 80mm NVMe SSD drives, limiting you to the 42mm variety only.

Value

The laptop market is a very competitive space, especially when brands put out new models almost at the same time and with the same core specs. That makes telling each apart a bit more difficult, let alone figuring out the actual value that a product has. With a price tag ranging from $1,300 to $1,500, the Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 9 (14″, 2024) already stands out as being more affordable, but we definitely can’t judge it by that figure alone, nor can we ignore the competition.

The Yoga 9i Gen 9 definitely offers a well-rounded set of features, wrapped in a design that is elegant and distinctive, even if a bit odd at the edges. The 14-inch display really makes videos and images pop, up and the sound quality is impressive for a laptop. That said, it’s a very close call with its biggest rival, the newly refreshed HP Spectre x360 14, also a 2-in-1 convertible laptop. It might even boil down to which product and software ecosystem you prefer, but you can’t go wrong with a solid performer like the new 2024 14-inch Yoga 9i.

Verdict

Finding a good balance between power, portability, and price isn’t that easy. Some designs don’t even try and instead focus on a specific aspect and refine that to perfection. The Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 9 almost comes close, bringing the AI-empowered performance of the new Intel Core Ultra line to a sleek and elegant device that you can proudly show off, whether as a laptop or as a tablet. With a large and beautiful screen that barely has any bezels, it not only lets you focus on your work but also enjoy viewing content on it. Best of all, its sustainability and accessibility give it an edge over similarly priced options, making the Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 9 2-in-1 laptop truly enticing for creators and workers always on the go.

The post Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 9 2-in-1 (14″, 2024) Review: Graceful Balancing Act first appeared on Yanko Design.

PROS:

• Sleek, compact, and minimalist design


• Impressive imaging performance


• Fast, responsive, and useful AI-powered features


• Hands-free gesture and voice control offer unbeatable convenience

CONS:

• Struggles a bit in low light


• Voice control might be a concern for some users


• A bit pricey (without Amazon Prime Day deal)

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS

ERGONOMICS

PERFORMANCE

SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY

VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

With a sleek, modern design, excellent performance, and helpful AI features, the OBSBOT Tiny 2 4K camera is one of the best webcams money can buy, especially if you get it at a bargain like on Prime Day.

With streaming steadily becoming a popular and even lucrative career, the webcams built into laptops and monitors are not enough to give you an edge over the competition. Sure, they might be serviceable or even decent for meetings, but holding a captive audience requires more than just showing your static, pixelated face all the time. Whether you’re streaming a game, making presentations, selling products, or creating content in general, you will want a webcam that can keep up with you, figuratively and literally. That is exactly what the OBSBOT Tiny 2 AI-powered webcam promises, so we take it out of its premium carrying case, mount it on our monitor, and take it for a spin to see if there’s more to it than an impressive list of smart features.

Designer: OBSBOT

Click Here to Buy Now: $269 $329 (18% off). Hurry, deal ends in 48-hours!

Aesthetics

Most webcams, at least those not embedded in monitors, usually come in boxy shapes that try to blend with the edge of the monitor or circles and spheres that look like a creepy eye staring back at you. Very few of their kind pay attention to the subconscious effect their designs have on the people who will be looking at the camera for long periods of time. That makes the OBSBOT Tiny 2 immediately different from its peers the moment you take it out of its carrying case because it immediately cuts a striking figure that makes its presence known without being distracting all the time.

The OBSBOT Tiny 2 comes with a rounded rectangle camera connected to a 2-axis gimbal that’s mounted on a smooth, squarish base. It has a sleek and modern aesthetic that embraces minimalism to its core. There are very few deviations from its predominantly black body, like the red accent around the camera lens and the LED light strip that indicates the camera’s modes. There are no buttons anywhere, and the only break on its surface is the USB-C port. It’s a breath of fresh air from webcams that try to look either too pretentious or too uninspiring.

The camera’s build quality is also commendable, utilizing a metal alloy rather than the common plastic. Its compact size and simple operations make it quite handy as a portable webcam, and the OBSBOT Tiny 2 comes with a solid carrying case that has room for everything you need to use it on the go, namely, its USB-C cable and included mount. Suffice it to say, the webcam’s simple yet stylish design won’t distract you from creating your finest content but will still please your eyes and your subconscious mind every time you do look at it.

