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  Lenovo Yoga 9i (2023)

  Lenovo's 2023 Yoga 9i has a 13th-generation Intel Core i7 processor and a stunning OLED display. It also has beautifully polished corners and a soundbar hinge down the middle.

  Pros

  • OLED display is vibrant
  • Newer 13th-generation Intel CPUs
  • Is convertible so can be used in many ways

  Cons

  • Expensive
  • Bigger than the Surface Pro 9

  $1700 at Lenovo

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  Microsoft Surface Pro 9

  $900 $1000 Save $100

  The Surface Pro 9 is the latest tablet from Microsoft. It comes in new colors and is available with either 12th Gen Intel Core CPUs or the ARM-based Microsoft SQ3 processor, depending on whether you'd like 5G connectivity.

  Pros

  • Compact and portable
  • Has great battery life
  • Has a 5G model

  Cons

  • Type Cover keyboard is optional purcahase
  • Fewer ports

  $900 at Best Buy (Wi-Fi model) $1300 at Best Buy (5G model)

If you're considering buying a new Windows device in 2023, then there are two options you may be looking at. The Lenovo Yoga 9i (2023) is one of the best Windows convertibles you can buy, and the Surface Pro 9 is one of the best Windows tablets. Off the bat, you'll notice the form factors greatly distinguish these devices, but if you dive deeper to look at the display, the performance, and the ports, there are many other things you'd want to consider as part of your purchasing decision. We're here to help with a side-by-side comparison between these devices.

Lenovo Yoga 9i (2023) vs Surface Pro 9: Price, specs, and availability

Both the Lenovo Yoga 9i (2023) and the Surface Pro 9 are available today. The Surface Pro 9 actually has two models. There's a 5G model with has a custom Arm-based chip inside, and a model with an Intel CPU. The Lenovo Yoga 9i, meanwhile, only comes in an Intel variant.

You can buy the 5G Surface Pro 9 for $1,300, and the Intel model for $1,000. The 5G variant has the Microsoft SQ3 chip, 8GB RAM, and a 128GB SSD. The Intel variant, meanwhile, comes with 8GB RAM, a 128GB SSD, and the Intel Core i5-1235U CPU. These prices do not account for the Type Cover keyboard, or the Surface Pen, both of which are separate purchases.

The Lenovo Yoga 9i, meanwhile, starts at $1,700. That gets you a 13th-generation Intel Core i7-1360P CPU, 16GB RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a 2.8K (2880 x 1800) resolution 14-inch OLED display.

• 	Lenovo Yoga 9i (2023)	Microsoft Surface Pro 9
  Brand	Lenovo	Microsoft
  Storage	Up to 1TB SSD	Wi-Fi model: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB SSD/ 5G model: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB SSD
  CPU	13th-generation Intel Core i7-1360P	Wi-Fi model: 12th-generation Intel Core i5-1235U or 12th-gen Intel Core i7-1255U/ 5G model: Microsoft SQ3
  Memory	Up to 16GB LPDDR5-5200	Wi-Fi model: 8GB, 16GB, 32BGB LPDDR5/ 5G model: 8GB or 16GB LPDDR4X
  Operating System	Windows 11 Home	Windows 11
  Battery	75Wh	Wi-Fi model: Up to 15.5 hours/ 5G model: Up to 19 hours
  Ports	2 x Thunderbolt 4, 1x USB Type-C, 1 x USB Type-A, 3.5mm headphone jack	Wi-Fi model: Thunderbolt 4/Surface Connect/ 5G model: USB-C 3.2, Surface Connect
  Camera	Full HD 1080p + IR camera	/ 5G model: Front-facing 1080p Windows Hello, 10.0MP rear
  Display (Size, Resolution)	14-inch, 16:10, up to 4K OLED (3840 x 2400)	13.3-inch, 2880x1920 Pixel Sense touch, 3:2 aspect ratio, 120Hz, supporting Surface Pen
  Weight	Starting at 3.09 pounds (1.4 kg)	Wi-Fi model: 1.94 pounds/ 5G model: 1.95 pounds
  GPU	Intel Iris Xe graphics (integrated)	Wi-Fi model: Intel Iris Xe/ 5G model: Adreno 8cX Gen 3
  Speakers	2 x 3W woofers (on the side), 2 x 2W tweeters (on hinge)	2W stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos

Design: A convertible or a tablet

Arguably, the most important choice to make when considering the Lenovo Yoga 9i and Surface Pro 9 is the form factor. The Yoga 9i is a convertible, while the Surface Pro 9 is a tablet. The Yoga 9i's convertible form factor is versatile since you can use it in different modes (laptop, tent, stand, and tablet) by rotating the screen around the hinge, which also has an integrated soundbar. Meanwhile, the Surface Pro 9 is a tablet with an integrated kickstand, but you can attach the optional Type Cover and use it as a laptop.

This all means the Surface Pro 9 is much more portable and compact than the Lenovo Yoga 9i. It's smaller and lighter at just 1.94 pounds versus the Yoga 9i's 3.53 pounds. If you want a small device for travel and multimedia consumption, the Surface Pro 9 is perfect, but if you want a more laptop-like device, the Yoga 9i has a traditional keyboard.

The Surface Pro 9 is more portable than the Yoga 9i but isn't quite as versatile

Other than dimensions and form factor, the Surface Pro 9 also comes in different colors. On the Wi-Fi model, it's either Sapphire, Forest, Platinum, or Graphite, but the 6G model just comes in Platinum. The Yoga 9i only comes in Oatmeal or Storm Grey. If you want a device with more personality, the Surface Pro 9 is better, especially since the Type Cover keyboards also come in different colors.

