07 Nov
Blog

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro Review: Lovely Display Saves Day

Lenovo Ideapad Slim 7i Pro review

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro

RRP $ 1,420.00

"Despite a few flaws, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro is one of the better new Windows 11 laptops you can buy."

advantages

  • Solid productivity performance

  • High resolution 90 Hz display

  • Great keyboard and touchpad

  • Simple but attractive aesthetics

disadvantage

  • Build quality is a little below average

  • Battery life is mediocre

Apart from the Surface devices, new Windows 11 laptops have so far been sparse.

Now there's Lenovo's IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro, one of the most anticipated newbies with Microsoft's latest operating system, and it promises to take advantage of Windows 11 with high-end components and a productivity-friendly 16:10 high-resolution display.

The IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro is said to be a prime example of the “Midrange Plus” lineup from Lenovo, which offers some of the same features that you will find in ThinkPads and a high quality finish that is nevertheless (relatively) affordable.

My configuration was $ 1,420, which is not that cheap. The $ 1,190 launch configuration is also in a confusing place. But in the end it all comes down to whether this is a good laptop for the money. Despite a few problems, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro makes a promising start into the Windows 11 era of laptops.

draft

A Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro sits on a table, at an angle to the view of the back and lid.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

When I judge the IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro as a premium laptop, I have to pick out a few nits in terms of build quality. It's made of machined aluminum, which is a good thing, but I found the lid a bit pliable and the keyboard deck and case base had some flexibility. That would be a suitable build quality for $ 1,000 or less, but at over $ 1,400, it's missing something. The HP Specter x360 14, for example, is only a few hundred euros more and is rock solid, while the Asus ZenBook 13 OLED is several hundred euros cheaper and more robust. However, the hinge on the IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro is superb, making it easy to open the laptop with one hand while holding the display firmly in place.

The IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro has minimal bezels on the top and sides and a larger chin than the Dell XPS 13. An inverted notch on the top houses the cameras and adds a convenient opening for opening the lids. Together with the larger 16:10 display, the chin makes the laptop lower than it could be, while the side bezels keep it relatively narrow.

It's a well-sized laptop that is easy to carry around.

Overall, the IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro is in line with other 14-inch laptops with 16:10 displays such as the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9. At 0.67 inches, it is thin, although not as thin as the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 with 0.59 inches. At three pounds, its weight is average for 14-inch laptops. The ThinkPad is half a pound lighter, however. Overall, the IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro is a well-sized laptop that is easy to transport.

Aesthetically, the IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro matches many newer laptops that use a minimalist design. It seems the more laptops I check, the more similar they look. The Ideapad is available in slate gray (my test device) or light silver. It has very simple lines and angles, a curved trailing edge and subtle logos that give it a very nondescript appearance.

As with so many similar laptops, including the Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1, it's an attractive laptop, but it won't stand out. The HP Specter x360 14, with its gem-cut design and bright accent colors, offers a much bolder design. Do you like the look of the IdeaPad? Probably, unless you want a laptop that makes a fashion statement. It certainly won't offend you.

Along the left side of the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro are two USB-C with Thunderbolt 4 ports (one of which is used for power supply).

Along the right side of the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro you can see a USB A 3.2 Gen 1 port and a 3.5 mm audio jack.

Connectivity isn't a strength. On the left you will find two USB-C with Thunderbolt 4 ports (one of which is used for power supply) and a USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 port and a 3.5mm audio jack on the right.

Unfortunately there is no SD card slot or HDMI which is disappointing. Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 take over wireless tasks.

power

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro sits on a table.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

My test device was designed for more powerful laptops with a 35 watt Intel Core i7-11370H CPU, the 11th. It's an interesting processor that divides the difference between, for example, an 8-core / 16-thread Core i7-11800H with 45 watts and a 28-watt 4-core / 8-thread Core i7-1185G7. The Core i7-11370H is a productivity CPU through and through – it's supposed to be fast enough to handle demanding productivity workflows, but it's not in the same league as processors, which are faster in creative applications.