Ergonomics

Unlike an action camera, whether in your hand or a gimbal, a webcam is mostly meant to sit on top of your screen or somewhere stationary. And with its minimalist design, the OBSBOT Tiny 2 is definitely not something you’ll be touching a lot to use and control. That’s definitely a good thing since you don’t want to always reach out in front of you to even just adjust the camera’s direction. What you want is to be able to record yourself or take pictures without breaking your flow, and the Tiny 2 handles that quite gracefully.

What all this means is that you’ll be controlling the camera directly, either with gestures, voice, or the optional remote control. Yes, you’ll also use the OBSBOT Center software (formerly known as the OBSBOT WebCam), which has all the sliders and buttons you’ll need to fine-tune the camera’s performance. It can admittedly be overwhelming, but it’s something that professionals will want to have access to. And if you really need to control the camera without being near the computer, the $49 OBSBOT Tiny Smart Remote 2 has a few shortcuts handy. Plus it also functions as a presenter for those meetings that will impress your boss and even your colleagues.

Various Placement Methods

As for placing the webcam itself on a monitor, the OBSBOT Tiny 2 comes with a foldable magnetic clamp made with the same premium metal as the camera. The mount uses physics and gravity to stay on top of the monitor, while a strong magnet keeps the OBSBOT Tiny 2 attached to it, even when you tilt the mount down. Given the foldable design of the clamp, it might have some problems with very thin laptop lids or very thick monitors. Fortunately, you can also screw the Tiny 2 on almost any mount, which opens up more possibilities on where you can use the webcam. The only requirement is that you can still connect it to a computer or even a smartphone with a lengthy USB-C cable.

Performance

4K Video Quality

Before the pandemic, webcams that can go beyond 1080p resolution sounded excessive, but that’s now the bare minimum for these accessories. 4K is becoming more common, and the OBSBOT Tiny 2 is right up there with a 1/1.5-inch CMOS sensor that has an effective 50MP resolution. It’s capable of recording 4K video at 30fps or 1080p at 60fps and lower frame rates. Unfortunately, there is no “in-between” resolution like 2K of 1440p, which is also a common video quality in streaming these days.

In Dim Lighting Conditions

Whichever resolution you go with, the Tiny 2 performs admirably in capturing both still and moving content with plenty of detail and wide dynamic range. It boasts a Dual ISO system that can automatically switch or combine the two depending on the lighting condition. Unfortunately, it does struggle a bit in poorly lit environments, though not terribly. If you’ll be streaming in the dark, like what many gamers do, you might still want a bit of lighting to ensure a balanced image. The camera features two built-in omnidirectional mics with noise reduction, and while it does produce decent audio, it’s not exactly something to write home about. It can also sound a little tinny, so you might want to augment your setup with a dedicated microphone if you can afford it.

Auto Tracking with Auto Zoom

Magical Gesture Control 2.0

4x Zoom In/Out

Select/Cancel Target

While the OBSBOT Tiny 2 already delivers commendable imaging performance, it really goes to town with its long list of features to make creators’ lives easier and even more fun. And, unsurprisingly, many of these harness the power of AI with very impressive results. Tracking the subject is at the very top of the list, and it is fast and smooth, thanks both to the algorithms as well as the 2-axis gimbal. Depending on your settings, the camera can even automatically zoom in and out to make sure your head or upper body is always visible, no matter how far you are from the camera. And if more people join in on the shot, it will automatically adjust the field of view to frame everyone properly.

Present Properly with Desk Mode

The Tiny 2 also has a unit Desk Mode that makes the camera perfect for meetings and video instructions. In this mode, you tilt the mount forward and the camera will then adjust its angle so that it’s directly pointing down on the desk. It will then flip the video stream so that viewers can see what you’re writing or doing with your hands in the correct direction. And for those streams that require you to act like a teacher, whiteboard mode will focus, zoom in, and straighten the whiteboard for more effective delivery.

All-Pixel Auto Focus

The list of convenient and impressive features goes on and on. Now four times faster than its predecessor, the OBSBOT Tiny 2’s autofocus is fast and impressive, making sure that the product you’re showing off in front of you is clearly seen before it switches back to showing your face. For brief and quick camera changes, you can use hand gestures to zoom in and out, but the real headlining feature for this new model is voice control. From waking up the camera to having it follow you around, you can just ask “Tiny” rather than reach out for your mouse or keyboard. Some people might feel a bit uneasy with having a camera that’s listening and waiting for your commands, but you can always turn the camera down to turn it off and protect your privacy or disable the feature entirely.

Beauty Mode – Smooth your skin and brighten your eyes in just one second.

Sustainability

With webcams a dime a dozen in the market these days, it shouldn’t be a surprise that the vast majority of them use plastic shells to cover their bodies. What’s more surprising are the outliers like the OBSBOT Tiny 2 which opt for more premium and more sustainable materials like metal. It not only adds character to the design, it also makes it look more forgiving and gentler on the planet. You will want to take better care of the camera when using it outdoors, of course, protecting it from scuffs and dents. Thankfully, that hard shell case is there for that very purpose.

It’s not a complete win, of course, as there are still plenty of plastics in the product as well as the packaging. The camera’s seamless design also makes self-repair nearly impossible, not that you’ll want to do it yourself anyway. OBSBOT does have a strong warranty and repair policy, so you’re better off letting the experts do the hard and precise work.

Value

User Scenarios

If it wasn’t clear yet, the OBSBOT Tiny 2 is chock-full of features, all of which are designed to make a content creator’s life easier and less stressful. It leverages AI so that they don’t have to make minute-by-minute decisions and adjustments to the camera, freeing them to focus on the most important part of the process: actually creating the content and engaging with a captive audience. It’s like having a small cameraman on your desk, following your body’s or hands’ cues to create those smooth transitions and to focus on important parts, whether it’s a product or your face.

That said, the OBSBOT Tiny 2’s SRP of $329 can still be a bit difficult to swallow. Make no mistake, you’re really getting your money’s worth, but not everyone will have that much in reserve for a new tool. Fortunately, Amazon’s Prime Day is just around the corner, and you can get this AI-powered camera at a steep 18% discount that brings the price down to a juicy $269. With that price cut, there’s very little to keep you from upgrading your toolset to become the content creator you’ve always aspired to be. Prime Day also opens the door to other sweet deals, like the Remote Combo with the Tiny Remote 2 getting a 16% discount, or the PowerUp Combo with a remote, a tripod, and an HQ mic going for 15% less. Streaming veterans might want to grab the Streaming Combo (remote, tripod, UVC to HDMI adapter) or the MultiCam Combo (three OBSBOT Tiny 2 Cameras, remote, 3-in-1 USB Hub) with 15% and 14% savings, respectively.

Verdict

We’re way past the time when streamers and video content creators could simply sit in front of their cameras and expect the likes (and money) to start piling in. Viewers have become more discerning, perhaps even more demanding, and streamers now need to take their content to the next level. Of course, the actual content is king, but the presentation can make or break your career as well. More than just a good camera, you need a camera that understands where you’re going and can follow your cues without you even saying a word.

The OBSBOT Tiny 2 4K PTZ Webcam delivers on both fronts, providing excellent video quality with the brains to know how you want a shot to be taken or what to focus on. And it looks great to boot, putting other webcams to shame for their lack of elegance despite all the opportunities and materials available to them. Admittedly, it’s not an inexpensive product, but with a juicy Prime Day deal, there’s no better time to upgrade your streaming equipment and upgrade your channel than with this AI-powered 4K webcam.

Click Here to Buy Now: $269 $329 (18% off). Hurry, deal ends in 48-hours!

The post OBSBOT Tiny 2 4K PTZ Webcam Review: Elevate Your Streaming Quality with AI this Prime Day first appeared on Yanko Design.

Onyx BOOX is one of the more prolific E-book Reader manufacturers in the market today, always pushing the envelope of what these devices can do. It has almost a dozen models under its name, not counting discontinued ones, and every new release adds a few more features on top of the pile. While it’s good to advance the state of E-readers, sometimes one can mistake the forest for the trees and lose sight of what’s important. With the new BOOX Go line, the company is stepping back and focusing on the essentials, and while the BOOX Go 10.3 is presenting itself as a replacement for paper notebooks, the BOOX Go Color 7 is promising a return to what E-readers are meant to do: make reading pleasurable anytime, anywhere. So we pull off the shrink wrap and press the power button to see where the BOOX Go Color 7 stands in this growing sea of similar E Ink devices.

