Lenovo’s new AI-powered Yogas and IdeaPads use Intel Core Ultra and AMD Ryzen AI 300

Lenovo brought new premium Yoga laptops, as well as a handful of its entry-level IdeaPads, to IFA in Berlin. Between those PCs, the company has new computers based on Intel Core Ultra (Series 2), AMD Ryzen AI 300, and Qualcomm’s new 8-core Snapdragon X processors, though only a few of them are making it to the US market.

The flagship model is the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition, a 15-inch ultraportable, which Lenovo collaborated on with Intel, and suggests it offers “premium build and innovative technology.”

The Aura Edition a new Evo model using the latest Intel Core Ultra chips, code-named Lunar Lake, specifically listing the Core Ultra 7 258V with up to 32GB of RAM on the chip. The system also goes up to 1TB of storage and supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. (There’s also a new Aura Edition version of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon.) It’s notable to see that on the lid, the Lenovo logo is far more prominent than ever before, with the Yoga brand taking a bit of a backseat by being placed exclusively on the palmrest.

Lenovo lists a catalog of “Smart Modes” that it says change “on-the-fly.” They include an “Attention Mode” to “block distracting websites”; features to protect eye wellness and provide posture warnings; video call settings including low light improvements, background blur, and more; and “Shield Mode”with privacy alerts and “auto prompt VPN”. There’s also a “Smart Share” option for “seamless AI-driven image sharing between smartphones and laptops”, (though both Microsoft and Apple have offered this without the need for AI, and other OEMs like Dell and HP have included similar software with PCs before), and “Smart Care” support from Lenovo technicians over the phone or computer.

On the ground at IFA, Tom’s Hardware managing editor Matt Safford found Smart Share a bit awkward, reporting that you have to physically bump your iPhone or Android device against the display. He also said that he only saw it work when trained Lenovo demonstrators did it, and that members of the press seemed to struggle with it.

Matt pointed out that you have to pair your phone with the laptop, and that attendees at Lenovo’s demo used pre-paired phones. Lenovo reps said it only shows the last 45 images you’ve taken.

The only other model coming to the US (IFA is a European trade show, after all), is the IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1. That system is using the new 8-core Snapdragon X Plus, which Qualcomm announced ahead of the show. This 2-in-1 is a Copilot+ PC starting at $849, as prices drop with the cheaper processor.

Other specs include 16GB of RAM, up to 1TB of PCIe Gen 4 storage (specifically on an M.2 2242 TLC drive), as well as Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, and two USB Type-C and USB Type-A ports each.

There is an AMD flagship, but it’s not coming to the US. The Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 is a 14-inch notebook with AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 365 CPU and Radeon 880M graphics, as well as 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage.

That notebook has a 2880 x 1800 display with 120 Hz refresh rate, with options for both OLED or LCD. It will start at €1,699 in September 2024.

Other notebooks Lenovo announced today include the IdeaPad Slim 5 series, using older Ryzen 7000 processors, as well as a clamshell IdeaPad Slim 5x using the 8-core Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus.