Samsung recently introduced the Galaxy Book 2 Pro series, including the Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360 convertible. Like its predecessor, this is looking to be one of the best lightweight laptops around, especially if you want a convertible. Lenovo also recently announced the Yoga 9i Gen 7, another great convertible with a lot to offer. So, if you’re looking to buy a laptop with Intel’s 12th-generation processors, should you get the Lenovo Yoga 9i or the Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360? We’re here to find out
Aside from being convertibles with Intel’s latest processors, the Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360 and Lenovo Yoga 9i are actually quite different. The design, display, and size are all different, and there are good reasons to prefer one over the other. Let’s take a closer look to see which one is right for you.
Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360 vs Lenovo Yoga 9i: Specs
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| Starting price | $1,249.99 | $1,399 |
Performance: The Lenovo Yoga 9i has a beefier CPU
Like we said at the top, both the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro and the Lenovo Yoga 9i come with Intel’s 112th-generation Alder Lake processors, and they’re both from the new P-series, too. These processors have a higher 28W TDP and they should deliver a big boost in performance compared to their U-series predecessors. The new Alder Lake processors use a hybrid architecture with a mixture of performance and efficient cores.
It’s not exactly a tie, though, because Lenovo is offering a higher-tier configuration option – an Intel Core i7-1280P. This is Intel’s fastest 28W CPU, and it has two extra performance cores compared to the other models. Plus, it can reach slightly higher speeds and it has more cache than those other models. That should translate to better performance across the board, especially in multi-core tasks.
| Intel Core i5-1240P (see test) |
Intel Core i7-1260P (see test) |
Intel Core i7-1280P (see test) |
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| Geekbench 5 (single-core / multi-core) | 1,599 / 8,176 | 1,500 / 9,896 | 1,788 / 11,628 |
The benchmark scores above are some of the fastest we could find for each CPU, and there aren’t enough scores on the Geekbench database to establish an average yet, but this should give you an idea of what to expect. The top-tier Core i7 model will perform significantly better in more intensive tasks. It’s worth noting that a CPU benchmark like Geekbench isn’t necessarily indicative of real-world performance, where other factors like RAM also need to be considered.
On the GPU side, all the processors have integrated Iris Xe graphics, though the Core i7 variants have 96 execution units instead of the 80 in the Core i5. The Core i7-1280P also has the GPU clocked slightly higher (1.45GHz) than the Core i7-1260P (1.4GHz).
The Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360 can have double the RAM of the Yoga 9i.
One area where the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360 has an advantage is the RAM, since it can be configured with up to 32GB of LPDDR5 memory. Both laptops support LPDDR5, but the Galaxy Book 2 Pro can have double the capacity, which might be useful in memory-intensive applications like programming content creation. The Galaxy Book 2 Pro also has up to 2TB of storage, which is double of what the Yoga 9i offers.
Display: The Lenovo Yoga 9i has a taller screen and more premium options
One of the great things about the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360 is that it makes OLED displays more accessible. Most laptops, including the Lenovo Yoga 9i, only offer OLED displays in premium configurations that use up a lot more battery, but with the Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360, you get a Full HD AMOLED panel, and that’s the standard configuration across the board. That means true black, vivid colors, and higher contrast at a more affordable price. There’s a downside to that, though – you can’t really go beyond Full HD if you want a sharper screen. That’s especially not great if you go with the 15-inch model. Plus, it’s still using a 16:9 aspect ratio.
The Lenovo Yoga 9i, on the other hand, has a taller 16:10 display, which is something we’re seeing more and more on premium laptops. Taller screens give you more surface area, meaning you can see more without having to scroll. Whether you’re looking at a webpage or a video timeline in Adobe Premiere, a taller screen can display more information at once.
And while the base configuration of the Lenovo Yoga 9i is a Full HD+ (1920 x 1200) IPS panel, you can upgrade to 2.8K (2880 x 1800) or Ultra HD+ (3840 x 2400) OLED options. These are naturally more expensive and they’ll use more battery, but if you want the most premium experience, the Lenovo Yoga 9i is the way to go.
That’s true in the audio department, too. The Lenovo Yoga 9i uses a soundbar hinge design that always ensures sound is aimed at you, and it has a much more impressive speaker setup to boot. With four speakers (two 3W woofers and two 2W tweeters), the Yoga 9i should offer far more immersive audio, even compared to the 15-inch Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360, which only has two speakers and a maximum output of 5W.
The Lenovo Yoga 9i has a soundbar hinge and quad stereo speakers
The two laptops are similar in the webcam department, both featuring a Full HD (1080p) camera that should help ensure you look great during video calls and meetings. The Yoga 9i does have the benefit of including Windows Hello facial recognition, which the Galaxy Book 2 Pro doesn’t have. On that note, both laptops do have fingerprint readers for Windows Hello.
Design: Portability is a clear win for the Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360
Samsung’s biggest win with the Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360 is just how thin and light it is compared to almost any other convertible out there. It’s just 11.5mm thin in its 13.3-inch model, and 11.9m in the 15.6-inch version. Plus, it weighs just 2.24lbs or 3.1lbs, depending on the size you choose. That’s very impressive, and even the larger model is thinner and almost as light as the Lenovo Yoga 9i.
The Yoga 9i comes in at a maximum thickness of 16.5mm, which isn’t bad, but it’s much thicker than Samsung’s laptop. The OLED models start at 3.09lbs of weight, but the IPS configuration weighs 3.3lbs, and that’s for a 14-inch laptop. It’s significantly heavier than the Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360, so if you want something that’s easy to carry around, Samsung’s laptop is your go-to.
As for looks, the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360 comes in three color options, including Silver, Graphite, and Burgundy. That burgundy model is what helps make it somewhat unique, since the other two colors are fairly basic. Unlike its clamshell counterpart, the Galaxy Book 360 also doesn’t have a dual-tone design or a color-matched keyboard.
Meanwhile, the Lenovo Yoga 9i comes in Storm Grey or Oatmeal, which is a somewhat pale shade of gold. These aren’t colors that stand out too much, either, but the Yoga 9i does have something in its favor, and that’s the premium look-and-feel. Lenovo gave the Yoga 9i glossy rounded edges that help it feel a bit more unique and premium. Plus, the keyboard keys are the same color as the rest of the laptop. This area is a bit more subjective, but my personal preference would go to Lenovo’s laptop as far as looks go.
Ports
Rounding things out with ports, the Galaxy Book 2 Pro has a fairly simple setup, and that’s a consequence of its ultra-thin design. You get one Thunderbolt 4 port, two standard USB Type-C ports, a headphone jack, and a microSD card reader. That card reader can be a big advantage if you want to copy files from a device like your phone or a Nintendo Switch.
The Galaxy Book 2 Pro has a microSD card slot, but the Yoga 9i has a USB Type-A port.
Aside from lacking a microSD card reader, though, the Lenovo Yoga 9i has some more ports. You get two Thunderbolt 4 ports, so you have more options to connect Thunderbolt accessories, plus a standard USB Type-C port, USB Type-A, and a headphone jack. Having the built-in Type-A port makes it easier to connect peripherals like a mouse, keyboard, or flash drive. Ultimately, you have to decide where the card reader or USB Type-A is more convenient for you.
As for wireless connectivity, both laptops are identical. Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 are both supported.
Final thoughts
At the end of the day, which laptop is best suited for you depends on your tastes and budget, but here’s what we can say. The Lenovo Yoga 9i can be configured with more premium specs, including a faster CPU and a more premium display. Not only that, it has a taller screen across the board, and the design itself feels a bit more premium and unique. But those premium configurations come at a cost, and if you want that top-tier CPU and display, you will be paying a lot more than for the Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360.
Samsung’s laptop offers a more balanced experience. You get a great AMOLED display as the standard configuration, and the processors you can choose from are already great, too. Plus, you have the benefit of a much thinner and lighter design that makes it easy to carry around wherever you go. It also comes with up to 32GB of RAM, but again, that will probably cost you significantly more, so you have to consider how much you want to spend.
What it ultimately comes down to is where your priorities are? The starting prices for these two laptops aren’t too far off (though the Yoga 9i is more expensive), but depending on the upgrades you want, you’ll be spending a lot more. Do you want that extra money to go towards the better display of the Lenovo Yoga 9i, or do you want the 32GB of RAM of the Galaxy Book 2 Pro? And if you stick with the base model, is it worth paying the extra price for the 16:10 aspect ratio of the Yoga 9i, or do you prefer having an AMOLED panel of Samsung’s laptop?
If you’re looking for a personal recommendation, I’d go with Lenovo’s laptop, but there are strong arguments for both sides. If you’ve made your choice, you can buy your preferred laptop below. If none of them has won you over, maybe check out the best Lenovo laptops and the best Samsung laptops to see what else each company offers. Or you can take a look at the best laptops overall if you’re interested in other brands.
- The Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360 is an extremely thin and light convertible, but it still comes with powerful 12th-gen Intel processors and a stunning AMOLED display.
- The Lenovo Yoga 9i is a premium convertible with 12th-gen Intel processors and a 16:10 display that's available in up an Ultra HD+ configuration.
The post Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360 vs Lenovo Yoga 9i: What’s the best convertible? appeared first on xda-developers.
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