Designer: BOOX

Aesthetics

The Onyx BOOX Go Color 7 is at once both minimalist and stylish, depending on which side you’re looking at. The front has your typical asymmetrical design where one side extends beyond the screen bezel, creating not only a convenient place to hold but also a home for the physical page-turn buttons. It’s extremely bare, without even the BOOX name, making the 7-inch E Ink Kaleido 3 the sole focus of your attention. The glass protecting the screen sits flush with the bezels, creating a seamless and clean appearance that speaks to the maturity of this design.

Flip the device over and you have something more interesting, both for your eyes and your fingers. Eschewing the typical matte plastic cover on these devices, BOOX uses a paper-like material that adds not just texture but also improves your grip. In a way, it tries to bring back the tactile experience of holding a paper book in your hands, a small pleasure that is lost with these devices.

The BOOX Go Color 7 is hardly the thinnest nor the lightest, even among 7-inch E-readers, but it is definitely in that group. Its compact and portable design makes it a familiar face, one that makes it clear that this is a device for reading books. It just so happens to run Android, just like a tablet.

Ergonomics

While the BOOX Go 10.3 aimed for maximum thinness and minimum weight, its smaller but more colorful sibling is admittedly a bit all over the place. Compared to BOOX’s other 7-inch devices, it’s only slightly lighter but a bit thicker than the monochrome BOOX Page, but it definitely trumps the BOOX Tab Mini C in every dimension. Suffice it to say, it’s not going to break records, but it won’t break your wrist either.

The BOOX Go Color 7 is designed with ergonomics at its core, and not just because it’s small and light. That textured back cover does more than just make the E-reader look good, it also adds to its grippiness. You definitely won’t have to worry too much about the device slipping off your hand, nor do you even have to fret about leaving greasy fingerprints on the paper-like material.

The small E-reader is also designed for one-handed use, even for turning pages. The physical buttons, or button rather, are positioned precisely where you’d rest your thumb, so you easily press down either end to move forward or backward. It doesn’t even care if you’re right-handed or left-handed, because thanks to its support for auto-rotation, the buttons know which way is up all the time. The one design gripe we have is that the page-turn button is just a single, indistinguishable bar with no gap to separate the two functions. You’ll find yourself losing a few precious seconds either trying to feel for which end is which or, more likely, looking at the button to make sure you’re hitting the right half.

Performance

Anyone familiar with the BOOX family of devices pretty much knows its DNA. Every single one at this point is practically an Android device decked with an E Ink panel, not the custom operating systems used by Kindles and Kobos. Even better, it actually has Google Play support already built-in, which means you have access to almost all Android apps available, including those that you can sideload on your own.

Of course, you’ll have to set your expectations correctly, despite all the potential that the platform has. This is not a powerful Android device, not with an aging Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 processor and just 4GB of RAM. It’s enough to run a few apps, especially those related to reading or even browsing the Web, but it won’t be as fluid an experience, especially with the E Ink display, which we’ll get to later. There’s 64GB of onboard storage that you can expand up to 1TB with a microSD card. Definitely plenty of room for books and even audio files or recordings.

The killer feature is, of course, the E Ink Kaleido 3 screen, which also separates the BOOX Go Color 7 from the almost identical BOOX Page. This former supports 4,096 colors while the latter is just different shades of black and white. On top of this, BOOX adds its own technologies to tweak the performance of the E Ink panel, like introducing different refresh modes to make you choose between quality and speed, among other things. Suffice it to say, Onyx’s expertise in this area clearly shows how clear, crisp, and colorful the screen can be. Plain black and white text renders at 300ppi and is a joy to read, while colored content is halved at 150ppi, which is typical for this display. Nonetheless, reading comics and magazines is still comfortable and meaningful, even with muted tones.

The BOOX Go Color 7 brings back a bit of sanity by having front lighting and configurable light temperature, something that the BOOX Go 10.3 removed for the sake of thinness. This means you can easily read with the device at night, in the dark, or in any low-light situation, whenever and wherever you feel the urge to knock a few pages off your reading list. Onyx, however, did exclude a few features to keep the product light not only in weight but also in cost. There is no Wacom digitizer for scribbling notes, for example. It also doesn’t feature the company’s famed BOOX Super Refresh or BSR, a technology that significantly reduces ghosting at the expense of battery life. Otherwise, the E-reader’s 2,300mAh battery wouldn’t last the days that it did.

