Lenovo Yoga, Legion Laptops Get Intel ‘Alder Lake’ CPUs at CES

Lenovo is one of the biggest names in the laptop world, and when it comes to CES, the company is arguably the heaviest hitter at the show. This year may look a little different, with Lenovo deciding at the last minute not to go to Las Vegas over concerns about Omicron, but that doesn’t mean the PC maker was any less impressive in announcing a huge number of new laptops.

Two model lines in particular grabbed our attention, with several new additions to the Lenovo Yoga lineup and some big improvements coming to Lenovo Legion gaming laptops.

Lenovo's 2022 Yoga Lineup Unveiled

The Lenovo Yoga line has set the standard for 2-in-1 designs, and Lenovo’s latest batch of hybrid notebooks shows no sign of giving up that leading position. 

Lenovo Yoga 9i

The Lenovo Yoga 9i is a 14-inch convertible laptop that offers the same 2-in-1 flipping and folding design that the Yoga name has been known for, but updates the hybrid thin-and-light laptop with new processing and graphics, as well as display and audio enhancements that are sure to impress.

Let’s start with the meat of the new convertible, which is built around a 12th Generation Intel Core i7-1260P processor and Intel’s Iris Xe graphics, a combination that packs the slim hybrid with power for everything from web browsing and streaming to photo and video editing. The Yoga 9i also promises long battery life from the 75-watt-hour battery inside.

The laptop’s stunning 4K OLED IPS touchscreen will definitely draw some attention as well, with a 16:10 aspect ratio that offers more productive screen space and a 60Hz refresh rate. The OLED panel boasts VESA DisplayHDR 500 and Dolby Vision for excellent brightness and HDR support, along with 100% DCI-P3 color accuracy and certified TrueBlack contrast that takes advantage of OLED’s unbeatable black levels and per-pixel lighting.

And the inclusion of Bowers & Wilkins audio tuning will provide sound to match, with a rotating sound bar design that offers full audio in every usage mode. With two woofers and two tweeters positioned on the top and sides of the slim machine, you’ll get full, vibrant sound from this system whether you’re using it as a laptop or tablet.

The connectivity is unexpectedly robust, with two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a third USB Type-C port and a single USB Type-A connection, along with a basic headset jack. Wireless options are just as robust, with Wi-Fi 6E offering top-of-the-line networking capability.

The laptop’s high-grade aluminum chassis features comfortable rounded edges and a hinge that allows easier one-handed opening, along with an edge-to-edge backlit keyboard that uses Smart Sense lighting to adjust the backlight to match the ambient light in the room.

Finally, the touch screen also supports pen input, and you can get the Yoga 9i with either a color e-pen or Lenovo’s Precision Pen 2 included in the box.

The whole package will be available in Q2 of 2022, starting at $1,399.00.

Lenovo Yoga 7i

For a convertible laptop that’s just as flexible, but without the 4K eye candy, look no further than the Lenovo Yoga 7i, which comes in 14-inch and 16-inch sizes. With up to 2.8K resolution and OLED touchscreen options, the Yoga 7i offers the same Dolby Vision HDR support and 100% DCI-P3 color gamut on its ultra-vivid display, but at a lower (albeit still highly usable) resolution. Lenovo then adds Dolby Atmos sound for equally impressive audio support.

Both the 14-inch and 16-inch models are available with up to an Intel Core i7-1260P 12th Generation processor and integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics. They also both offer long-lasting batteries—up to a 71-watt-hour battery in the 14-inch and a 100-watt-hour battery in the 16-inch, both with Rapid Charge Express for quickly getting back up and running when a recharge is needed. The 16-inch model is also available with an optional 12th Generation Intel Core i7-12700H processor, paired with Intel Arc graphics.

The Lenovo Yoga 7i is outfitted with dual Thunderbolt 4 ports, a pair of USB Type-A connections, an HDMI output, and integrated SD card reader. A full HD webcam offers high resolution video calling, with an IR sensor for Windows Hello secure login.

The 16-inch Yoga 7i convertible laptop will be available starting in the second quarter of 2022, with a starting price of $899.00. It will be available in two colors: Storm Gray and Arctic Gray. The 14-inch Yoga 7i will also be available this spring, and will start at $949.00. Available in Storm Gray or Stone Blue, it will also have an optional active pen.

Lenovo Yoga 6

The Lenovo Yoga 6 shrinks the hybrid design further to 13 inches, while also drastically reducing the laptop’s environmental footprint with an environmentally conscious design. Using materials like recycled aluminum and a fabric cover made from recycled water bottles, the laptop leverages reclaimed and recycled material in everything from the cover to the power adapter, which are all made with post-consumer plastic. Made without mercury, arsenic, or brominated flame retardant (BFR) materials, Lenovo claims that it’s the greenest laptop they’ve ever made, right down to the sustainably sourced paper of the packaging.