Display: You can't beat the OLED display on the Yoga 9i

Now let's move on to the display. While both devices support touch and pen input, all Lenovo Yoga 9i configurations have a bigger 14-inch OLED display than the Surface Pro 9's 13-inch Pixel Sense display. The Yoga 9i's OLED panel will make content look more vibrant since it can push out deeper blacks and more accurate colors. The Yoga 9i also has a 16:10 aspect ratio 90Hz or 60Hz refresh rate screen that's slightly taller than the 3:2 aspect ratio on the Surface Pro 9, so it might be better suited for productivity. But the Surface Pro 9's screen has a better 120Hz refresh rate, which makes scrolling and drawing on the screen feel more natural.

Since the Yoga 9i's screen is bigger, you get more pixels to play with and more options. You can get one with either 2880 x 1800 or 3840 x 2400 resolution, while the Surface Pro 9 maxes out with 2880 x 1920 resolution across all models.

The display on the Yoga 9i is not only bigger but is also better for multimedia thanks to OLED technology

As for what's atop the display, you'll get a Full HD 1080p webcam on both devices, which supports Windows Hello for facial logins into your PC. The difference, though, is that the Surface Pro 9 has a 4K camera on the back for shooting pictures and a higher-quality 5MP sensor on the front. The Yoga 9i only has a 2.1MP sensor, so you'll look better on your calls on video calls on the Surface. Do note the Surface Pro 9 also supports background blur on the 5G model through Windows Studio effects. This feature isn't available on the Intel model.

And on pen support, the Surface Pro 9 supports haptic feedback with the Surface Slim Pen 2. This means you get subtle vibrations in the pen as you ink on the screen. You don't get that with the Yoga 9i's Lenovo Active Pen — just 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity and tilt support, which is about standard for a Windows convertible.

Performance: The Yoga 9i performs much better with 13th-gen Intel CPUs

Another dealbreaker for you will come in performance. The Lenovo Yoga 9i uses the latest 13th-generation Intel P-series chip, whereas the Surface Pro 9 uses last year's 12th-generation Intel U-series chips. The Yoga 9i also only has a more expensive Core i7 option, while the Surface Pro 9 comes with both Intel Core i7 and Intel Core i5 CPU options, in addition to an Arm-variant with the Microsoft SQ3 chip. The Yoga 9i is, therefore, a more powerful device.

Part of that is because of the wattage and core counts of the CPUs. The Intel Core i7-1360P inside the Lenovo Yoga 9i can run at 28 watts and has 12 cores — four performance and eight efficiency. With the top Intel Core i7-1265U vPro chip on the Surface Pro 9, the chip only runs at 15 watts and has 10 total cores — two performance and eight efficiency.

With those extra cores and the higher wattage on the Yoga 9i, you can complete tasks like light gaming and video editing. Battery life should be better on the Surface Pro 9, though, because it runs at a lower wattage. We have yet to benchmark a laptop with the newest 13th-generation Intel P-series CPU, but you can see a sample 12th-generation P-series CPU on last year's Yoga 9i vs a 12th-generation U-series CPU in the chart below. Intel said you only can expect a 10% productivity boost between CPU generations, so we don't expect benchmarks to be too different.

There's also the outlier we want to mention here, which is the Arm-based version of the Surface Pro 9. If you buy this model, you won't get a system that's nearly as powerful as the Yoga 9i's or even the Surface Pro 9. The Microsoft SQ3 chip is more optimized for battery life than for higher-end tasks. You can see this with the Geekbench testing that we performed when we reviewed the Surface Pro 9 5G.

The Geekbench numbers that the Surface Pro 9 5G puts up numbers are not as close to last year's Yoga 9i, especially when it comes to multi-core performance. This again shows that if you must buy a device where performance is important to you, you'd want to buy the Lenovo Yoga 9i.

Connectivity: You'll love the Yoga 9i's ports

Regarding ports and connectivity, the Lenovo Yoga 9i is better in both areas than the Surface Pro 9. You get more ports on the Yoga 9i, as the mix includes two Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C), one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The Surface Pro 9 lacks that USB-A port and only has Thunderbolt 4, Surface Connect, or, in the case of the 5G model, USB-C 3.2, and Surface Connect.

On wireless connectivity, the Intel Surface Pro 9 model and the Yoga 9i have the same support for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.1. The Arm-based 5G Surface Pro 9, though, has a 5G option, which might be important if you're planning to connect to the internet when away from Wi-Fi. The Yoga 9i doesn't have a 5G option and you'll have to use hotspots instead.

The Lenovo Yoga 9i is better for the price

Though priced higher, the Yoga 9i is a better device than the Surface Pro 9. It is a convertible and not a tablet, so it has a bigger screen, a more comfortable keyboard, and can be used in many different ways. Even the performance is better when considering the newer Intel 13th-generation P-series CPUs that run at a higher wattage.

The Lenovo Yoga 9i is for you if:

• Want a quality OLED display on your Windows convertible
• You need a device with a 28-watt CPU
• You don't mind carrying around a 14-inch convertible

You can still consider the Surface Pro 9 if you want something more portable

Of course, the Yoga 9i is expensive with its $1,700 starting price, so you might only want to consider the Surface Pro 9 if you are on a lower budget and want a more compact tablet. Just note that you do have to spend a bit extra to get the Type Cover keyboard. You also get a 5G model option with the Surface Pro 9, which helps if you need the internet and are always out and about where Wi-Fi isn't available.

The Surface Pro 9 is for you if:

• You want a more portable tablet
• You want a Windows device with longer battery life
• You're on a budget