At the end of the day, the Onyx BOOX Go Color 7 is hyper-focused on doing only one thing and one thing well: be an enjoyable E-book Reader, whether that’s a plain-text book or a colorful magazine. It doesn’t distract you with features only tangential to that activity, like taking notes, making sketches, or even watching videos. While you can install almost any Android app under the sun, the hardware limitations actually serve to dissuade you from subverting the product’s spirit and purpose. And when it comes to that, the BOOX Go Color 7 is definitely one of the best choices in the market today.

Sustainability

Onyx is a company that has grown by leaps and bounds over the past few years. The number of devices it has launched is quite significant, but that also means the amount of material waste that comes from these devices is substantial as well. Fortunately, these devices are made for long-term use, unlike phones and tablets which still have a very high turnover. That only delays the inevitable, however, so we’re still looking forward to the day that the company starts switching to more sustainable materials or recycled plastics for its products.

Although Onyx does make devices with longevity in mind, the same can’t be said for the version of Android they use. The BOOX Go duo, for example, uses a nearly three-year-old Android 12, and most of its products were using Android 11 before that. Granted, E-readers aren’t exactly known for keeping up with the latest software fads, but those don’t run Android either. What this means is that not only are BOOX devices behind in terms of potentially useful features and optimizations, they’re also lagging in security patches and bug fixes that would protect users from digital harm.

Value

The Onyx BOOX Go Color 7 is a delightful little device designed to make reading enjoyable anywhere you are. It has a solid set of capabilities that focus on this core use case and isn’t encumbered by extraneous features, though it still leaves the door wide open for other experiences. On its own, it is quite a competitive product, especially with a $249.99 tag, but it doesn’t exist in a vacuum and, in a way, even competes with BOOX’s other 7-inch readers. Fortunately, the distinction between them is quite clear, especially when it comes to their price tag.

Closest to it is the BOOX Page, to the point that it could have very well been called the BOOX Page Color. They share many things in common but are ultimately separated by color or the lack of it. If all you need is a plain E-book reader and don’t mind reading colored content in shades of gray, the BOOX Page actually offers a sharper screen and a slightly more affordable $219.99 price tag. On the opposite side stands the BOOX Tab Mini C, which is the portable productivity partner. It has all the bells and whistles, including a stylus, but also a heavier figure and a heavier cost at $399.99. If all you really want to do is read and enjoy it in color, then you can’t go wrong with the BOOX Go Color 7.

Verdict

BOOX’s new Go devices are quite bold, but not because they’re debuting something new and exciting. On the contrary, their audacity comes from going in the completely opposite direction, shedding off the baggage that they’ve accumulated over the years. It’s not like all those powerful features are bad, just that they’re not everyone’s cup of tea. And for those who truly love sneaking in a page or two during unexpected moments of freedom, the portability and clarity that the Onyx BOOX Go Color 7 brings could very well be what they need.

The post Onyx BOOX Go Color 7 E-reader Review: Bringing Back the Simple Joys of Reading first appeared on Yanko Design.

It seems that we’re seeing a rather curious design trend in the gaming market. Once filled with plastic-encrusted designs, there are a few coming out with more stylish cases, be it for the device itself or for its accessories. Analogue just recently launched its CNC aluminum limited edition Pocket, but 8BitDo was actually a few steps ahead of it. Although one’s eleventh anniversary isn’t actually associated with metal (it’s Turquoise, by the way), the famed maker of throwback controllers released metal versions of its widely popular SN30 Pro, giving fans of the brand a collectible they can actually use and, in case of an emergency, even throw like a deadly weapon.

Designer: 8BitDo

Game controllers are made to be light enough not to cause hand strain but still have enough weight to feel substantial and improve gameplay. Gamers have come to expect that bulkier controllers that follow the Xbox and PlayStation designs would be heavier than most, especially controllers that are patterned after the designs of yesteryears. Not so this variant of the SN30 Pro, itself designed after the super lightweight Super Nintendo gamepad, mostly because most of its body is made of metal.

The Gold and Silver editions of the SN30 Pro aren’t just cheap paint jobs, though you might be forgiven for making that presumption given the resemblance to powder-coated metallic paint. It’s true metal, or as 8BitDo calls it, metal zinc alloy, and it’s used not just for the main body but for almost every part visible to the eyes. That includes buttons, triggers, and, yes, even the joysticks. The gold edition gets a matte paint finish while the silver version undergoes electroplating. The cables aren’t metal, though, which is probably for the best.

