Mark Coppock / Digital Trends
When it came out earlier this year, the Surface Laptop 7th Edition was a breath of fresh air. So much so that our computing editor adopted it as his “new daily carry” after reviewing the device.
And while we still highly recommend that laptop, there’s a new challenger in town. The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition is one of the rare laptops comes with a 15-inch display that can match the Surface Laptop 7th Edition — and it also comes with the latest Intel chip. It’s the perfect foil to the Surface Laptop 7th Edition, and in some ways, might be an even better option.
Specs and configurations
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15
Dimensions
13.54 x 9.27 x 0.55 inches
12.96 x 9.41 x 0.72 inches
Weight
3.37 pounds
3.67 pounds
Processor
Intel Core Ultra 7 256VIntel Core Ultra 7 258V
Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite (12-core)
Graphics
Intel Arc 130VIntel Arc 140V
Qualcomm Adreno
RAM
16GB32GB
16GB32GB64GB
Display
15.3-inch 16:10 2.8K (2880 x 1800) IPS, 120Hz
15.0-inch 3:2 2496 x 1664 IPS, 120Hz
Storage
512TB SSD1TB SSD
256GB SSD512GB SSD1TB SSD
Touch
Yes
Yes
Ports
2 x USB-C with Thunderbolt 41 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 21 x HDMI 2.11 x 3.5mm headphone jack
2 x USB4 USB-C1 x USB-A 3.11 x 3.5mm audio jack1 x Surface Connect
Wireless
Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
Webcam
1080p with infrared camera for Windows 11 Hello
1080p with infrared camera for Windows 11 Hello
Operating system
70 watt-hour
Windows 11
Battery
Windows 11
55 watt-hour
Price
$1,280+
$1,300+
The Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition starts at $1,280 for a Core Ultra 7 256V, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a 15.3-inch 2.8K IPS display (the only option). A larger 1TB SSD is a $42 upgrade, and going to a faster Core Ultra 7 258V, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD is $1,422.
By comparison, the 15-inch version of the Surface Laptop 7th Edition starts at $1,300, coming with a Snapdragon X Elite chipset, 16GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and a 15.0-inch 2496 x 1664 IPS display (also the only option). You can max out a high-end configuration with 64GB of RAM and a TB of storage for $2,500. The only way to get a cheaper Surface Laptop 7th Edition is to jump down to the smaller 13-inch model, which starts at $999.
That makes the Yoga Slim 7i a lot more attractive for price-conscious buyers.
Design
Luke Larsen / Digital Trends
The Surface Laptop 7 didn’t change much from its previous generations, with just a few tweaks such as slightly thinner display bezels and corners that are more rounded. Those tweaks combine to take a very attractive, if minimalist, design and make it look slightly better. There are still four distinct colors, including Sapphire, Dune, Black, and Platinum, which compete more directly against the MacBook Air than a laptop like the Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition that comes in a single dark gray color. The Lenovo is also minimalist, with rounded bezels edges that give it a slightly softer aesthetic. They’re both good-looking laptops.
They’re both also built extremely well. They’re all aluminum, to begin with, and they both feel solid. There’s no bending, flexing, or twisting anywhere, and they both exude quality. That’s not unusual among modern premium laptops, though, so it’s to be expected. You won’t choose either based on build quality alone.
Perhaps more important is their overall sizes. The Yoga Slim 7i has a slightly larger display and so is wider, but the Surface Laptop is deeper, thicker, and heavier. You’ll feel it a lot more when you’re carrying it around. The Yoga Slim 7i lives up to its name — it’s not quite as insanely thin as the MacBook Air 15, but meaningfully thinner than the Surface Laptop.
The Surface Laptop has a better keyboard, though. Both keyboards have large keycaps and comfortable key spacing, but the Surface Laptop’s switches are notably deeper and snappier. That makes it just a little more comfortable for long-term typing, although most users might not notice the difference. And the Surface Laptop’s haptic touchpad is a bit smaller than the Yoga Slim 7i’s mechanical version, but haptic touchpads are more responsive and customizable. Both laptops have touch-enabled displays, while the Surface Laptop’s display also supports Microsoft’s active pen.
Connectivity is close, with both having fast, modern ports and the Yoga Slim 7i differentiating itself with an additional HDMI connection. Both also have up-to-date wireless connectivity.
Finally, both also have equally sharp 1080p webcams with infrared cameras, and both support the full complement of Microsoft Copilot+ PC AI features.
Performance
Luke Larsen / Digital Trends
Both laptops are among the first to introduce their respective chipsets. The Surface Laptop has the Qualcomm Snapdragon X chipset, which aims at both performance and efficiency, while the Yoga Slim 7i is one of the first with Intel’s Lunar Lake, a more efficiency-oriented option. The Snapdragon X Elite is a 12-core chipset graphics with performance in between Intel’s earlier U-Series and H-Series Meteor Lake chipsets, while the 17-watt Core Ultra 7 258V in the Yoga Slim 7i is closer to the 15-watt U-series offerings.