The first thing to note is that Lenovo has included its Performance Optimization utility that allows you to switch between battery saving, smart cooling, and extreme performance modes. The utility only made a difference in two of our benchmarks, our Handbrake test, which encodes a 420MB video in H.265 and Cinebench R23. Both are CPU-bound, and this is where the utility had the biggest impact.

For example, in Handbrake it took the IdeaPad 202 seconds to complete in intelligent cooling mode and 155 seconds in performance mode. That's a significant difference, and in fact, it was almost the same as the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio with the same CPU in that laptop's performance mode. The same was true for Cinebench R23, where the IdeaPad's score jumped from 5,544 to 6,150, a more competitive result.

The IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro is a fast productivity laptop.

However, the utility made little to no difference in Geekbench 5, PCMark 10, and 3DMark Time Spy. But the IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro also scores well in these benchmarks in intelligent cooling mode and is ahead of the U-series competitors and close to the Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 with its Ryzen 7 5700U and the Surface Laptop Studio in all but that 3DMark test. The fastest notebook in our comparison list was of course the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 with a Core i7-11800H. Upon closer inspection of the PCMark 10 benchmark, the IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro did well in all tests, including Essentials, Productivity, and Content Creation.

All of this means that the IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro is a fast, productivity laptop that can handle anything a typical user will throw at it. Put it in performance mode, which has the fans spinning up and a lot louder, and it can handle lighter creativity tasks better. It won't compete with the faster Intel CPUs or AMD's Ryzen 5000 series for developers, but it's better than the typical thin and light Intel laptop.

Geekbench (single / multiple) Handbrake
(Seconds)		 Cinebench R23 (single / multiple) PCMark 10 3DMark time spy
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro (Core i7-11370H) 1578/5957 202 1514/5544 5149 1888
Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 (Ryzen7 5700U) 1184/6281 120 1287/8013 5411 1247
Samsung Galaxy Book (Core i5-1135G7) 1401/5221 180 1361/5391 4735 1584
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 (Core i7-1165G7) 1327/5201 N / A 1469/4945 5147 1776
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio (Core i7-11370H) 1321/5131 179 1304/5450 5091 4266
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 (Core i7-11800H) 1520/7353 106 1519/10497 6251 6691
MSI Sumit E13 Flip Evo (Core i7-1185G7) 1352/4891 207 1360/4392 4872 1751

With Intel Iris Xe graphics, the IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro is not a gaming laptop. The 3DMark Time Spy score is average and it only managed 22 frames per second (fps) at 1200p and epic graphics in Fortnite. This is in line with other Iris Xe laptops and means that the IdeaPad is best for older titles or newer titles with lower resolutions and graphics settings. Or just stick to casual gaming.

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Image of the display of the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Lenovo equips the IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro with a 14-inch 16:10 IPS display in a so-called “2.8K” resolution at 2,880 x 1,800. It's a sharp and bright display with dynamic colors that aren't over-saturated and enough contrast to make black text appear on a white background. It also runs at 90 Hz (60 Hz is configurable), which makes movements and animations on the screen a little smoother. I found the display to be pretty good during my tests and when I wrote this review. There's also the option for a 2.2K (2,240 x 1,400) IPS display that runs at 60 Hz, which I haven't tested.

My colorimeter agreed with my impressions. The display was quite bright at 369 nits, above our 300 nits threshold, beating the 238 nits of the Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 for $ 1,000 and the 326 nits of the Samsung Galaxy Book for $ 900, the both real middle class are machines. The IdeaPad was also brighter than the 306 nits of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 for $ 1,885, and that's officially a premium laptop from Lenovo.

The IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro also has wider than average colors, with 80% AdobeRGB (72% closer to average) and 100% sRGB (95% is average), much better than the Inspiron 14 2-in-1's 52%. from AdobeRGB and 69% from sRGB and 48% and 64% of the Galaxy Book. The IdeaPad even beats the ThinkPad's 76% and 100%. These colors were also fairly accurate with a DeltaE of 1.65 (1.0 or less is excellent), compared to the Inspiron 14 2-in-1 with 1.8, the Galaxy Book with 2.41, and the ThinkPad with an even better 0 , 99. Finally, the IdeaPad's contrast was 1,340: 1, well above our preferred 1,000: 1 and much higher than the other three laptops I used for comparison.