More than just visual oddities, the SN30 Pro Gold/Silver Edition controllers also have one other advantage over their plasticky older siblings. They’re built to last, at least more than the common controller, as metal will not warp or deform over time. It’s also less likely to crack when accidentally dropped, though you might dent this here and there. And drop it you might indeed, given how heavy it is 381g. For comparison, the normal SN30 Pro weighs a mere 114g and even the Xbox Wireless Controller is just around 287g.

Not all that glitters is gold, as they say, and despite the luster and heft of these limited edition controllers, their feature set might leave gamers sorely disappointed. They’re definitely more like functional collectors’ editions rather than serious gaming weapons (unless you throw it like one), and the $99.99 price tag definitely cements, or rather forges, that image.

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Gaming laptops are pretty much like miniature desktops on (your) legs, but their power has traditionally come at the expense of their design. The majority of these portable gaming computers are built like tanks, so when somewhat slim laptops come along, people definitely stop and take notice. Last year, Lenovo made quite a bold and ambitious move with the 8th-gen Legion 9i, a gaming laptop that was as much beauty as it was brawn. As with any other product line, the PC maker followed it up this year with the Lenovo Legion 9i Gen 9 (16IRX9), promising the same stunning good looks but with upgraded specs and, of course, more AI. But was Lenovo able to manage a repeat of last year’s groundbreaking success or is this the generation to pass? We give this distinctive gaming laptop a spin to see whether it flies or flops.

Designer: Lenovo

Aesthetics

If you were worried that the Legion 9i Gen 8’s design was a one-off experiment, you’d be pleasantly surprised that isn’t the case, at least not yet. Right off the bat, the Lenovo Legion 9i Gen 9 gives off that same eye-catching aura that makes it a mix of a rugged gaming machine and a trendsetting office laptop. The forged carbon chips are still the star of the show, at least when it comes to first impressions. Chosen for their lightweight properties, the random mix of pieces gives each laptop a unique personality. Admittedly, some might not like its camo-like design, but it’s hard to argue that it’s different from the RGB-laden black surfaces of common gaming laptops.

The die-cast magnesium chassis is still here and still 90% made from recycled materials. It gives the Legion 9i Gen 9 its light 5.51 lbs (2.49kg) weight without sacrificing its durability and structural integrity. That said, these figures must be taken in the context of other gaming laptops, not conventional notebooks like the sleek MacBook Pro. Yes, it’s relatively thin and light compared to others, but it has the unmistakable design of a gaming powerhouse. That thick extended rear is a testament not only to the variety of ports available but also to how much room Lenovo had to make to fit all those powerful components inside.

As with any gaming laptop, RGB lighting is a staple feature of the Legion 9i Gen 9, and every area is customizable and controllable, including completely turning them off, like the backlit icons for the ports on the back, for example. Aside from the keyboard, the amount and placement of lighting are tasteful and add a beautiful accent to the equally beautiful profile of the laptop without being gaudy or obnoxious. All in all, the Gen 9 gaming laptop carries on its predecessor’s title as one of the most striking of its kind.

Ergonomics

The size and weight of a gaming laptop aren’t just for bragging rights, of course. They go a long way in providing comfort and convenience, especially when carrying the computer from one place to another. Granted, the Lenovo Legion 9i Gen 9 is hardly the thinnest nor the lightest, but it balances portability and power quite well. You won’t have any trouble shoving it into a backpack or laptop bag, perhaps aside from the fact that it is closer to a 17-inch laptop thanks to that protruding back portion.

Using the laptop itself is quite enjoyable, especially the tactile and responsive keyboard. With a decent amount of trouble, the full keyboard layout is both pleasurable and productive, freeing you from the need to look for external numeric keypads or do finger gymnastics to get to common functions. Of course, there’s plenty of RGB lighting underneath the keys, all of them configurable. A nifty trick is how the laptop can light up the most common shortcut keys by holding down the Fn key.

Unlike most laptops, including gaming ones, the Legion 9i Gen 9’s keyboard is pushed lower, closer to the user, to make room for cooling elements. While that does mean you don’t have to extend your arm too far to reach the keys, it also means that there isn’t enough room for the touchpad. Yes, the same gripe we had with last year’s model remains unchanged this year, and we have little hope the situation will improve any time soon. Granted, many gamers will probably reach for their favorite gaming mouse anyway, but this unfortunate design decision does make the laptop feel less appealing as an all-rounder.

