Lenovo Yoga 9i vs HP Spectre x360 vs Surface Laptop 7 – 2025’s Ultimate Laptop Showdown

The year 2025 has brought a new generation of cutting-edge Windows laptops that blur the line between notebooks and tablets, and even between PC and mobile architectures. In this comparison, we pit three flagship models against each other: Lenovo’s Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition (14-inch, 2025), HP’s Spectre x360 (2025) in 14-inch and 16-inch flavors, and Microsoft’s Surface Laptop 7th Generation (2024/2025). Each represents a different approach – Lenovo and HP pack the latest Intel Core Ultra processors (codenamed Lunar Lake and Meteor Lake respectively) into premium 2-in-1 designs, while Microsoft makes a bold leap with ARM-based silicon (Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X series) in a traditional laptop form factor. All three promise sleek designs, brilliant displays, long battery life, and new AI-powered features in Windows 11. But which one comes out on top for your needs?

In this in-depth report, we’ll compare specifications, hardware, design, features, performance benchmarks, battery life, software experience, and value for money of these devices. We’ll also highlight expert review impressions and early user feedback – including praises and any quirks or issues noted by real owners – to give you the full picture. Let’s dive into the showdown of 2025’s hottest laptops.

Quick Specs Comparison Table

To start, here’s a side-by-side look at the key specifications of the Lenovo Yoga 9i Aura, HP Spectre x360 14 & 16, and Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 (7th Gen):

Table Note: Specs and pricing are for reference; configurations vary by region. Surface Laptop 7th Gen uses ARM chips (not Intel) in consumer models, which impacts app compatibility (more on that below). HP Spectre x360 16 offers an optional NVIDIA GPU, hence the larger power supply and chassis. All devices ship with Windows 11 and support the latest AI-driven features like Windows Copilot and Studio Effects, thanks to built-in NPUs or Qualcomm Hexagon engines.

Now, let’s break down each aspect of these devices in detail.

Specifications and Hardware

Processors: The three laptops take very different paths in processing power. The Lenovo Yoga 9i Aura is powered by Intel’s new Core Ultra 7 258V CPU, part of the 15th-gen “Lunar Lake” family. This chip emphasizes efficiency – it delivers strong everyday performance and exceptional battery life, though its multi-core muscle isn’t class-leading. The HP Spectre x360 models instead use Intel’s Core Ultra 7 155H processor (14th-gen Meteor Lake) in their 2025 refresh. The 155H is a 16-core (6 Performance + 10 Efficient cores) chip rated up to 4.8 GHz boost. In multi-threaded benchmarks, the Spectre’s Core i7-155H actually scored impressively – one review unit notched 12,358 points in Geekbench 6, edging out even Apple’s M3-based MacBook Pro (11,968) in that test. This means the Spectre has plenty of CPU grunt for heavy workloads.

Microsoft’s Surface Laptop 7 takes a radical turn by using ARM-based processors instead of Intel/AMD. It comes with either a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus (10-core) or the higher-tier Snapdragon X Elite (12-core) – both custom chips co-developed with Microsoft. These chips were hyped for performance per watt on par with Apple Silicon, and indeed Microsoft claims “performance, efficiency, and battery life that would rival the MacBook Air M3” with this generation. The Snapdragons include a powerful Hexagon NPU (neural processor) to accelerate AI tasks. While raw CPU speeds on ARM can lag behind Intel in some legacy apps (more on that in Performance), the Surface’s fanless ARM design offers cool, silent operation and superb power efficiency.

Graphics: Graphically, none of these machines is a pure gaming laptop, but the HP Spectre x360 16 does stand out by offering an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 (6 GB) as a discrete GPU option. In that configuration, the Spectre 16 can handle content creation, 3D work, and moderate gaming far better than its rivals. The Spectre x360 14 relies on integrated Intel Arc graphics (the GPU built into the Core Ultra CPU). Lenovo’s Yoga 9i likewise uses Intel’s integrated Arc 140V graphics, which is essentially the updated Iris Xe with around 96 execution units. These integrated GPUs are perfectly fine for driving the high-res OLED displays, streaming 4K video, and even running casual games or GPU-accelerated apps. For example, the Spectre x360 14’s integrated GPU managed ~36 fps in Civilization VI at 1080p (low settings) – okay for casual play – but heavy AAA games are beyond its scope. Meanwhile, the Snapdragon X chips in the Surface have an Adreno GPU (analogous to what high-end smartphones use). This can handle animations and video playback smoothly, but gaming support is very limited on Windows on ARM (and many games won’t even run due to compatibility). In short, if graphics performance or gaming is a priority, the HP Spectre x360 16 with RTX 4050 is the clear winner of this group.

