This ultraportable Lenovo is one of my favorite laptops for remote work – here’s why

Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source<!–> on Google.

Amongst its generation of Copilott+ PCs, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x–> feels like one of the most premium. Its dark “cosmic blue” colorway and sleek form factor exude a grown-up, capable aura that feels both down to business and ready to have some fun.

The solid hardware on board supports that impression, with the Snapdragon X Elite processor leading the charge, and the brilliant 3K OLED display acting as the cherry on top.

Also: I replaced my ThinkPad with a dual-screen Windows laptop – here’s my verdict after a month

Lenovo’s Yoga laptops have been pretty popular for years, thanks to their popularity this year for their versatile form factors that can bend and twist into multiple configurations (as their name suggests) and a high degree of hardware customization. 2024’s Yoga Slim 7x remains a solid option in 2025. Much of its hardware and features remain top-notch while keeping a fairly affordable price point.

Immersive entertainment

The Yoga Slim 7x is a 14-inch, 2.6-pound laptop that departs from its siblings’ flexibility by giving up the 2-in-1 form factor but gains impressive battery life, increased performance, and a gorgeous OLED display in exchange.

Truly, this remains one of the brightest displays I’ve seen on a laptop, capable of up to 1,000 nits of brightness for peak HDR content. The touchscreen display features a resolution of 2944 x 1840 pixels (or 3K), resulting in a gorgeous media experience. While it doesn’t have a full 120Hz refresh rate, the 90Hz it can achieve is enough for that silky-smooth, crisp image.

<!–>

The Slim 7x also provides audio through two upward-firing speakers on either side of the keyboard. Unlike the display, there’s not a lot to say here, as the audio is clear but lacks depth, which is typical for laptops. After all, that’s what Bluetooth is for. I recommend popping in a pair of Nothing Ear (a) earbuds if you want to listen to music or watch a movie, especially since the Dolby Atmos–> Access app allows for audio customization.

Also: I found the ultimate MacBook Air alternative for Windows users – and it’s priced well

As mentioned in all of our other reviews of Copilot+ PCs, the Snapdragon X Elite processors with ARM architecture can’t run all programs. Developers are improving software support for these chipsets, and a lot of ground has been covered since 2024, but there are still a few blind spots.

You can certainly game on the Yoga Slim 7x, but not all titles will work yet, and the ones that do might not be perfectly optimized. That said, games that are not on the cutting-edge of graphics and hardware requirements look as good as they can on a 14-inch laptop.

<!–>

Dependable performance

While the display makes media and gaming one of the most obvious first areas to explore on this laptop, it’s also well-suited to get down to business. From a productivity standpoint, you’ve got everything you could want here for a solid work laptop. The X1E-78-100 Processor (3.40 GHz) Snapdragon X Elite processor supports snappy, responsive performance during multitasking, even with demanding applications, while the 16GB of soldered memory and 1TB of storage are enough to future-proof it.

It’s important to note that the Snapdragon X Elite is an ARM-based processor. Without getting overtly technical, ARM-based processors notably run cool and perform quite well thanks to a boost from the hardware’s NPU (neural processing unit). 

The integrated Qualcomm Adreno GPU puts in a lot of work, delivering solid performance in graphics benchmarking tests in 3DMark<!–>, and usability with video editing in DaVinci Resolve–>, which ran smoothly during my testing. While it ultimately won’t compete with other high-end GPUs on the market, it has good enough performance for the majority of cases that you’ll want to put this laptop through.

The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x hits benchmarking numbers comparable to those of other similarly priced ARM-based laptops, namely the 2024 Asus Vivobook S 15. In Cinebench, I got a single-core score of 108 and a multicore score of 1,004. Conversely, in Geekbench, the Yoga Slim 7x scored 2,412 on the single-core test and 13,677 on the multicore.

Also: Finally, a lightweight Windows laptop that could seriously replace my MacBook Air

Lenovo’s Slim 7x also has an impressive 70Wh battery, which can easily power through a day of work and then some with more demanding workflows. During my testing of running a 4K livestream on YouTube over Wi-Fi with 50% brightness, I got over 15 hours before it conked out, putting it up near the top of other Copilot+ PCs. In terms of more actionable battery life, in my testing with intermittent use of work-related productivity apps, casual browsing, and light media playback, I got several days of use out of it.

<!–>

If I had to highlight some of the things I didn’t love, I would first have to mention the port selection. Lenovo seems to have doubled down on its forward-looking design by giving the Slim 7x three USB-C Thunderbolt ports and nothing else – no HDMI, USB-A, or card slots. It seems a little puzzling not to drop just one of these for at least a USB-A port.

Also: The best 15-inch laptops of 2024: Expert tested and reviewed

The laptop’s trackpad is also not the most sensitive I’ve tested. While the keyboard looks and feels premium, the trackpad is a little too large and not super responsive. Also, the matte casing on the laptop attracts fingerprints left and right, which is certainly not something unique to this laptop, but it is nonetheless a bit of a personal pet peeve. 

ZDNET’s buying advice

The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x–> remains a solid ARM-based Windows laptop in 2025 and it’s a device that I’d reocmmend to remote workers, freelancers, and creators looking for a portable, 14-inch laptop with a gorgeous display. Its thin and light form factor makes it a solid option for anyone who travels frequently and might not have reliable access to an outlet.

If you’re looking for a cheaper option, check out the 2024 Asus Vivobook S 15. I also suggest the Acer Swift 16 AI. It shares similar specifications to Lenovo’s model, albeit with a bigger screen and more storage. 

One could also argue that the Yoga Slim 7x is better than comparable MacBook models, like the M2 Max MacBook Pro. Apple’s device can only last up to 12 hours on a single charge whereas the Lenovo machine can hit 15 as mentioned earlier. Plus, the Yoga Slim 7x delivers comparable performance in a slim form factor at a more affordable price. You’re not going to pay thousands for this machine.

–>