Performance

While the Lenovo Legion 9i Gen 9 hasn’t changed at all on the outside, it has a few upgraded parts inside that warrant a bump in model number. There’s the 14th-gen Intel Core i9-14900HX as well as an NVIDIA RTX 4090 graphics, both top-of-the-line as far as gaming laptops go. Our review unit was equipped with 32GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD, though other configuration exists. The biggest upgrade from last year’s model, however, is really the Lenovo LA3-P AI chip, the intelligence that fine-tunes the laptop’s performance on the fly, faster than a human could. And it’s not just some buzzword-filled AI that makes funky images or answers questions but a true demonstration of what AI can actually do for us.

In terms of performance, the Legion 9i Gen 9 doesn’t disappoint, and the AI-powered Smart FPS manages to squeeze out every bit of performance compared to, well, the Performance profile. It’s not perfect, mind, and the difference between the two isn’t that staggering. It is, hopefully, just a portent of things to come as Lenovo continues to improve its AI.

Lenovo made a rather unusual decision in choosing a 3200×2000 resolution for the screen, but this 3.2K figure works just as well in balancing quality and power efficiency. The 16-inch 165Hz Mini LED is absolutely gorgeous and bright, easily rivaling OLED displays. The refresh rate might be a bit of a letdown, but 16-inch laptops that boast 240Hz also have a lower 2K resolution.

It’s not all sunshine and roses, though, as the Lenovo Legion 9i Gen 9 feels like it made a few trade-offs as well. Audio, while loud, feels a little insufficient and thin. The fans can get pretty loud as well, even with the boasted true liquid cooling. That doesn’t seem to kick in often to keep temperatures consistently cool and feels more like an emergency feature when things are about to start burning up. The biggest gripe in this area is the lack of improvement in battery life, which still scores less than two hours when gaming even at medium settings. As if adding insult to injury, the fast-charging 330W GaN charger is still a literal charging brick, a veritable dangerous weapon if you ever decide to start swinging it around to clear people away from the power outlet you’ll desperately be aiming for.

Long story short, the Lenovo Legion 9i Gen 9 (2024) definitely delivers on its promise of big power, but the cost of that promise is also starting to show. Make no mistake, it’s the kind of power that gamers want and need, but there will be more compromises and sacrifices along the way. More importantly, the gap between it and its predecessor might not look too big, making it an even more difficult choice, as we shall see later.

Sustainability

It’s definitely encouraging to see PC manufacturers starting to make big strides in changing the formula for their laptop designs. That’s not just about the appearance but, more importantly, the materials being used. Using post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastics is one thing, but reducing the use of plastic in the first place is an even more effective solution.

The Legion 9i Gen 9 doesn’t just use metal for its chassis. It uses 90% recycled metal instead of raw materials. That not only reduces material waste but also reduces energy consumption when creating fresh new metal. Lenovo is also slowly but surely improving the repairability of its products, a family trait being shared by many Lenovo laptops, not just the Legion 9i.

Value

There’s no denying that the Lenovo Legion 9i Gen 9 offers one of the best laptop gaming experiences in the market today, from its impressive performance to its gorgeous display to its intelligent lighting that can sync to any video or audio that’s playing. And while beauty is still in the eye of the beholder, few will argue that it commands a striking presence in any room either. It’s not without its shortcomings, but many of those can admittedly be taken for granted given how much power it offers.

The biggest hurdle to its adoption, however, will be that $3,200 price tag hanging over its head, and that’s just for the starting configuration. A maxed-out Legion 9i Gen 9 could very well cost you more than $4,000 even with a discount. Unfortunately, the 16-inch gaming laptop market has quite a few competitive entries this year as well, making the choice even harder. Fortunately, you don’t have to go far because Lenovo has quite a few offerings as well that could better fit your budget, including last year’s Legion 9i Gen 8.

Verdict

Gone are the days when gamers just took whatever kind of laptop was thrown at them just because those were the only designs possible. People have become more discerning as well as more sensitive to how their gear looks and many don’t just want some neon billboard masquerading as a laptop. The Lenovo Legion 9i Gen 9, just like its predecessor, puts design on the same pedestal as performance, delivering a gaming experience that isn’t just powerful but also pleasing to look at. It doesn’t carry a rather high price tag, enough to deter some early adopters, but it’s an investment that will keep on giving long after other laptops have gone out of fashion.

The post Lenovo Legion 9i Gen 9 (2024) Review: (Carbon) Forging Ahead first appeared on Yanko Design.