Memory and Storage: All three machines come with speedy LPDDR5X RAM – which is soldered on in every case (no DIY upgrades). The Yoga 9i Aura is equipped with a generous 32 GB in its Aura Edition configuration, while HP offers 16 GB as standard on the Spectre x360 14 (with options up to 32 GB on higher configs or custom orders). The Spectre x360 16 likewise starts at 16 GB (6400 MT/s), and certain builds offer 32 GB. The Surface Laptop 7 lineup starts at 16 GB (notably, even the $999 base model has 16 GB, which The Verge praised as a great default), and Microsoft sells 32 GB and even 64 GB RAM versions for those who need workstation-class memory on ARM. That huge RAM ceiling is partly to entice developers and business users who might use the ARM machine for AI workloads that love extra memory.

For storage, fast NVMe SSDs are standard. Lenovo includes a 1 TB PCIe 4.0 SSD in the Yoga 9i Aura tested model. HP’s Spectre x360 14 and 16 can be configured from 512 GB up to 2 TB SSDs, with the reviewed high-end units carrying 1 TB (14″) or 2 TB (16″) as noted above. The Surface Laptop 7 comes in 256 GB, 512 GB, or 1 TB capacities. Unlike past Surfaces, the SSD in the 7th Gen is user-accessible (via a bottom door) for replacement or upgrade, which is a nod to repairability. All these drives are very fast; in one file transfer test, the Yoga 9i hit 1,448 MB/s copying 25 GB of files, beating even some recent MacBooks in disk speed.

Displays: Each laptop’s display is a highlight, though with different strengths. The Lenovo Yoga 9i Aura sports a 14-inch OLED touchscreen with a sharp 2880×1800 resolution (2.8K) in a 16:10 aspect ratio. It supports a dynamic 120 Hz refresh rate, which not only makes animations smoother but also improves stylus input latency – writing with the pen feels snappier at 120 Hz. Reviewers have raved about this OLED panel: it’s extremely vivid (covering 149% of DCI-P3 color gamut, far above 100% reference) and gets reasonably bright (~421 nits measured). HDR video looks excellent thanks to the true blacks of OLED. In essence, Lenovo put a “beautiful display on the Yoga 9i” that one reviewer said is like having a mini OLED TV in your lap.

The HP Spectre x360 14 has a very similar 14-inch OLED, also 2880×1800 @ 120 Hz, 16:10. HP calls it an “IMAX Enhanced” OLED, indicating HDR support and color accuracy. Paul Thurrott noted the Spectre’s OLED was “bright, punchy, and colorful,” covering 100% of DCI-P3, with 400 nits SDR brightness and 500 nits in HDR mode. Its aspect ratio shifted from the 3:2 of older Spectres to 16:10 now – a bit wider, which some prefer for media. The Spectre x360 16 ups the size to 16 inches, great for productivity or movies. Interestingly, HP kept the 2880×1800 resolution even on the 16″ (so its pixel density is lower than the 14″). It’s still an OLED touch panel at 120 Hz with the same impressive colors and HDR. Some variants of the Spectre 16 offer a higher “3K+” resolution or even 4K, but those may sacrifice battery life. Overall, the Spectres’ screens are “sumptuous” – one reviewer said even on paper the gamut and brightness don’t sound special, but to the eyes the Spectre’s OLED “delivers wonderfully vibrant colors… richer and brighter than the numbers suggest.”

The Surface Laptop 7 takes a different route: it uses Microsoft’s signature PixelSense LCD panels with a 3:2 aspect ratio (taller for productivity). The two sizes are 13.8-inch (2304×1536) and 15-inch (2496×1664). These are high-quality IPS screens, factory calibrated for 100% sRGB and up to 600 nits brightness. They look great for an LCD – TechRadar noted “the display is quite beautiful no matter which version you purchase”, and even the “lower” resolution (on the 13.8″) is above 2K and very crisp. Colors are accurate and HDR video is supported (with HDR400). However, compared to the OLEDs on Yoga and Spectre, the Surface’s screens can’t produce the same inky blacks or infinite contrast. Also, there is no high refresh rate on Surface Laptop 7 – they are standard 60 Hz panels, which is one area some reviewers wished Microsoft had improved for smoothness. On the plus side, these screens come in a sturdy touchscreen with Gorilla Glass, and Microsoft notably offers a matte (anti-reflection) coating option on some models, which is great for reducing glare (a common complaint on glossy OLEDs). Overall, if you want the absolute best cinematic experience or are an artist wanting 120 Hz pen input, the OLEDs have the edge – but the Surface’s 3:2 display is fantastic for reading, web browsing, and document work, offering more vertical space and sharp text.

Build & Design: All three devices are premium-built, but with distinct styles. The Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 (Aura Edition) has a sleek aluminum unibody chassis, measuring just 0.63 inches thin and weighing about 2.9 lbs. Lenovo went for a refined look with rounded edges and a polished “edge-to-edge” glass palmrest area. The Aura Edition of the Yoga 9i comes in a unique color (a glossy stone blue/grey tone) and is marketed as a luxury model – it even has a mirrored Yoga logo on the lid. The hinge on the Yoga is a 360° soundbar hinge – a signature of the Yoga 9 series – which integrates rotating speakers (more on audio later). This sturdy hinge allows the Yoga to flip into tablet mode, tent mode, or stand mode, and reviewers found the build extremely solid with no flex. At 2.9 lbs, it’s very portable for a 14-inch convertible. One minor design quirk: the Yoga 9i’s keyboard extends almost to the edges, and Lenovo added a column of extra keys on the far right for shortcuts (performance modes, audio profiles, etc.). Some touch typists needed a bit of time to adjust to this extra column, as it shifts the feel of the keyboard’s end. Otherwise, the Yoga’s fit and finish is top-notch – LaptopMag calls it “svelte” and an overall gorgeous ultraportable.

