Introduction

Testing the Yoga Pro 7i Gen 11 Aura Edition (15IPH11) proved that a thin and light machine can perform surprisingly well for its size. It already packs enough punch for heavy tasks on the go. But what if you want a step up from the 15IPH11 without sacrificing too much portability?

One potential answer in Lenovo's lineup is the Yoga Pro 9i Gen 11 Aura Edition (16IPH11). It sits at the top end of the Yoga series. You might be wondering what extra features you get over the smaller 15IPH11, and whether it's worth the price premium.



The first obvious upgrade is the display size. Here, you get a larger 16-inch 120 Hz OLED screen with touch support. The main question is whether to save some cash and stick with the default 1800p panel (already impressive on paper) or stretch your wallet for the stunning 2000p Tandem OLED option.

GPU options remain the same, but the TGP gets bumped from 85 W to 100 W. It's not a massive leap, but the extra graphics power is definitely noticeable. The laptop is also slightly thicker and up to roughly 300 grams heavier. That extra weight comes from the larger display glass and a more potent cooling system.

Unless you go for the base configuration, you get a beefy 245 W adapter in the box. That means no battery drain during heavy loads, unlike with the underpowered charger on the 15IPH11. The 92.5 Wh battery comes standard here, too - a smart move, given the high-res screen options and higher GPU power limits. Plus, because the charger uses Lenovo's Slim Tip connector, you can use every single port while plugged in, without resorting to a dock with charging pass-through.

Another feature that was optional on the smaller sibling—the huge Force Pad with pen input—comes standard on the 16-incher. Even if you're not a creator or artist, it's a fun extra to have, especially if you have kids around. Audiophiles will be happy, too: this bigger model rocks a top-of-the-line 6-speaker audio setup.

Now for the things that stay roughly the same—or are even slight downgrades (yes, believe it or not). There are no changes in the CPU department, as expected. Your choice comes down to two chips: the Core Ultra 7 356H or the Core Ultra 9 386H. As we mentioned before, there isn't much performance difference between the two.

RAM is still soldered, which is typical for most Panther Lake machines. Surprisingly, the RAM here is rated at 7467 MT/s—a step-down from the 8533 MT/s on the 15-inch model. You still get two M.2 slots, and again, the smaller 2242 fits Gen 5 SSDs, not the larger 2280 slot. Go figure!

To my eye, the aluminium body looks and feels slightly more premium and sturdy, especially around the lid. The keyboard is identical—nothing wrong with that, as it's good for both work and play. Other shared specs include the port selection, the 5MP IR webcam, and Wi-Fi 7 support.

The Yoga Pro 9 16IPH11 is another certified Copilot+ PC featuring Lenovo Aura Edition enhancements. We covered these in earlier reviews, but in short, you get access to premium support, AI mode selection, and Smart Share for rapid device pairing and file transfers.

Specifications