Gaming handhelds are making quite the trend in the video game industry these days, from small DIY gadgets the size of key fobs to hulking computers crammed in a questionably portable form factor. But with the exception of the more expensive handheld PCs, the vast majority of these handheld consoles are made of plastic, at least for their bodies. Plastic, after all, is durable, lightweight, resilient, and, more importantly, cheap, and the products made with it sometimes come out feeling that way too. Once in a while, however, someone gets the idea to turn a geeky device into a glamorous product, like this aluminum-clad version of the Pocket Analogue that makes it one of the most stylish, let alone distinctive, gaming handhelds to grace the market today.

Designer: Analogue

It has been years since Analogue pulled off what can probably be considered a miracle in this industry. It launched what looks like a homage to the Game Boy, one that can actually play original Game Boy cartridges, that hasn’t hit any legal roadblocks considering how popular it is. Over the years, it has launched various limited editions of the Analogue Pocket, but this Aluminum Edition is its most ambitious one yet.

Precision CNC’d from solid billet 6061 aluminum, the limited edition Analogue Pocket Aluminum looks and feels more like a designer product than a functional gaming device, one that’s just meant to honor the original and be put on display but not used. That wouldn’t be much fun, of course, and thankfully this is not the kind of product that Analogue is putting out. It’s the same gaming experience offered by any Analogue Pocket, except now in a chassis that’s designed to really outlast those games.

If Analogue had left the Aluminum edition unfinished, it would have resulted in a striking and unique industrial aesthetic. But for those who still prefer a pinch of style and class, the limited-run gaming handheld is being offered in four anodized colors. Natural is as closest as you’ll get to that raw aluminum look, while Noir (Dark Gray) and Black both offer subdued hues. Bluish Indigo, on the other hand, stands out the most and is probably reminiscent of the transparent Atomic Purple case of the Game Boy Color.

Given its name, it probably shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Analogue Pocket Aluminum Limited Edition will be, well, limited. There’s no word on how many units will be made, but the $499.99 price tag and difficulty of machining a block of aluminum suggest there won’t be much. Judging by how fast previous limited editions disappeared, this will probably be gone before you know it.

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With plenty of phones and tablets around, kids are becoming more and more tech-savvy every generation. That, however, doesn’t always mean they are getting smarter or more skilled in other aspects of learning as well, particularly sciences and math that are more closely related to tech. There are plenty of apps that try to teach the basics, including reading and writing, but younger kids also need to develop their sense of touch, which requires more tactile experiences while learning. This calculator tries to pique children’s curiosity and engage not just their minds but also their senses, and it takes inspiration from one of nature’s hardest workers: bees and their geometric honeycombs.

Designer: Mohit Joshi

Calculator designs are not uncommon, but the vast majority of them utilize simple shapes like squares, circles, or even rounded squares, sometimes known as “squircles.” Not surprising, as these tools are designed for adults who value efficiency and performance primarily with aesthetics coming second only. The opposite is true for kids, however, whose short attention spans require designs that are captivating and intriguing, and keeping the design still functional is the challenge.

Some consider the hexagon to be the perfect shape because it isn’t flat like a square, can fit together better than circles, and is more space-efficient than triangles. Nature has a perfect example of this geometric shape in action as can be seen in beehives, particularly the honeycomb structures they form. While the real thing can be dangerous to children, bees are sometimes portrayed in fun and funny ways, especially given how hard they work and how well they guard their honey.

Hive Hex combines this shape and inspiration into a device that should be more interesting to use than even the sleekest and most minimalist calculator. The yellow color alone is eye-catching enough, but the puzzle-like hexagonal keys give a sense of whimsy and playfulness with their unbalanced composition, unlike the symmetrical arrangement of calculator buttons. That said, the non-standard layout of keys could prove to be confusing when the child “graduates” to grownup tools.

This toy-like yet functional calculator is a great example of how a bit of creative design can significantly change how a product appeals to different groups of people. Of course, some adults might criticize the use of calculators in the early stages of math education, but the calculator does more than just help kids solve number problems. The Hive Hex Toy Calculator could help give children a more lasting impression of how math doesn’t have to be boring or even scary, a positive attitude that they could carry with them throughout the rest of their lives.

The post Nature-inspired toy-like calculator tries to get kids more interested in math first appeared on Yanko Design.