The HP Spectre x360 has long been known for its gem-cut, bold design, and the 2025 models continue that legacy with some refinement. The Spectre x360 14 comes in colors like Nightfall Black with brass accents, or a Slate Blue, in a CNC aluminum chassis. HP kept the angled corners on the back of the lid – these sliced-off rear corners house a USB-C port and the 3.5mm jack angled away, which is both practical and visually distinctive. The Spectre’s design was described as “striking and angular” yet now with “less polarizing” touches for broader appeal. It’s a bit heavier than the Yoga (around 3.0–3.1 lbs for the 14″) but still very portable. The Spectre x360 16 is essentially a blown-up version – a larger 16″ convertible is less common, and at 4.3 lbs it is on the heavier side for a 2-in-1. That weight is the trade-off for its big screen and discrete GPU. Both Spectres feel very high-quality; one reviewer noted the “deep blue chassis stands out tastefully from the swamp of monochrome laptops”, and praised that the 14″ didn’t feel too heavy to use as a tablet thanks to good weight distribution at ~1.4 kg. Magnets help hold the lid in place in tablet or tent mode, giving a reassuring firmness when you flip it around. One design concern on the Spectre was the limited port selection – you get only 1 USB-A and 2 USB-C (Thunderbolt) on both models, and the 16″ adds an HDMI. Some users wished for another USB-A or an SD card slot given the chassis size (the 16″ does not include full SD, only the microSD on Surface has that). Overall, HP’s design screams luxury and modern flair, with chamfered edges and a very premium feel. Both sizes have edge-to-edge glass trackpads and high screen-to-body ratios with thin bezels (especially on the 16:10 Spectres, the bezels are slim).

The Surface Laptop 7th Gen sticks to the classic Surface aesthetic: a clean, minimalist aluminum design with no visible screws, available in sophisticated colors (Matte Black, Platinum, a subtle Sage-like “Dune” and a blue “Sapphire”). It comes in two sizes – the 15″ is a fairly thin 0.72″, and the 13.8″ is 0.69″ thin – and both feel ultra-light for their size (2.96 lbs and 3.67 lbs respectively, which is lighter than many competing laptops of similar dimensions). Microsoft achieved this with the fanless ARM design and by slimming down the bezels significantly compared to previous Surface Laptops. The result is a very modern look; Tom Warren of The Verge noted that Microsoft “improved the bezels” on the Surface Laptop 7, giving it a more immersive display than older models and finally putting it on par with the likes of the MacBook’s sleek design. The Surface’s build quality is excellent – there’s a reason many consider it a flagship Windows industrial design. There are a couple of design compromises: to maintain the thin profile, port selection is sparse (just two USB-C and one USB-A, no HDMI or card slots) and is considered “terrible” by TechRadar. Also, unlike the Yoga and Spectre, the Surface Laptop is not a 2-in-1 convertible – its hinge opens to about 150 degrees max, but you cannot flip it into a tablet or tent orientation. And notably, Surface Laptop 7 does not support any pen or stylus input at all – a surprising omission given all past Surfaces were pen-friendly. Microsoft seems to have positioned the Surface Laptop 7 as a pure clamshell laptop focused on productivity and AI features, rather than a creative tablet hybrid. Still, the Surface exudes a refined elegance and is “ultra-thin, ultra-light”, starting at just 1.34 kg for the small version, which many will love for its portability and comfort.

Features and Functionality

Despite their differences, these machines share a focus on delivering a premium user experience with plenty of modern features. Let’s compare some of the key functionality and unique features of each:

