I recently reviewed the Lenovo Yoga 9i (Gen 9), which is the successor to my favorite laptop ever. I called 2023's model the best 2-in-1 of the year on multiple occassions, but now that we're in a new year with new laptops, it's time to see if Lenovo can keep up the pace.
So far, 2024 has seen a number of excellent 2-in-1 laptops, but the one that stood out the most thus far is the HP Spectre x360. It blew our minds and yielded a near-perfect machine, but it's about time we pit it up against last year's champion and see if it can steal the title of best 2-in-1.
Lenovo Yoga 9i vs. HP Spectre x360: Price
HP built the Spectre x360 we reviewed with an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor, 32GB of RAM, 2TB of SSD storage, and a 14-inch, 2,880 x 1,800-pixel resolution OLED panel. This exact model is currently available for $1,899 at Best Buy.
The Lenovo Yoga 9i we reviewed has an Intel Ultra 7 155H processor, 32GB of RAM, 1TB of SSD storage, and a 14-inch, 3,840 x 2,400-pixel OLED panel. It's currently available at Lenovo for $1,649.
Considering Lenovo offers similar specs with its Yoga 9i for $250 less, it absolutely wins in price.
Winner: Lenovo Yoga 9i
Lenovo Yoga 9i vs. HP Spectre x360: Design
Design is always a matter of personal preference, but I won't shy away from my adoration of the Lenovo Yoga 9i's aesthetic. Its large, single hinge housing a speaker system is plain and simply genius, while the keyboard stretching across the entire deck is more than welcome.
The HP Spectre x360 has its speaker system on the left and right side of the keyboard, while its two hinges connect the deck and lid. Both are sleek machines, and you won't be disappointed by their minimalistic class, but I've always preferred the Yoga 9i.
The HP Spectre x360 weighs 3.2 pounds and measures 12.4 x 8.7 x 0.7 inches, whereas the Lenovo Yoga 9i weighs 2.9 pounds and is 12.4 x 8.7 x 0.6 inches. Overall, Lenovo has managed to make a thinner, lighter machine, but the difference isn't so significant that the Spectre x360 is completely demolished in lightness. Both are ultralight machines that won't disappoint in design and size.
Winner: Draw
Lenovo Yoga 9i vs. HP Spectre x360: Ports
Both the Lenovo Yoga 9i and HP Spectre x360 aren't particularly strong in the port department, but there is a clear winner between the two.
The HP Spectre x360 features its power jack and USB Type-A port on the left, while the right side has two USB Type-C ports. The Lenovo Yoga 9i is similar, featuring an always-on USB Type-A port and Two Thunderbolt 4 ports. On the right side, it has an audio jack and an additional USB Type-C with Power Delivery 3.0 and DisplayPort 1.4.
The Yoga 9i wins for its additional USB Type-C and audio jack, although the Spectre x360's inclusion of a dedicated power jack does benefit it because it means you won't have to give up a USB port to charge the laptop.
Winner: Lenovo Yoga 9i
Lenovo Yoga 9i vs. HP Spectre x360: Display
The Spectre x360 and Yoga 9i feature OLED displays, but one is far more colorful. The Spectre x360 covered 86 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut, while the Yoga 9i hit 136 percent coverage. Otherwise, its brightness is in a similar range, with the Yoga 9i hitting a peak of 357 nits on average, while the Spectra x360 is just a tad brighter at 366 nits.
While that alone would be enough for the Yoga 9i to secure a victory, it also has a 3,840 x 2,400-pixel resolution panel. Who doesn't want to watch movies on a gorgeous 4K display?
Winner: Lenovo Yoga 9i
Lenovo Yoga 9i vs. HP Spectre x360: Performance
On the Geekbench 6 overall performance test, the Spectre x360 achieved a multi-core score of 12,358, whereas the Yoga 9i managed a multi-core score of 12,455. Both are pretty close, which makes sense, considering they boast the same processor.
However, the Yoga 9i pulled miles ahead when converting a 4K video into 1080p using the HandBrake app, as it accomplished the task in 5 minutes and 10 seconds. On the other hand, the Spectre x360 took 7 minutes and 30 seconds.
While the Yoga 9i is mostly ahead, the Spectre x360 has a slightly faster SSD, with a transfer rate of 1,362 megabytes per second. The Yoga 9i is a bit behind at 1,002Mbps.
These performance numbers are a bit too close to say one wins over the other, so this is another draw.
Winner: Draw
Lenovo Yoga 9i vs. HP Spectre x360: Battery life
While the Yoga 9i has been doing pretty well for itself thus far, this is where things get bad for Lenovo.
On the Laptop Mag battery life test, which involves continuous web surfing at 150 nits, the Yoga 9i lasted 7 hours and 24 minutes before running out of juice.
On its own, that's already rather dire. We typically recommend 10 hours or more of battery life and set eight hours as our bare minimum in non-gaming laptops. Things get worse when considering that the HP Spectre x360 lasted 11 hours on the same battery life test.
There's no doubt which laptop wins, as it's not even close.
Winner: HP Spectre x360
Lenovo Yoga 9i vs. HP Spectre x360: Overal winner
Throughout this competition, the Lenovo Yoga 9i struck up quite a few small wins against the HP Spectre x360. It boasts a thinner, lighter chassis, stronger performance, more ports, and a colorful display. However, many of these victories are on the smaller side, whereas the HP Spectre x360's blow against the Yoga 9i is monumental.
In layperson's terms, the Yoga 9i and Spectre x360 are in a boxing match. The Yoga 9i successfully jabs the Spectre x360 in the abdomen several times, but the Spectre x360 makes one decisive strike against the Yoga 9i's jaw, and the victor is decided.
Back to reality, this relates to the Spectre x360's battery life, which is nearly four hours longer than that of the Yoga 9i. A 2-in-1 laptop with less than eight hours of battery life is rough, and that's why the Spectre x360 takes this win.
Winner: HP Spectre x360