That’s apparent in our benchmarks, where the Surface Laptop is considerably faster than the Yoga Slim 7i in multi-core tasks, and the Lenovo is slightly faster in single-core performance.The Intel Arc 140V and Adreno integrated graphics are roughly the same speed, which is still considerably slower than even entry-level discrete GPUs.
Ultimately, the Surface Laptop will be faster than the Yoga Slim 7i for the most demanding productivity users, but neither machine is meant for creators or gamers.
Geekbench 6(single/multi)
Cinebench 2024(single/multi)
3DMarkWild Life Extreme
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i(Core Ultra 7 258V / Intel Arc 140V)
2,485 / 10569
118 / 576
5,527
Surface Laptop 7 15(Snapdragon X Elite X1E-80-100 / Adreno)
2,388 / 13,215
105 / 826
5,880
Display
Mark Coppock / Digital Trends
Both laptops have similarly sized displays that are similarly sharp, and both are IPS displays. Both displays run at up to 120Hz, so they’re equal in terms of how smoothly they’ll run the Windows user interface.
According to our colorimeters, the Surface Laptop has wider colors that will be better for creators. Both displays are bright and accurate and have equally good contrast for IPS technology, and neither is as good as the OLED displays you’ll find in many competing laptops.
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i(IPS)
Surface Laptop 7 15(IPS)
Brightness(nits)
532
561
AdobeRGB gamut
74%
85%
sRGB gamut
99%
100%
DCI-P3 gamut
74%
95%
Accuracy(DeltaE, lower is better)
0.93
1.27
Contrast ratio
1,470:1
1,440:1
Portability
Mark Coppock / Digital Trends
As mentioned above, the Yoga Slim 7i is a bit thinner and lighter than the Surface Laptop. They’re both reasonably portable for 15-inch machines, but you might notice Microsoft’s laptop in your backpack a little more.
But these two use chipsets that are aimed at efficiency. Both do well for Windows laptops, particularly in our web-browsing test, but the Surface Laptop lasts a lot longer looping our test video.
Ultimately, both will last you a full day’s work doing typical productivity tasks, and then some.
Web
Video
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i(Core Ultra 7 258V)
14 hours, 16 minutes
17 hours, 31 minutes
Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (Snapdragon X Elite X1E-80-100)
14 hours, 21 minutes
22 hours, 39 minutes
The Yoga Slim 7i is an attractively priced option
The Surface Laptop 15 is a strong competitor. It’s built well, looks great, and has a great keyboard and touchpad. Its Qualcomm chipset is slightly faster and, depending on the use, its battery life is better. The taller 3:2 aspect ratio really makes it stand out too. But the 15-inch model costs a pretty penny.
The Yoga Slim 7i is also a solidly built laptop that looks great and is thinner and lighter, and its keyboard and touchpad are still pretty good. It’s a little slower, but lasts as long when you’re pushing it harder. More importantly, though, it’s a lot less expensive. We still recommend the Surface Laptop 7th Edition as the more premium option, but the Yoga Slim 7i is solid as a cheaper alternative 15-inch laptop.
https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/lenovo-yoga-slim-7i-vs-microsoft-surface-laptop-15/
Luis Diaz was fouled in Liverpool clash. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)
Liverpool were 1-0 winners over Girona in the Champions League on Tuesday night and former Reds star Steve McManaman feels his old club got a little lucky. The Merseyside club arrived into the clash in Spain having won all five of their Champions League matches and Arne Slot’s men kept up their 100 per cent record with the victory.Girona caused Liverpool a lot of problems in the first half and the Reds boss can thank his goalkeeper Alisson Becker for keeping the home side out. The Merseyside outfit were much better in the second 45 minutes and it was during this half that the biggest talking point of the game emerged.Donny van de Beek would commit a clumsy challenge on Luis Diaz – who has recently been linked with a move away from Anfield – in the Girona box when the Dutch midfielder barely stepped on the winger’s heel.The referee viewed the coming together as a foul after being sent to the VAR monitor, resulting in Mohamed Salah converting the spot-kick.The incident sparked a lot of debate on social media and former Liverpool star Steve McManaman felt his old club were lucky to get the decision.
More Stories / Latest News
Steve McManaman on the Liverpool penalty incident
Liverpool star Luis Diaz earned Liverpool a penalty. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)Speaking after the match, McManaman stated that he thought the penalty was harsh and compared it to the unpunished fouls that often happen during corners and free-kicks.“You expect the midfielders to go to close down and if you stand on an inch of his heel, it is very unfortunate,” the pundit said on TNT Sports. “With all respect, it is a contact game. We see a lot more contact at corners and free-kicks that go unmentioned so I don’t think it was a penalty regardless of the result.”
“He’s given the referee an opportunity to make a decision or VAR to get involved” ?@rioferdy5 and Steve McManaman give their verdict on Liverpool’s penalty ?
