In “Windows laptops seeking to become the M2 MacBook alternative,” Lenovo introduced its Slim line, its most premium consumer computer for 2023. This batch comprises a redesigned 14.5-inch Slim Pro 7 and 14-inch Slim 7i—the ones I plan to recommend to most people—and a more pricey Slim Pro 9i with 14.5-inch and 16-inch variants.
Remote devices rarely bother me. They are well-built but boring. However, Lenovo targets mobile creative workers (who might otherwise buy an M2 MacBook) with fancy feature collections this year.
Lenovo’s “X Power” suite is updated in the Slim Pro versions. Lenovo claims this software will speed up video editing with “drastically sped-up software preview, rendering, and exports” and a 62.5 percent thermal capacity improvement over prior generations. (Lenovo’s release doesn’t explain how it increased so much.)
The new Slim Pros have a “Premium Suite” with “a series of new and upgraded hardware features aimed to enhance the user experience.” This includes a random assortment of things, including new 1.5mm dish cap keyboard keys, a larger trackpad, an infrared camera, a privacy shutter, a time of flight sensor, and a four-microphone setup.
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i, aimed at the “consummate creator,” has 13th Gen Intel Core CPUs, up to an Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU, and a 3.2K, 165Hz display. The cheaper AMD Ryzen-powered Slim 7i targets “multitasking content creators” with an RTX 3050 and 3K 120Hz screen. The Slim 7i for “on-the-go creators” will use Intel-integrated graphics.
The Slim Pro 7 and Slim 7i will launch in North America in April for $1,199.99 and $1,179.99. May bring Slim Pro 9i. 16-inch models cost $1,799.99, while 14.5-inch variants cost $1,699.99.