Close-up of the webcam, screen and bezels on the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Those are excellent results for a laptop that was not explicitly designed for developers who demand even wider colors – although the IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro's colors are certainly wide enough for the less demanding creative types. When searching our database, I couldn't find a current 14-inch laptop for the same money or more that had a better display – and most had significantly worse displays. The display also supports Dolby Vision High Dynamic Range (HDR), which makes it a great laptop for binding HDR content from Netflix and other streaming services. Lenovo charges a pretty penny for the IdeaPad, and the display helps justify the investment.

Sound is provided by two downward facing speakers under the front of the cabinet, and the sound was clear and bright. There was minimal bass as always. The only problem is that the volume was low even at full volume, but there was still a hint of distortion. You want headphones for Netflix and music, and sound quality isn't one of the IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro's strong points.

Keyboard and touchpad

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro keyboard and trackpad.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro has the same keyboard design found on all Lenovo laptops that are not labeled as ThinkPad. It's roomy with large and comfortably shaped keycaps. The “TrueStrike” switch mechanism was adopted from Lenovo gaming laptops and offers a tactile feel. The switches are snappy, with a soft bottom movement that makes for a precise feel. There was also a lot of travel for this type of keyboard.

It's not quite as comfortable as HP Specter or Dell XPS keyboards, but it's close enough. Most people will love this keyboard.

The touchpad was large and took up most of the palm rest space. Kudos to Lenovo for using the larger display. The touchpad surface was smooth, with just enough friction for precise swipes, and the buttons made a healthy click without being loud. It's a Microsoft Precision touchpad, and so the usual Windows 10 multi-touch gestures were well supported. The touch display was responsive and welcome too.

An infrared camera and facial recognition have Windows Hello support, and it was quick and reliable. Lenovo has incorporated its user presence detection technology, which locks and hibernates the laptop when the user leaves the area, keeps the laptop unlocked when the user is in front of it even when the keyboard and touchpad are not in use, and the laptop automatically reactivated when the user returns from an absence. It can even pause a video when the user leaves. Overall, it's a handy system that works well, and I had to turn it off to run my battery tests unless I wanted to sit in front of the laptop for hours.

Battery life

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro sits at an angle on a table.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

With a 61-watt-hour battery and a high-resolution 14-inch display, the IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro made me very curious about its battery life. I was also wondering how the 35 watt CPU would fare.

Initially, the IdeaPad was inconsistent in our web browsing test. When I first ran the test, the laptop only lasted 6.25 hours, which is a miserable score compared to the 10 hours or more we like to see from thin and light premium laptops. I ran it a second time and it lasted 7.75 hours. That's better, but still way behind the field.

The battery life is not a strength of the IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro.

For example, the Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 lasted 12.9 hours in this test, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio lasted 10.5 hours. However, just as worrying as the short run time was the inconsistency. In our video benchmark, which runs through a local Full HD movie trailer, the IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro managed 12.75 hours, which is a decent score that surpassed the 11 hours of the Inspiron but behind the 14 hours of the Surface Laptop Studio lagged behind.

In the PCMark 10 Applications battery test, which is the best indicator for the longevity of productivity, the IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro lasted 9.25 hours. We didn't test the Surface Laptop Studio in this review and the Inspiron 14 2-in-1 wouldn't complete it, but the IdeaPad scores below average for thin and light laptops. Most last at least 10 hours, and some, like the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo, can last 13 hours or more. In the PCMark 10 gaming battery test, the IdeaPad only lasted 95 minutes, which indicates that the laptop is maintaining its performance on battery power.

Overall, the battery life is not a strength of the IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro. Whether it can last a full day at work depends on your workflow – if it's tough at all, have your charger with you just in case.

Our opinion

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro is positioned as a mid-range laptop, but priced like a premium device, and luckily it lives up to the latter. The build quality is a bit poor and the battery life mediocre, but the performance is solid and the display is excellent for this device class. It is a good looking laptop that is reasonably sized and attractive with a simple design.

