Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Carbon REVIEW: A featherweight laptop for WFH flexibility

Since lockdown restrictions were imposed in mid-March, everyone has had to shift to doing things online. Working from home, attending online classes, Zoom meetings, and virtual hangouts have become part of our new normal.

With this need for connectivity in the virtual world, it’s essential to have flexible tools that can address and adapt to our everyday needs. One computer per family used to suffice but we now have to invest in multiple devices per household as everyone needs to go online and get work done at the same time. 

For those looking to upgrade their WFH set-up this coming year or need an additional device at home, Lenovo has unveiled a number of laptops including the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Carbon, a new offering in their premium laptop lineup, designed for the inventive and optimistic crowd.

Sleek style for digital nomads

The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Carbon is a laptop that will appeal to always-on-the-go business leaders, entrepreneurs, millennials, and digital nomads who want a device that meets their lifestyle needs.

As handy as smartphones are, tiny handheld screens are not suitable for many tasks needed by business professionals or even kids’ online classes. Whether you’re managing a small start-up, attending webinars, responding to e-mails, writing reviews, or just simply catching up with friends and family, having a decent laptop really offers a better experience than budget smartphones.

At first glance, this laptop offers immediate eye-candy, with a clean and minimalist aesthetic. Unlike your typical plain black and business-like laptops, the Yoga Slim 7i Carbon exudes elegance with its chic Moon White finish, smooth look, and subtle sheen. This is a laptop you’ll actually want to work on in a coffee shop or whip out during a business meeting for plus points just based on looks alone. 

The tapered design gives the Yoga Slim 7i Carbon a sleek, 14.9mm profile, while rear-edge curving provides greater comfort for hands. The keyboard is compact yet ergonomic, making it easy to use even for extended periods of time. Typing on the keyboard felt immediately comfortable and it produced minimal typing sounds.

While people with bigger hands may find the size of the keyboard a bit cramped, I thought the keys were properly spaced and offered a perfect fit, at least for me.

At the moment, we only have one laptop at home, which my husband has been using for his own WFH needs. This has made our old desktop in a dark bedroom my default work station. I’ve actually been in the market for a new laptop just for a chance to work outside for a change.

After weeks of working in the same room at home, I found it refreshing to just be able to head up with the Yoga Slim 7i Carbon to our condo’s roofdeck to get work done with a view of greenery and the great outdoors, and to have the option to work in a more well-lit spot in the house.

Lightness, elevated

One of the best selling points of Lenovo’s Yoga line is its portability. The Yoga Slim 7i Carbon is by far, the lightest laptop I’ve ever used, weighing less than 1 kg or a mere 2.2 lbs. Yet, despite its extraordinarily light build and compact size, it still manages to pack a powerful punch.

With an Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor and 16GB RAM among its various configurations, this featherweight laptop will make users unlearn everything they knew about computers. By now, we all have realized that when it comes to technology, bigger is not necessarily better. 

The Yoga Slim 7i Carbon features Intel’s latest 11th-generation of processors which offers remarkable responsiveness in doing tasks. The laptop features military-grade durability, a luxurious QHD display, and all-day battery life to boot.

Powerful battery life

For those who value productivity and mobility, it’s a real hassle to have to haul a heavy laptop and all the chargers, adaptors, and extension cords that go along with it everywhere you go.

The Yoga Slim 7i Carbon is part of the Intel Evo platform of devices that’s specifically made to remove lag, distractions, and dependency on battery chargers to ensure exceptional experiences from anywhere. The Intelligent Thermal System 4.0 pushes battery life up to 15 hours, so there’s no need to bring the charger or scramble to look for a socket if you choose to work in a public area or stay outdoors for the day, as long as it’s fully charged. 

The powerful battery life also makes the Yoga Slim 7i Carbon an ideal gadget for client meet-ups and presentations in cafes or restaurants or last-minute deadline submissions.

With the frequent power outages and network disruptions in the country brought by typhoons, it’s essential to have a device whose battery life will last you throughout the day or at least is light enough to bring somewhere you can get better internet service or power.

Smart features

The Yoga Slim 7i Carbon comes with a slew of smart features for users’ added security. The hands-free facial recognition login makes turning on the computer a breeze. 

After the initial set-up, there’s no need to mess with multiple passwords and you can easily sync your cloud-based accounts like email and social media pages to work seamlessly wherever you are.

Since the laptop makes use of facial recognition, it doesn’t open when other people try to use it, giving the user added security. A built-in privacy alert also instantly sends out notifications whenever someone is shoulder-surfing, which is a pretty cool feature to have.

The laptop also secures the users’ data privacy by using angled light technology to reduce display visibility at side angles, while the PrivacyAlert warns you with a shield icon displayed if it detects someone peeking over your shoulder as you work.

Entertainment and gaming

The best devices are those flexible enough to transition from business to leisure. Aside from work, people also turn to their screens to catch up on the latest shows from streaming platforms and play online games.

The Yoga Slim 7i Carbon’s 11th-gen processor comes with Intel’s newest integrated graphics offering with the Intel Iris Xe, which provides up to 1080p quality at 60FPS for more detailed and immersive gaming, up to 8K resolution with 4x4 HDR while viewing, and quicker exporting of 4K resolution files. 

While the built-in speakers won’t give you the blockbuster movie-going experience, they’re sufficient enough for anyone to watch YouTube videos and give you your “Netflix and chill” fix anywhere.

Work from anywhere

One good thing that has come out of this pandemic is the flexibility to work from anywhere as long as you have access to good internet or WiFi. 

For those craving a sense of freedom in their lives, you can still get work done without necessarily being stuck to one spot the whole day like you would be if you worked on a desktop. 

With the Yoga Slim 7i Carbon’s compact size, you don’t need much space to set-up your WFH station. You could easily work on your kitchen counter after breakfast, from your bed in your pajamas if you’re feeling too lazy to get dressed, from your balcony or garden just to get fresh air, or basically any nook around your house.

Since it’s so lightweight, you can easily stash it in your bag and walk or bike to a cozy coffee shop in the neighborhood just to get a change of scenery while you work. The ultra-compact size makes it ideal to bring along during travel as well.

True to its name, the Yoga Slim 7i Carbon gives users the freedom to be mobile, flexible, and just go with the flow.