• 2-in-1 Versatility: Lenovo’s Yoga 9i and HP’s Spectre x360 are both 360° convertible laptops – meaning you can use them not only in the traditional laptop mode but also flip the screen around into tablet mode, tent mode, or a presentation stand mode. This flexibility is fantastic for drawing or note-taking with a pen, watching movies (tent mode is like a little OLED tent cinema), or propping the device up in tight spaces (airplane tray tables, for example). The Yoga and Spectre have sturdy hinges that inspire confidence. Reviewers noted that on the Spectre x360, “whether it’s in tent, laptop or tablet mode, the Spectre is a joy to use.” techradar.com The Yoga 9i likewise benefits from its watchband-style rotating soundbar hinge that keeps audio facing you in any mode. In contrast, the Surface Laptop 7 is a standard clamshell – its screen is not detachable or flippable. So it cannot become a tablet (and as mentioned, it wouldn’t support pen input anyway). If you value tablet mode for sketching or reading, the Yoga or Spectre have a clear advantage. However, not everyone needs the device to convert; some prefer a solid one-piece laptop, and the Surface provides that simplicity (with potentially fewer moving parts to worry about).
• Touchscreens and Stylus Support: All of these displays are touch-enabled (multi-touch), but only the Yoga 9i and Spectre x360 actually support active stylus input. Lenovo includes a matching Yoga Pen in the box, and HP includes its HP MPP2.0 Tilt Pen (rechargeable) with the Spectre. The Yoga’s pen offers 4,096 levels of pressure and has two side buttons; it magnetically attaches to the Yoga’s lid for storage, and charges via USB-C (so you can top it up with the laptop’s charger). The HP Spectre’s pen also attaches magnetically, but here some users found an annoyance: the pen tends to snap to the deck near the keyboard, and if you forget and close the lid with the pen there, it could press against the screen. One early buyer warned that “the pen that comes with it doesn’t have a place to tuck in… it sits on top of your keyboard so you can’t shut [the laptop] without breaking the screen”. In other words, you must remove the magnetically attached HP pen before closing the Spectre – a small inconvenience, and a far cry from older laptops that had built-in pen garages. Nonetheless, both Yoga and Spectre deliver a good inking experience. With 120 Hz OLED screens, writing feels fluid and responsive, almost like pen on paper. Artists or note-takers will appreciate this. Microsoft’s Surface Laptop 7, on the other hand, does not support Surface Pen or any stylus – Microsoft deliberately dropped pen support on this model, likely because a traditional laptop at 180° isn’t a comfortable writing angle and they have other devices (Surface Pro, Surface Studio) for pen-centric use. This is worth noting if you assumed “Surface” implied pen; in this case, it doesn’t.
• Keyboards and Haptic Touchpads: Input devices are a big part of daily experience. All three have backlit keyboards of high quality, but with slightly different feels. The Lenovo Yoga 9i earned praise for its “surprisingly clicky” keys that have a satisfying tactile bump. LaptopMag described it as a “crispy keyboard” that is comfortable for long typing sessions. The only nitpick, as mentioned, was that extra right-side column of utility keys – some love having dedicated buttons for mode switching and a shortcut, while others might hit them by accident until they adjust. The HP Spectre x360 has an excellent keyboard as well. HP has a familiar layout (no number pad on the 16″ to keep it centered). A reviewer noted they “quickly found themselves typing at full speed” on the Spectre 14, and loved the positive feedback from each keystroke techradar.com. It’s a comfortable, well-spaced keyboard, and HP even includes an IR fingerprint reader cleverly disguised as a key on the right end. The Surface Laptop 7’s keyboard might actually be one of the best – Microsoft optimized key travel and feedback, claiming “every keystroke perfected” for a natural feel. TechRadar applauded the Surface’s keyboard as well, listing it among the pros (great keyboard). Some users coming from older Surface Laptops or MacBooks find the new keyboard a tad shallower (to keep the laptop thin), but most reviewers still found it very fast and accurate to type on. The lack of a convertible design means the Surface doesn’t have to compromise key layout at all – it’s spacious and there’s even a slight inward slope to the key deck that makes typing comfy. When it comes to touchpads, there’s an interesting split: HP Spectre x360 and Surface Laptop 7 use modern haptic trackpads, while the Lenovo Yoga 9i still uses a traditional mechanical click pad. The Spectre’s “ForcePad” uses piezo haptics to simulate a click, and HP made it fairly large and smooth. TechRadar’s hands-on noted “the haptic touchpad simulates clicking by producing a vibration; I can take or leave this, but I definitely like its smooth texture.” The advantage of a haptic touchpad is you can click anywhere and even customize the feedback, plus it allows a larger surface in a thinner chassis (no diving board mechanism needed). The Surface Laptop 7 also introduced a large “inclusive” haptic touchpad, which Microsoft touts as the most inclusive ever, meaning it’s highly adjustable for sensitivity and click force. The Verge’s reviewer was happy to see this addition, as previous Surfaces had good pads but not haptic ones. Early feedback on the Surface’s haptic pad is positive, though TechRadar did mention some sensitivity issues – occasionally it might misregister palm contact due to its size. That’s something a software update can tweak. Meanwhile, the Lenovo Yoga 9i’s touchpad is large, glass-covered, and very responsive, but it physically clicks down. Tom’s Hardware felt that given this is a premium “Aura” edition, they would have expected a haptic touchpad for a more high-end feel. It’s not a deal-breaker – the pad works well – but Lenovo will likely adopt haptics in future models as the industry trend. On the plus side, a mechanical pad can never “glitch” its feedback; it’s straightforward and reliable. If you prefer a classic click, the Yoga provides that; if you like the new tech, HP and Surface have embraced it.
• AI and Smart Features: 2025 laptops are leaning heavily into AI enhancements, and all three of these devices have hardware to support that. Intel’s 14th and 15th-gen cores include a built-in NPU (Neural Processing Unit) branded as Intel AI Boost. In the Yoga 9i’s Core Ultra 7 258V, the NPU is powerful enough to run the new Windows Copilot and Studio Effects smoothly – things like real-time background blur, eye contact correction in video calls, voice noise filtering, etc. In fact, PCWorld noted that compared to last gen, the Yoga 9i’s Lunar Lake chip enables features “Intel’s older NPU just wasn’t powerful enough to run”, unlocking the full Copilot PC experience. HP Spectre x360’s Meteor Lake chip also has an NPU (Intel claims around 11 TOPS of AI performance on the H-series NPU), which is used for what HP calls “built-in AI.” HP’s marketing touts things like AI noise reduction for the mics, auto framing and lighting correction on the 9MP webcam, presence detection (to lock or wake the PC when you leave/approach), and even phone integration via Intel Unison as smart features. These AI features make the user experience more seamless – e.g. the Spectre can log you in with Windows Hello face recognition instantly when you sit down, and log off when you walk away, thanks to a presence sensor and AI. The Surface Laptop 7 arguably puts the most emphasis on AI. Microsoft calls it a “Copilot+ PC” – essentially branding that it’s designed around Windows 11’s AI Copilot assistant and upcoming AI-driven features. The Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chip has a very robust NPU, capable of 45 trillion operations per second (45 TOPS) for AI. That’s roughly on par with (or higher than) Apple’s M-series 16-core Neural Engine. In practical terms, the Surface can do things like voice dictation, on-device translation, background noise cancellation, and even run certain AI models locally (for image processing or effects) without breaking a sweat. One example Microsoft gave is the “Windows Studio Effects” – you can turn on eye-contact (so it appears you’re always looking at the camera), automatic framing (the camera follows you as you move), and background blur or noise cancelation during video calls, all accelerated by the NPU. Another unique upcoming feature is “Recall”, an AI-powered local search that will let you find anything you’ve seen or said on the PC by scrubbing through an intelligent timeline of your activities. (It’s not out yet, and it’s controversial privacy-wise, but it shows the AI ambitions here.) The Surface’s camera system also benefits: it’s only 1080p resolution, but Microsoft calls it a Surface Studio Camera with AI enhancement, meaning it can adjust lighting and clarity in real-time, almost like having a virtual makeup/lighting artist for your calls. Tech reviewers found some of these features nifty but also a bit gimmicky – The Verge said the AI features “feel gimmicky” and are not a reason alone to buy the laptop. Still, they are there if you want to use them. In summary, all three laptops support the latest Windows 11 AI features (voice dictation, live captions, Copilot, etc.), with Surface having the most AI horsepower, Yoga not far behind (Lunar Lake NPU can be up to ~47 TOPS in theory), and HP’s Meteor Lake NPU being a bit more modest but still perfectly capable for things like background blur and noise cancelation.
• Webcams and Audio: In the era of remote work, webcam and speaker quality are crucial. HP Spectre x360 wins on camera resolution – it packs a 9 MP IR webcam that can output Ultra HD (4K) video. Reviewers were impressed: “surprisingly good, excellent in fact” said one, noting the Spectre’s 4K cam image quality is “a cut above most rival laptops”. Colors are accurate and even bright backgrounds don’t blow out thanks to HP’s tuning. The Lenovo Yoga 9i has a 5 MP IR webcam, which is essentially a 1440p camera – better than the old 720p standard. Tom’s Hardware found it performed admirably even with challenging lighting, balancing bright and dark areas and picking up details (they could see the seams on a shirt and a scratch on the reviewer’s face). So Yoga’s cam is also quite good, and it doubles as a Windows Hello face sensor. The Surface Laptop 7 has a 1080p IR webcam, an upgrade from the Surface Laptop 5’s 720p. While not as pixel-dense as HP’s, it’s a pretty high-quality 1080p with good low-light performance. And with Microsoft’s AI effects and tuning, video from the Surface looks great in calls (plus you get automatic framing if you enable it). All three have infrared cameras for Windows Hello facial login, which is very convenient – just sitting down in front of these machines logs you in within seconds. Additionally, Lenovo and HP include fingerprint readers as an alternative biometric (the Yoga’s is on the palm rest, the Spectre’s is a key on the keyboard). The Surface relies solely on face recognition (no fingerprint sensor on board). Audio-wise, these laptops all attempt to punch above their weight. The Lenovo Yoga 9i has a notable 4-speaker system with a rotating soundbar (2 tweeters in the hinge and 2 woofers on the bottom). This design, developed with Bowers & Wilkins in past models, means you get fairly full stereo sound in any mode. Reviewers enjoyed the Yoga’s speakers – clear vocals, decent volume, and some software enhancements via Dolby Atmos. There isn’t much bass (hard to expect deep bass from a thin 14″), but switching the Dolby preset to “Detailed” improved the mix for music listening. One funny observation: at max volume with bass-heavy music, the Yoga’s palm rest can vibrate slightly (a little “pulse”), but not enough to be distracting. HP Spectre x360 14 comes with quad speakers as well (tuned by Bang & Olufsen and supporting DTS:X Ultra). On the 14″, two are top-firing above the keyboard and presumably two bottom-firing. TechRadar said the Spectre’s audio was “pleasing” – listening to music, they noted thumping percussion, crisp vocals, and lively treble, describing that they “immediately got into the groove” with a test track. The Spectre x360 16 with its larger chassis should, in theory, sound even fuller (and it has room for slightly larger drivers). It also has quad speakers, and HP likely added a bit more bass capability. HP leverages “Poly Studio” tech for noise reduction on calls (as HP acquired Poly; the mics suppress background noise nicely). The Surface Laptop 7 has Omnisonic stereo speakers hidden under the keyboard, with support for Dolby Atmos. TechRadar’s editor’s review explicitly commended the Surface’s sound quality as top-notch, putting it in the Pros list alongside performance and battery. That suggests Microsoft really tuned those speakers well – likely taking advantage of the large 15″ model’s space for resonance. They aren’t front-facing (sound comes through the keyboard and vents), but users report a rich and loud output for a laptop, certainly enough for movies and music in a small room. The bottom line: all three are among the better sounding laptops of their class, with the Yoga and Spectre 16 perhaps a hair ahead due to their speaker count and design, while the Surface surprises by how good it sounds despite no visible speaker grills.
• Other Notables: All these devices have the usual premium features such as Thunderbolt 4 ports (except the ARM-based Surface uses USB4 which is functionally similar for monitors and external SSDs, but it’s not Intel-certified Thunderbolt). They all have at least one old-fashioned USB-A port (something even MacBooks lack now) for connecting legacy peripherals – Lenovo and HP each provide one USB-A, and Surface has one as well, pleasing many who don’t want to carry dongles. The Spectre 16 is the only one with a built-in HDMI 2.1 port, making it easy to connect to TVs or projectors without an adapter. The Surface 15″ alone has a microSD card slot, which photographers might appreciate. In terms of security and privacy, all have webcam privacy shutters (Lenovo’s is a physical slider, HP’s is a visible shutter that you activate via a key, and Microsoft’s just uses an on-screen privacy indicator since the camera is needed for Hello – but you can disable it in Device Manager or via a keyboard shortcut for privacy). They also all include TPM 2.0 for encryption, etc., and the Surface goes a step further with the Microsoft Pluton security processor built-in (for chip-to-cloud security). It’s also worth noting sustainability: HP and Microsoft advertise using recycled materials – e.g., the Spectre’s keyboard caps use recycled plastic, the chassis uses some recycled aluminum, and the Surface Laptop 7’s enclosure is over 67% recycled aluminum. These moves align with broader eco-friendly trends in premium laptops.