The additional features, such as user presence detection technology, are welcome additions that add value. The IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro is a solid addition to the 14-inch clamshell market and is conquering a healthy niche for itself thanks to its outstanding display.

Are there alternatives?

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 is a great alternative if you're willing to spend a little extra cash. The display isn't that good, but the battery life is spectacular and the build quality is much better.

HP's Specter x360 14 is another solid option that is also a bit more expensive but gives you the flexibility of a 2-in-1, sleek design, and the option for an even better OLED display.

As always, the Dell XPS 13 is a great choice if you're willing to cut down on the size of the display (and chassis). It's fast, durable, and incredibly attractive and well built. Again, you'll be spending a little more, but it's worth it.

How long it will take?

The IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro could feel a bit more robust, but is built well enough to last for several years of typical use. Its components are up to date and are designed to keep Windows 11 running. As always, the industry standard one-year warranty is disappointing.

Should you buy it?

Yes sir. Offering great performance and a beautiful display, the IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro will meet most of the needs of the most demanding productivity user. Only the battery life stands out as a real minus.

Editor's recommendations



01 Sep
Blog

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7 Review: The AMD Ryzen 4000 Flagship

Lenovo Ideapad Slim 7 review 01

"The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7 is a genre-bending laptop that does anything hard to beat for its price."

  • Incredible performance

  • Tiny footprint

  • Record battery life

  • Can handle light games

  • The screen is a little dark

  • Small palm rests

Disorder. It's not a word I idly use, but what AMD's Ryzen 4000 processors have been doing over the past eight months fits the definition. These chips offer the performance you previously paid dearly for, both in size and price.

So far, however, few laptops have been designed from the ground up to use these chips.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7 should always be an example of how disruptive Ryzen 4000 can be. After many months of delay, the time has finally come to attempt a seemingly insurmountable task – being a laptop that can be ultra-slim, extremely powerful, and extremely affordable at the same time.

Have AMD and Lenovo just done the impossible?

design

The IdeaPad Slim 7 revolution is not broadcast high. It's not ugly, but it's also not attention grabbing. It's not far from Lenovo's current crop of conservative, dark gray laptops with rounded edges and an all-metal chassis. The design alone makes it difficult for you to pick this out of the wide range of similar looking laptops from Lenovo. It's reportedly offered in a possibly more eye-catching "Orchid" color option, but I haven't set my eyes on it yet.

In a sense, that's a shame. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7 surpasses our traditional laptop categories in many ways. This is a tiny laptop. It's only 0.58 inches thick, thinner, and slimmer than the MacBook Air. It weighs only 3.1 pounds and fits the 13-inch MacBook Pro – and yet has an 8-core processor like the gigantic MacBook Pro 16 -Inch. That is the unique offering of this fascinating laptop.

The 13-inch MacBook Pro is possibly the best size comparison. The IdeaPad Slim 7 is a little smaller in almost every dimension, if not by much, and even has the larger 14-inch screen. More importantly, these two laptops share a 25-watt processor. That's 10 watts more power than your standard 13-inch laptop, which contributes to the unique performance of these laptops.

You'll find a healthy selection of ports on the sides of the laptop. On the left side, the IdeaPad Slim 7 has two USB-C ports, HDMI and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. On the right side, the IdeaPad Slim 7 offers two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, the power switch and a micro SD card slot.

Since this is an AMD laptop, you won't get Thunderbolt 3, a proprietary Intel technology. However, USB-C is still a versatile port. Each USB-C port can be used for charging, connecting to a monitor, transferring files, and connecting peripherals. You can't power an external graphics card, but these ports are very powerful for this laptop.

My only real complaint is that you can't charge the laptop from the right as both USB-C ports are on the left. It defeats the point of USB-C's versatility.

performance

A 25-watt, 8-core processor in a small laptop is a fascinating requirement, but only if it can actually deliver significantly better performance. I started my tests with Geekbench 5 and Cinebench R20, two benchmarks that can give a comprehensive picture of the CPU's performance. The IdeaPad Slim 7 particularly impressed with its multi-core performance. Amazingly, Geekbench 5 Multi-Core was only 9% behind the much larger Dell XPS 15 with its 45-watt eight-core processor. In the meantime, it was 23% ahead of the 13-inch MacBook Pro (with a 10th generation Core i5) and 16% ahead of the Acer Swift 3 (with the Ryzen 7 4700U). No laptop in this size class has the cores and threads that fit the IdeaPad Slim 7.