Separate from the design and materials, the Lenovo Yoga 6 is a Windows 11 convertible laptop, with display and tablet modes afforded by the familiar 360-degree hinge of the Yoga design. The Yoga 6 packs an AMD Ryzen 7 5700U processor and integrated AMD Radeon graphics, along with a 13-inch, 16:10 full HD touchscreen display. Dolby Vision HDR support and Dolby Atmos audio offer good visuals and sound, and an optional pen goes a step beyond basic touch input.

Coming in the second quarter of 2022, the Lenovo Yoga 6 will start at $749.00.

Lenovo Overhauls Legion Gaming Laptops

Lenovo’s Legion gaming laptops are also getting a full overhaul, with 15-inch and 16-inch sizes and your choice of Intel and AMD hardware, indicated by the model names—Legion 5i (for the Intel-equipped model) and the Legion 5 (with AMD hardware). These options total up to four separate Legion laptops, with the latest hardware and a range of display options.

With aluminum and magnesium alloy incorporated into the construction for better rigidity and a thinner chassis, these portable gaming laptops are slimmer and lighter, while also offering better performance. But the best part might not even be in the hardware—all sizes of the Legion 5 laptop come with up to three months free of Microsoft Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, an all-you-can-eat cloud gaming subscription that provides access to more than 100 games, including EA Play and popular AAA titles.

Legion 5 Pro

In the 16-inch size you’ll find the Legion 5 Pro, which revolves around a WQHD+ gaming display with up to 240Hz adaptive refresh rate. With a 3-millisecond response time and 100% sRGB color gamut, it’s a great gaming display. The screen boasts 500 nits of brightness and Dolby Vision for HDR. There's also Nvidia G-Sync for smooth, tear-free gameplay. In addition to the display, the Pro series laptops feature Nahimic Audio by SteelSeries, for sound that matches the visuals.

On the hardware front, the 16-inch Lenovo Legion 5i Pro (note the “i”) is outfitted with a 12th Gen Intel Core i7-12700H processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 30 Series laptop graphics with up to 165 watts of total graphics power. The Lenovo Legion 5 Pro (no “i” in the model number), is equipped with a range of next-gen AMD Ryzen processors.

Aside from these divergent processor models, the Legion 5i Pro and 5 Pro have up to 1TB of PCle Gen 4 SSD storage and use 4,800MHz DDR5 memory. The networking features Wi-Fi 6E, with improved antenna placement for optimal performance. A revamped cooling system delivers better cooling and lower laptop surface temperature thanks to a larger exhaust and a five heat pipe layout, and the whole thing is substantially quieter, thanks to improved noise suppression.

The laptop’s 80-watt-hour battery gets a boost from Super Rapid Charge technology, which can refill 80% of a battery in just 30 minutes, and AI battery optimization manages power use for better battery life and thermal performance.

The Legion 5 Pro laptops also have your choice of a standard 135-watt USB-C charger, or a slim power adapter that delivers even higher wattages, up to 300 watts.

The 15-inch models have a WQHD (2,560 by 1,440 pixels) IPS 16:9 display, with a 165Hz refresh rate. With up to 300 nits of brightness and 100% sRGB color gamut, it’s a great gaming display, but it’s a step down from the 16-inch model.

Legion 5

Like its 16-inch counterpart, the 15-inch Legion 5i and Legion 5 models come with either an Intel Core i7-12700H processor or AMD Ryzen CPU, but have several graphics options, including an optional Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 GPU or other Nvidia 30-series graphics solutions. Lenovo didn't specify memory and storage options.

But Lenovo offers plenty of other features to love on the 15-inch models, including a quieter keyboard with 1.5-millimeter travel, swappable WASD keycaps, and a choice of white or RGB 4-zone keyboard backlighting.

An improved cooling system allows for a quieter thermal management that still manages to be 40% more powerful than past models, while fitting into a chassis that’s slimmed down by 15%. That’s a lot of percentages, but the end result is a more portable gaming machine that manages to stay cooler and offer better performance, all while being quiet and comfortable to use.

The 16-inch Lenovo Legion 5i Pro and Legion 5 Pro will begin selling in February, for $1,569.99 and $1,429.99, respectively. Color options include a metallic Storm Gray and pearlized Glacier White.

The 15-inch Lenovo Legion 5i and Lenovo Legion 5 laptops will also arrive this spring, starting at $1,129.99 for Intel-based models that will arrive in February and AMD-based models coming in April, starting at $1,199.99. These 15-inch models will be sold in Storm Gray and Cloud Gray color schemes.