? @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/wwH4emYXiI
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) December 10, 2024Liverpool will feel fortunate that they were awarded the penalty but Van de Beek gave the referee a decision to make after making the clumsy foul in their own box.Slot’s men were not at their best in Spain but as seen several times this season, the Reds found a way to come away from the match with all three points. https://www.caughtoffside.com/2024/12/10/liverpool-champions-league-tnt/
When it comes to home theater sound, one of the best brands to go with is Samsung. Over the last several years, Samsung surround sound systems and soundbars have done a phenomenal job at enhancing movie nights, which is why we’re always on the lookout for Samsung soundbar deals. As luck would have it, we came across a great one earlier today:
Right now, when you purchase the Samsung 3.1ch HW-Q6CC Soundbar, you’ll only pay $200. At full price, this model sells for $380.
Why you should buy the Samsung 3.1ch HW-Q6CC Soundbar
The HW-Q6CC is a Dolby Atmos soundbar, which means it can virtualize a full Atmos speaker configuration. Expect immersive audio, regardless of where you choose to sit or stand, plus a nice balance of highs, mids, and lows. And if you ever decide to relocate the soundbar to another room, Samsung’s Adaptive Sound Lite tech will automatically recalibrate the HW-Q6CC to the new space you place it in. Connectivity couldn’t be more effortless either: Thanks to HDMI eARC, you only have to worry about one wire going to your TV.
Far more than a home theater system, you’ll also be able to use the HW-Q6CC to stream music from a phone or tablet using Bluetooth. Pair two devices simultaneously and enjoy fast playback with Samsung’s Tap Sound feature, which lets you start playing a song from your phone through the Samsung soundbar just by tapping one device to the other.
While it’s hard to say how long this markdown is going to last, Samsung deals like this one have gone pretty quickly in the past. That being said, today might be the best day to save. Take $180 off the Samsung 3.1ch HW-Q6CC Soundbar when you purchase at Walmart, and be sure to check out our list of the best Walmart deals for even more holiday discounts!
https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/samsung-hw-q6cc-soundbar-deal-walmart-december-2024/
The case in which two city lawyers are accused of forgery has taken a new twist after a prominent law firm has been implicated for alleged convenience in misleading court.
In the letter dated December 3, 2024 to the Inspector of Courts, pastor Daniel Walugembe has accused the lawyers, Robert Ssenfuka and Umar Nyanzi of SK and Partners Advocates of colluding with their colleagues at H&G Advocates to commit the alleged crimes.
Through his lawyers, Walugembe states that there is coordinated convenience between H&G Advocates and SK and Partners Advocates whose sole intention is to mislead and bias court against him which is very unfortunate and regrettable.
“Your worship, it is evident that in the letter written by H&G Advocates dated 23rd December 2021, requested for certified copies of proceedings, plaint, affidavit of service, and written statement of defense, consent judgment and decree in Civil Suit No. 699of 2017. Indeed in the letter dated 9th December 2022,” reads the petition adding that Natukunda Jeneva the Deputy Registrar certified the same documents.
According to the petition seeking for the intervention of the judiciary authorities into the matter, Walugembe insists that nowhere the registrar “gave any agreement to H&G advocates which they purportedly passed on to SK and Partners who are their conduits.”
Petition indicates that H&G Advocates is the law firm that represents Makerere University in the case litigated with Walugembe before the Land Division of the High Court; “But at no single point has H&G ever brought this purported sale agreement to disapprove or show inconsistent in his claim.”
The petition copied to the Chief Justice and other lawyers, the lawyers; Ssenfuka and Nyanzi are accused of concocting information and documents with a view of misleading court.
Through his lawyers of Alma Associated Advocates, Walugembe accused the lawyers of misleading court in the sworn statements to the principal judge that their client, Dr Ntwatwa Lule has never been party to earlier cases before the High Court.
“On that basis alone, it is our considered view that a person who can advise his client to lie on oath cannot be trusted at all. To demonstrate to you the perpetual lies of the accused persons in the affidavit they drafted for their client, drawn by SK and Partners Advocates, they advised their client to lie that he has never been party to application number 434 of 2019,” reads the complaint.
The petition copied to the chief justice, judicial authorities and lawyers was in response to complaints challenging the private prosecution of the lawyers Ssenfuka and Nyanzi.
Ssenfuka and Nyanzi both attached to SK & Partners Advocates are accused of fraud in regard to alleged forgery of agreements for Kibanja in Katanga near Wandegeya.
Last week, the Magistrates Court at Buganda Road, Jalia Basajjabalaba issued criminal summons against Ssenfuka and Nyanzi to answer accusations of forgery and uttering false
The duo is expected to appear in court on December 17, 2024 for plea taking and also for hearing formal application in which they are challenging the legality of the charges.
See also President Museveni’s Wealth Creation Message Transforms Lives in Gomba
It is alleged that the lawyers Ssenfuka and Nyanzi attached to SK & Partners Advocates while acting for and on behalf of their client, Dr Ntwatwa Lule committed criminal acts.
Court documents indicate that the accused lawyers are alleged to have committed forgery, uttering false documents and conspired to commit a felony when knowingly and unlawfully altered sales agreements dated February 9, 1996 and August 13, 1996 respectively.
H&G Advocates Accused of Forgery as Court Documents in Walugembe Case Face Scrutiny