For a more realistic test, I encoded a 4K video in Handbrake, with performance limited to the CPU. Here, too, the IdeaPad Slim 7 and its Ryzen processor with eight cores knocked out the competition. It even beat some 45 watt six-core laptops like the HP Envy 15 or the Asus ROG Strix G15.

(pullqutoe) For a laptop of this size, the IdeaPad Slim 7 belongs to its own performance category. (/ pullquote)

The only place the IdeaPad Slim 7 can't really compete with these larger laptops is in video editing. Normally I wouldn't try Premiere Pro on a laptop this small, but I had to try the IdeaPad Slim 7. It took an hour and 18 minutes to export a two minute 4K project to ProRes 422. The higher clock speeds and discrete graphics of larger laptops like the Dell XPS 15 or MacBook Pro 16-inch help them finish the same test in well under 10 minutes.

This does not mean that the IdeaPad Slim 7 cannot be used for content creation workflows at all. If you are working with lower resolutions, less demanding codecs, or lighter applications, the IdeaPad Slim 7 should work just fine. It's just not a real replacement for one of those larger laptops. If portability isn't important, even a cheap gaming laptop like the Dell G5 SE can handle video editing far better than the IdeaPad Slim 7 for roughly the same price. For a laptop of this size, however, the IdeaPad Slim 7 belongs to its own performance category.

Interestingly, Lenovo also sells an Intel version of the IdeaPad Slim 7. But here's what you get: It's $ 150 more expensive, has half the memory, and only has a quad-core CPU. The only thing the Intel model has on its side is the Nvidia MX350 discrete graphics card, but AMD's built-in Radeon graphics outperform it. There's no reason to buy it through the AMD model.

Apart from the Intel variant, Lenovo does not offer any configurations. That could change in the future, but for now, this model with 8GB of RAM and 512GB SSD is the only option. I really wish a 16GB model was offered to pair it better with the high-core processor.

Game performance

You can play games on this laptop! Yes it's true and it's kind of a miracle. The Ryzen 7 4800U comes with eight Radeon graphics cores. This is easily the best discrete graphic I've ever seen on a laptop. It holds great promise for the future of AMD's Radeon graphics.

In the 3DMark Time Spy benchmark, it is 29% faster than the Dell XPS 13 with its integrated Intel Iris Plus graphics. It even outperforms discrete entry-level graphics such as the Nvidia MX350 in the Asus ZenBook Duo. The result is decent low-end performance in modern games.

These are easily the best discrete graphics I've ever seen on a laptop.

Take Fortnite, for example. As long as you keep the graphics settings at medium or below, the games play pretty smoothly. You'll find it hard to get up to 60 frames per second (fps) without tweaking the 3D resolution slider a bit. For the first time, however, Fortnite can be played without any problems with built-in graphics.

A less GPU-dependent game like Civilization VI will perform even better. The IdeaPad Slim 7 struggled to keep up with the Ultra settings, but averaged 45 fps on Medium. That's still a long way from what 15-inch laptops with discrete graphics can do, but again, you can play Civilization VI without having to resort to low graphics settings. This is really impressive for a laptop with no games.

The only real competition the IdeaPad Slim 7 has in this form factor is the GTX 1650 version of the Razer Blade Stealth. While you can get better frame rates on this computer, it's also far more expensive.

Keyboard and touchpad

This keyboard is not my favorite. The trip feels very short and the buttons have a muddy bottom effect. I prefer the Dell XPS 13, MacBook Air, or HP Specter x360. It didn't take me long to get used to it, however, and I like the curved shape of the keycaps.

The keyboard backlight doesn't have its own key, but Fn + Space is a solid replacement. The backlight is very bright – to the point where I would like a lower brightness setting.

My main problem with the keyboard is its location. The keyboard is farther from the screen than most laptops to make room for the speakers and ports. The result is less space for the touchpad and palm rests underneath. If you have small hands you're fine, but those palm rests were too small for me so I had to dig the edges of the chassis into my palms. It's not a comfortable position to type in for a long time. Laptops like the Samsung Galaxy Book Flex also suffer from this problem.

The touchpad performs better and offers a smooth tracking surface and enough space for swipes and gestures with two fingers. The click feels solid, although it's a little louder than I'd like it to be.

Battery life

When comparing AMD with Intel, there was no clear winner in terms of battery life. Until now. I don't know if it's the big 60 watt battery or the efficient 7 nm processor, but the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7 is an absolute champion when it comes to battery life. This can disappear from the wall all day – and a few more.

In our lightest test of repeating a local video file until it died, the IdeaPad Slim 7 lasted over 18.5 hours. This is one of the best times I've seen on a laptop that isn't a Chromebook or ARM-based laptop.

The real record was set in our web browsing test. The IdeaPad Slim 7 lasted over 16 hours here, which was only surpassed by the Qualcomm-powered Lenovo Flex 5G. That's an insane lifespan for a load.

As my daily driver, I found that the IdeaPad Slim 7 could easily survive a whole working day despite my heavy multitasking, music streaming and countless open apps.

Display and speaker

If the IdeaPad Slim 7 has one notable flaw, it is the screen. It uses a 14-inch 1080p panel that does the job, but not with a lot of grace. The screen is a bit dark and only reaches 247 nits. This is both the 300 nit threshold that I like to see in laptops and the result of strong glare. When watching a movie with dark scenes, the first thing to do is to turn off any light in the room. The contrast is the only bright spot at 1,370: 1.

The display is also a slight shade of green, although it is adequate in terms of gamut and color accuracy. Unfortunately, a 4K 100% AdobeRGB model for professionals is not offered.

I was pleasantly surprised by the speakers. You're right on the keyboard deck, pointing at your ears – which does wonders for the clarity of the audio. These still don't replace a decent bluetooth speaker, but for the occasional music or video watching, they get the job done.

Our opinion

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7 may not be the true flagship AMD wants. Its screen is lackluster and the design is far from remarkable. Thanks to its fantastic performance, long battery life and impressive integrated graphics, the IdeaPad Slim 7 surpasses the possibilities of small laptops.

Are there alternatives?

There are many Ryzen 4000 laptops out there that aren't as powerful as the IdeaPad Slim 7 but are available at a cheaper price. The most obvious option is the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14, which is not as powerful but is a lot cheaper. The HP Envy x360 13 is another good example of a cheaper AMD laptop with a little less performance.

If you're willing to pay a few hundred more dollars, the Dell XPS 13 is a better designed laptop. Performance and battery life can't quite keep up with the IdeaPad Slim 7, but the small form factor and better display make it worth the additional cost.

How long it will take?

The IdeaPad Slim 7 should last at least three or four years, which is normal for laptops. Due to the limited configuration options, you may want to upgrade the memory or memory yourself in the future, but everything is soldered up.

Lenovo offers a standard one-year warranty. You are on your own past.

Should you buy it?

Yes. It's the best laptop you can buy under $ 1,000.

Editor's recommendations




21 May
Blog

Blink Mini Review: Slim On Features, Light On Price

blink mini review 3 of 6

Blink Mini Review: Light functions, low price

"Just another mid-of-road offering in an increasingly competitive, affordable space."

  • Affordable costs

  • Easy setup

  • Crunchy sounding audio

  • Soft looking video footage

  • Favorable construction

After the Amazon subsidiary Blink tackled the outside area with its wireless surveillance camera, it wants to repeat the same success indoors with the Blink Mini. What is remarkable from the start is the low cost of $ 35. The price alone is of course not a measure of the true value of a camera.

Easy setup

Setting up the Blink Mini is a breeze, especially when you compare it to its outdoor sibling, the Blink XT2. Unlike this camera, the Blink Mini does not require a synchronization module because it is directly connected to a home's Wi-Fi network. Which makes sense since it should be stationary somewhere in the house.

The app has a clear layout that allows you to quickly jump to a live view, view all clips stored in the cloud and even change some settings. The appearance of the app is not excellent, but it doesn't matter to me, since all functions of the camera are easily accessible and are not hidden under a cumbersome menu interface.

