Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition review: Big screen, slim design, and a few quirks

India Today

2 days ago

Big-screen laptops are not usually known for being light and portable. If you want a laptop with a large display and good specs, chances are it's going to weigh close to 2kg or even more. And if it is light and slim, there's usually a catch: maybe weaker performance, fewer ports, or just a steep price tag.That's why I was quite curious when I got my hands on the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition. On paper, this laptop offers the best of both worlds: a large 15.3-inch display, a premium lightweight chassis that weighs only 1.46kg, and strong internals — all without touching the sky in terms of pricing. It starts at around Rs 1,32,000 in India, which is still a lot, but less than what you'd pay for a similar machine from HP or Dell, or even from the other camp, Apple.advertisement
I've been using the Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition as my primary rig for over a month now. It's what I carry to work every day. I write articles on it, attend meetings, and even watch Netflix at night before sleeping. After all this real-world use, here's my full experience: what works, what doesn't, and whether you should buy it.Light and premium, but not quite perfectThe first thing that stood out to me was how premium the Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition feels. The aluminium body is sleek, strong, and there's no flex or creaking when you pick it up or type on it. It genuinely feels like a high-end ultrabook. And then there's the weight — or the lack of it. At just 1.46kg, it's impressively light for a big 15.3-inch laptop. I carry it in my backpack daily and barely feel the weight. You could even carry it around in your hand without feeling awkward or tired.advertisementThe design also feels soft and approachable. The edges and corners are nicely rounded, so the laptop doesn't dig into your palms when you hold it. There's a slightly raised bump above the screen where the webcam sits. It looks odd, but it helps you grip the lid when opening the laptop. Speaking of which, the FHD webcam delivers clear, well-balanced video, even in tricky lighting, making it great for video calls and online meetings.Now, here's one small complaint — even with that raised section, you can't open the laptop with one hand. Every time I try, the base lifts along with the lid. It's not a dealbreaker though. On the bright side, the hinge opens all the way to 180 degrees, so you can use it flat or at any angle you like.Solid display, but OLED would've been the cherry on topLet's talk screen. The Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition has a 15.3-inch 2.8K IPS LCD touchscreen with a 120Hz refresh rate. It's a sharp, bright display with nice colour reproduction and great viewing angles. For everyday work, watching videos, and casual photo editing, it works really well. Brightness goes up to 500 nits, which is more than enough for indoor use. Yes, there's some glare, but all in all, you won't be squinting for cover regardless of whether you are in or out.advertisementTouch response is smooth and accurate. I don't use touch a lot, but it's a novelty feature to have, especially when scrolling through web pages or zooming in on images. That said, an OLED panel would've made the visuals pop even more.Speakers that punch above their weightAudio performance was one area where I didn't expect much, but I was pleasantly surprised. The Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition comes with a four-speaker system that sounds nice. It gets loud without distortion, and the vocals are clear in both movies and podcasts.There's even a decent amount of bass and depth, which you don't always find in thin laptops. I won't say it beats the MacBook Pro (which still has the best laptop speakers I've used), but it comes close enough to making Netflix and YouTube sessions enjoyable.Great keyboard, decent ports, and one so-so trackpadTyping on this laptop is a treat. The keyboard has a standard chiclet layout with slightly curved keycaps that fit your fingers well. Key travel is just right — not too shallow, not too deep — and the keys feel responsive and comfortable even during long writing sessions. I type for hours every day, and I've had no issues with fatigue or missed keystrokes.advertisementThe trackpad is okay — not amazing, but not bad either. It supports all the usual Windows gestures and has left and right mechanical click buttons under the glass surface, which is good. It just doesn't feel as smooth or premium as the rest of the machine. A bit more polish here would've made a difference.In terms of ports, you're mostly sorted. You get two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4, a regular USB-A port, HDMI 2.1, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and even a physical camera shutter switch for privacy. That last one is a small but thoughtful addition — I use it all the time.Fast and smooth as you'd expectThis is where things get even more interesting. The Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition runs on Intel's latest Core Ultra 7 258V 'Lunar Lake' chip. My review unit also came with 32GB of RAM and a 1TB PCIe 4 SSD.Performance has been smooth throughout. Daily tasks like browsing on Chrome, writing in Docs, video calls, and juggling between tasks are handled with ease. Even heavier work, like some casual gaming, didn't make the machine struggle. So, I tried playing Tekken 7 at medium graphics, and it ran at a solid 60fps. Now, let's be clear — this isn't a gaming laptop. But for casual games, or the occasional time-pass match, it works surprisingly well.advertisementCompared to other laptops with Snapdragon X Elite or even Apple's M-series chips, this one holds up well, and in some areas, like app compatibility, it actually does better. Since it's running on an Intel chip, you won't face those occasional issues you might run into on ARM-based systems.Apart from this, the Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition uses Intel's new NPU, which qualifies this machine as a Copilot+ PC. This essentially means it's ready for Microsoft's AI tools built into Windows. There's even a dedicated Copilot button on the keyboard that works just as advertised.Lenovo has also added its own touch here with a bunch of Smart Modes — and I think they're genuinely useful. There's:— Wellness Mode, which reminds you to take breaks and check your posture.— Shield Mode, which alerts you if someone's peeking at your screen.— Attention Mode, which blocks websites and notifications so you can focus.— Collaboration Mode, which helps improve lighting during video calls.— Power Mode, which lets you quickly switch between battery-saver and performance modes.advertisementThe only catch? These modes need to be activated manually. I really wish they were automatic. But once you turn them on, they do make a difference, especially if you work in shared spaces or tend to get distracted. Other manufacturers, please take notes.Finally, one feature I quite liked is Intel Unison, which lets you connect your phone to the laptop for quick file sharing, message replies, and notifications. It works really well with Android — I was able to send media to my laptop in seconds and even make calls. That said, with iPhones, the experience wasn't as smooth. It failed to connect a couple of times. So, this feature still needs some polishing. But it's a step in the right direction, and I hope future updates make it more seamless.Good battery life, but not class-leadingBattery life is decent — much better than older Intel laptops I've used. I usually get about 9 to 10 hours of use on a full charge, sometimes even 12 hours if I'm just doing light work like writing and browsing. It's enough to get through a full workday, and then a bit more at night for watching videos or typing in Docs. But yes, if you compare it to a MacBook Air or a Snapdragon X Elite laptop, those machines will last longer.Still, for an Intel-powered ultrabook with a big screen, this is a solid improvement.Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition: Final verdictThe Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition gets a lot of things right. It's light, premium, powerful, and packs in smart features without going overboard on price. The 15.3-inch display is beautiful, the keyboard is great for typing, and the battery life is actually dependable.Yes, there are some areas where it could be better — the lack of an OLED display, a slightly average trackpad, and features like Smart Modes not being automatic. But overall, the experience has been solid, and I've genuinely enjoyed using this laptop every day.At a starting price of around Rs 1,32,000 (Ultra 7 256V + 16GB RAM + 512GB storage), it's not cheap — but when you compare it to other premium ultrabooks with similar specs, it actually offers good value. If you want a big screen, premium design, and reliable all-around performance in a machine that's easy to carry, the Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition is worth considering.