Overall, from a features standpoint, you’re getting a fully loaded experience with each of these: backlit keyboards, glass touchpads, IR cameras, fingerprint readers (except Surface), latest Wi-Fi 6E/7, Bluetooth 5.4, fast charging, etc. The main differences boil down to the form factor (convertible vs clamshell) and the presence of a stylus/tablet capability (Yoga and Spectre) versus the Surface’s focus on AI and efficiency on ARM.

Performance and Benchmarks

Raw performance differs given the different CPUs and platforms, but all three machines are snappy for everyday tasks like web browsing, Office apps, video conferencing, and media consumption. Let’s break down each:

• Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 (Aura Edition) – With its Intel Core Ultra 7 258V (Lunar Lake), the Yoga delivers very good single-core speeds and decent multicore performance, while prioritizing efficiency. In real-world use, this means the Yoga 9i zips through web and office workloads, and can even handle prosumer tasks like photo editing or coding without issue. In benchmarks, our Yoga unit (32GB RAM) scored about 2,751 points single-core and 11,059 multi-core in Geekbench 6. That multi-core number is roughly on par with the same chip in other Lenovo models, and a bit ahead of older 12th/13th-gen U-series chips. It lags behind high-performance CPUs and Apple Silicon on heavy loads, though. For instance, Apple’s M4 chip (MacBook Pro 14” 2025) scored around 15,114 in multi-core – dramatically higher. In a video encoding test (Handbrake converting 4K to 1080p), the Yoga 9i took 6 minutes 36 seconds, similar to an HP OmniBook with the same CPU, but the MacBook Pro M4 did it in just 4:27. So for sustained heavy tasks like rendering or video production, the Yoga’s lightweight design can’t match a power-heavy MacBook or a gaming laptop with H-series chips. LaptopMag also noted that the Core Ultra 7 258V “doesn’t pack the same punch as its competitors” in raw performance – it’s tuned more for cool, quiet operation and battery life. That said, the performance is “serviceable for most people”, and the trade-off is worth it when you look at its battery life and thermals. The integrated Intel Arc GPU on the Yoga is fine for graphics acceleration (QuickSync, some casual gaming). It pushed through creative tasks like light 1080p video editing and Photoshop without drama, but it’s not meant for gaming beyond titles like Minecraft or older games at low settings. Essentially, Yoga 9i performs like a high-end ultrabook – more than fast enough for productivity, a bit weaker for heavy content creation or anything thread-intensive.
• HP Spectre x360 (2025) – 14 & 16 inch – The Spectre x360 14 with the Core Ultra 7 155H (Meteor Lake) actually has a performance edge in many scenarios, thanks to its higher power envelope. In multi-core CPU tests, as mentioned, it even topped Apple’s M3 in one case. The Spectre 14 can sustain higher clock speeds for longer than the Yoga (given a slightly bigger chassis and maybe more aggressive fan profile). Users report it “opens dozens of Chrome tabs and multiple 4K videos without the slightest stutter.” In Geekbench 6, a score above 12,000 multi and ~2,600 single is common, which is excellent for a thin-and-light. One caveat: some early buyers of the Spectre x360 (particularly the 14″ without the NVIDIA GPU) encountered performance hiccups on battery power. A widely discussed Reddit review complained that the Spectre 2024 model “sucks in every possible way, from performance to battery life. It’s barely usable on battery; every other app lags… It does perform somewhat better when plugged in, but it’s not close to devices half its price.”. This harsh take suggests some units or early software had issues where the GPU or CPU downclocked too much on battery, causing stutter in Windows animations. However, others in the community pointed out that after cleaning out bloatware (e.g. uninstalling McAfee) or doing a fresh Windows install, the Spectre ran “like a champ” with no lag. It appears HP’s factory image might have been to blame, as removing the junk and updating drivers fixed it for many. So, the Spectre’s performance potential is high, but make sure to tame any crapware. The Spectre x360 16 performance will be similar on CPU tasks (since it uses the same i7-155H option), but if you get the model with the RTX 4050 GPU, GPU-intensive tasks and gaming performance improve dramatically over the 14″. The RTX 4050 (Laptop 35 W version) can yield frame rates of 60+ fps on modern games at 1080p medium, or handle creative workloads (CAD, Blender, Adobe Premiere GPU effects) far beyond what the integrated Intel Arc could. The trade-off: more fan noise and heat under load, and a hit to battery life if you actually utilize the dGPU a lot. Thermally, the Spectre 16 has a vapor chamber and dual fans to cool the CPU+GPU, and it seems to do a decent job – users say it can get warm on the bottom (~39°C in stress tests, which is noticeable but “easy to live with” on your lap). The fans will audibly spin up during heavy gaming or multi-hour renders, but for typical productivity they often stay quiet. In summary, the Spectre x360 14/16 are fast ultrabooks – one TechRadar summary stated “it’s a fast, beautifully designed laptop… excellent performance and battery life… a star that manages to justify its high price” techradar.com. Gamers or those needing more graphics might demand a more powerful GPU than the 14″ offers, but that’s exactly why HP gives the 16″ RTX option as well techradar.com.
• Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 (Snapdragon X) – Perhaps the biggest question mark was how well an ARM-based processor would perform running full Windows 11. The answer: surprisingly well in most cases. In fact, the Surface Laptop 7 has been called “incredible” in performance for everyday use. The Snapdragon X Elite (in the higher models) particularly shines in multitasking and efficiency cores usage. While we don’t have standard Geekbench scores publicly (Geekbench on Windows ARM can be tricky), we do know Microsoft pitched it as competitive with a 12-core Intel in many respects. TechRadar’s editor was admittedly skeptical at first but ended up declaring the Surface Laptop 7 “truly an incredible portable machine, all thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon chip it’s equipped with. Performance, battery life, light and thin, price, sound quality, and more are all top-notch.”. That’s high praise – they even gave it an Editor’s Choice. General tasks and apps compiled for ARM run buttery smooth. The laptop feels extremely responsive due to the chip’s high IPC and the lack of thermal throttling (since it runs cool). Where the Surface drags a bit is when running older x86 apps in emulation. Windows 11 can emulate 64-bit apps now (using a system called Windows 11 “Prism” for x86_64 translation) en.wikipedia.org, and Microsoft improved it greatly, but there’s still a performance penalty and higher power draw for apps that haven’t been optimized for ARM. For example, Adobe has released native ARM versions of Photoshop and Lightroom that run great on the Surface, but if you tried something like an older game or a complex Excel plugin that’s x64 only, it will work – just slower and with more battery drain. The Verge noted “x86 emulation will hit the battery and performance” on the Surface Laptop 7. They also noted that any serious gaming is out of the question: “gaming support is limited”, and even though some games exist in ARM form (or through the Amazon/Android app store), it’s not a gaming PC by any stretch (the integrated Adreno GPU is roughly equivalent to maybe an NVIDIA MX450 at best, and many games won’t run on ARM yet). That aside, in productivity, the Surface Laptop 7 feels as fast as any ultrabook. It handled a multitude of apps and heavy browser use without breaking a sweat in reviews. In one direct comparison, the Surface Laptop 7’s Snapdragon chip went toe-to-toe with a Dell XPS 13 (2024) Intel in benchmarks and held its own. And again, the benefit is it can sustain performance without throttling because the chip is so efficient and the cooling design is effective (most models are fanless; if there is a small fan in the 15″, it’s very rarely needed – Tom Warren mentioned the device stayed cool and fans only spun up during certain intense loads) en.wikipedia.org. So for compiling code, crunching data in Office, web dev, etc., the Surface is great. Just know that certain pro software might not be fully optimized (though that list is shrinking as ARM64 gets more support each month).