The basics of privacy

During the setup process, I had to check my email address to sign in properly. Although this was not apparent, it is actually a two-factor authentication. This is a relief as it provides an additional layer of security for those who are concerned about hacking. It is only available through the email address. You cannot select a phone number instead.

I am pleased that there is an option to set up activity zones so that motion detection can be set for certain areas in the camera view. I can block areas to reduce false alarms, but it doesn't stop the Blink Mini from constantly shooting footage when motion is detected in those zones – such as: B. a doorway, a visible pet, or other minor activity. In contrast, cameras such as the Google Nest Cam IQ use indoor facial recognition technology to only record when an unknown face is encountered.

The Blink Mini is currently uploading video clips to the cloud with a total allocation capacity of 120 minutes thanks to the free trial version of Blink's subscription plan. This will change as of December 31, 2020, when users will need to subscribe to the $ 3 monthly plan for additional cloud storage. There is no local storage, but the company plans to release Blink Sync Module 2, which works with the Blink Mini to store clips locally on a flash drive.

I am pleased that there is an option to set up activity zones.

When accessing a live view, a blue LED on the camera lights up to indicate that someone is watching. Although a visual cue is great, I would have liked an accompanying audible alarm.

A boring design

The Blink Mini's design is not pretty. It's generic and has an all-plastic construction that feels a little cheap.

I think it's good that the included USB cable has enough range to attach it to a wall. This gives the Blink Mini a more impressive presence than if it is simply placed on a flat surface. Because of the 110 degree field of view, it's best to place it in corners to adequately cover an entire room.

Soft in detail

The Blink Mini records videos in a resolution of 1080p. When you look at the footage, the details are a bit soft, which is to be expected given the price. Some other notable quirks are artifact elements that appear in the shadow, even when there is enough light, a colder color temperature, and the inability to process high-contrast scenes. It's far from perfect, but at least the footage can be used to determine who's in the frame and what's going on.

The infrared night vision ensures clarity when there is not much ambient light. Details have a significant impact, but this is generally expected. The built-in speaker produces razor-sharp audio data, making conversations in both directions child's play.

Our opinion

It may not look very pretty and it doesn't offer many features, but the Blink Mini has everything you need for a surveillance camera.

Is there a better alternative?

Yes. The Wyze Cam V2 offers an impressive array of features, including the option to turn into a webcam.

How long it will take?

It looks cheap and feels cheap, but if it stays undisturbed on a wall or counter, you shouldn't have to worry about it going bad. Blink offers a 1-year limited warranty against defects and normal use.

Should you buy it

If you have already invested in the Blink ecosystem, this is a useful addition due to the low cost. If not, you can find better alternatives without spending a fortune.

Editor's recommendations




02 May
Blog

PlayStation 4 Slim Review: The Default Choice

Sony PlayStation 4 Slim

PlayStation 4 Slim 1 TB console

"The updated PlayStation 4 is now slimmer than ever and strengthens Sony's legendary gaming platform."

  • Faster WiFi can make a big difference

  • Smaller chassis with a fun design

  • Same great PS4 game library

  • Cheaper than ever

  • No more optical connection

  • A more powerful PS4 console is also available

Three years after the launch of PlayStation 4, Sony redesigned its outdated console to breathe new life into it. As with previous PlayStations, the updated console has a sleeker new look, some new features, and even some minor internal upgrades.

Unlike previous generations, however, the new version of the console came at a turbulent time for the PlayStation brand. There are currently not just one, but three new PlayStation devices: this revised PlayStation 4, a 4K-compatible version of the PS4 called PlayStation 4 Pro, and a PlayStation VR headset that works with any PlayStation 4 device. Not to mention the PS5, with which the next generation of consoles will start.

The "Slim" could appear overwhelming alongside such ambitious brothers. It was designed to attract players who have not yet bought a modern console than to appeal to current PS4 owners. After all, nobody wants to buy the smaller start console.

If you have strong feelings for the PlayStation 4 – good or bad – this console will not change your mind. Aside from a thinner figure, there are only one or two notable changes from the original model. The key elements – computing power, the feel of the controller in hand, and the game library available on the PlayStation Store – have not changed. The new PlayStation 4 is "better" than the original, but the difference is not necessarily worth the extra investment, especially with a more powerful version on the market.

PlayStation gets a "fun" makeover

The most noticeable changes to the new PlayStation 4 are shown while playing and are not noticeable.

Functionally, the new console is significantly smaller than the original PlayStation 4, just over two-thirds the total size of the original PS4. It's also a little lighter: the slim weighs 4.6 pounds versus the 6.2 pounds of the original.

More importantly, the Slim has been given an aesthetic makeover. The characteristic shape of the PS4, a sharp, oblique parallelogram, was slightly softened with rounded corners. At the front, the drive and two USB ports are now somewhat hidden in a flat indentation. The console also has the PlayStation logo. Underneath the console rests on "feet", which are shaped like triangles, circles and exes on the buttons of the console.

The on / off buttons, initially two thin black buttons on the front, are now much smaller and are located on the "lip" of the console in front of the drive. A large indicator light attached to the top of the console has been removed. The light that informs you when the console is starting up or shutting down can now be seen in a small series of dots on the console power switch.

If you already have a PlayStation 4, there are few reasons to upgrade to a PlayStation 4 Slim.

The DualShock 4 controller has also been slightly revised. The touchpad is now translucent and allows a light bar from the console's colorful indicator lamp to pass through. Although you won't notice the change too often, unless you routinely hold the controller in front of your face, it provides easier access to the light at a glance. The back, the analog sticks and the buttons on the directional pad are now gray and no longer black.

While each change feels slightly light, the PS4 together feels less self-serious than the original model. They feel that, although it is an essential piece of technology, this product is meant for gaming, not for business. The long strip of light on the top of the console gave the console a first-class feel and a bit of flair. Overall, the new console looks good and maintains a lower profile. People looking for it will enjoy the attention to detail. others won't notice when it pops up on a shelf of routers, streaming devices, and other set-top boxes.

Wi-Fi friendly

The most significant improvement to the PlayStation 4 – the only reason why you should buy one over the original – is the improved Wi-Fi compatibility. The Slim now supports 802.11ac Wi-Fi, which should result in faster download speeds and more stability when playing online for those whose routers support it. In my apartment in New York, I was finally able to play online via WiFi instead of connecting via an Ethernet cable.

There is another system change that most people don't notice: with the slim redesign, the PlayStation 4 loses its optical output. If this message doesn't make you scream immediately, it doesn't matter to you at all. The optical output is used for high-end home theater systems and makes no difference to the majority of players.

Warranty information

The PlayStation 4 comes with a one-year manufacturer’s warranty from the day the console is purchased.

Our opinion

Thanks to a few minor improvements and internal upgrades, the PlayStation 4 retains its place as one of the leading dedicated gaming platforms, if not as such. If you want to play video games and don't plan to make the little things work up a sweat, you've come to the right place.

Is there a better alternative?

Not at the moment and probably only when the next generation is released.

The Nintendo Switch is an excellent console, but it's hard to call it an alternative. The switch can be used as a handheld or docked console. To achieve this, the visual quality is compromised. The Nintendo console also has a completely different game library. So your choice depends on what you want to play.

However, Microsoft's Xbox One X is clearly a step behind the PlayStation 4, although it is much more powerful. Some players may still prefer it (for example, if you're a serious Gears fan), but most stick to the Sony console better.

However, the PlayStation 5 is almost there, and you'd better wait for it since it will play many of the same games on your system right from the start.

How long it will take?

PlayStation 4 is nearing the end of its lifespan, as PlayStation 5 will be released in late 2020 as long as production is not affected. If you don't mind being a generation behind, the hardware itself should take years, maybe decades, with a huge library full of great games.

Should you buy it

Maybe if you don't already have a PS4. The PlayStation 4 Slim is the cheapest version of the most popular console of this generation and therefore a great way to experience all the fantastic games of this generation on a budget. However, if you can wait a bit and have the money for it, you might just want to wait for the PS5 this Christmas season.

This article was last updated on April 28, 2020 by Cody Perez, a Digital Trends employee.

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