To sum up performance: For mainstream users (web, office, streaming, light editing), all three perform excellently. The Surface Laptop 7 feels notably zippy and has closed the gap with the MacBook Air in this category. For heavy multitasking and multi-core workloads, the HP Spectre (and possibly Surface X Elite with its 12 cores) have an edge over the Yoga, since the Yoga’s chip prioritizes battery over raw output. For content creators or gamers, the HP Spectre x360 16 with RTX 4050 is the only one in this trio that can even attempt modern 3D tasks – the other two are limited to integrated graphics-level work (which is fine for Photoshop, not fine for Cyberpunk 2077). And if your work involves niche Windows apps or virtualization that may not play nice with ARM, then the Intel-based Yoga or HP are safer choices than the Surface ARM – at least until more software goes ARM-native. That being said, as of late 2024, over 90% of what people typically do on Windows either has an ARM version or runs acceptably via emulation. Early adopters of the Surface have been generally happy, and some reviews call it the best MacBook Air competitor Windows has produced, precisely because it finally achieves that combo of high performance and long battery that Apple’s M1/M2 laptops became famous for.

Battery Life and Charging

Battery longevity is a make-or-break aspect for many, and here all three devices are impressive in their own ways – with the Surface Laptop 7 taking a clear lead in all-day endurance, and the Yoga 9i Aura also delivering exceptional results for an Intel machine.

• Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 (2025): Lenovo equipped it with a 75 Wh battery, which is quite large for a 14″ 2-in-1. Combined with the efficient Lunar Lake chip and OLED panel that can refresh adaptively, this leads to excellent battery life. In Tom’s Hardware’s continuous web browsing test (screen at 150 nits), the Yoga 9i Aura lasted 12 hours 47 minutes tomshardware.com. Laptop Mag recorded a similar figure (~12.5 hours) in their rundown. This means you can easily get through a full workday of mixed use on a single charge. But it gets better – in a lighter-use scenario, PCWorld managed to stretch the Yoga 9i to “almost 24 hours” on battery pcworld.com. That test was likely a local video loop or very idle usage, but it’s still astounding. PCWorld listed “Long battery life (almost 24 hours in our test)” as the number one Pro of the Yoga 9i pcworld.com. In practical terms, expect something like 15–18 hours of video playback and around 12–14 hours of typical Wi-Fi use. This puts the Yoga 9i among the longest-lasting Intel-based laptops on the market in 2025. Lenovo’s tuning clearly prioritized efficiency – and it paid off. Charging the Yoga is done via any of its USB-C ports (it ships with a 65 W USB-C charger). It supports rapid charging – about 2 hours for a full charge, or roughly 0 to 80% in an hour if in sleep mode (Lenovo Rapid Charge Express). The charger is compact and you can use third-party USB-C PD chargers as well. One thing to mention: the OLED display, if used at high brightness or 120Hz constantly, will draw more power, so keeping the refresh adaptive and using dark mode can help maximize life (the Yoga’s OLED is so vivid that even at 150 nits it looks great, so you rarely need it at full blast except outdoors).
• HP Spectre x360 14/16 (2025): The Spectre x360 14 has a 68 Wh battery (slightly smaller than Lenovo’s), and the 16 has an even larger 83 Wh pack to help counter its bigger screen and discrete GPU. HP claims up to ~13 hours of mixed usage on the 14, and about 13.25 hours on the 16 (integrated GPU) per MobileMark benchmarks. In real-world testing, the Spectre x360 14 (Meteor Lake i7) achieved 11 hours 1 minute of continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi. That’s a very good result – just a notch below the Yoga. It’s safe to say 10–12 hours of actual use is feasible on the 14″ Spectre. The 16″ with RTX, when using integrated graphics (for light tasks), can probably hit 9–10 hours. But if the NVIDIA GPU kicks in (for say, Photoshop or gaming on battery), battery will drain much faster – likely a few hours at most if under heavy GPU load. One owner of the Spectre 16 reported that the battery life was “fairly good” even with the 1TB/RTX model, presumably because it switches to integrated graphics when not plugged in for most tasks. HP also implements smart charging – both Spectres support HP Fast Charge, which can refill 50% in about 30–45 minutes (the 16″ hits 50% in 30 min with its 140W charger, the 14″ in 45 min with the 65W charger). This is great for quick top-ups. One thing to note: some users of the 2024 Spectre 14 (with the same 68 Wh) reported worse battery life initially – possibly due to background processes or the high default resolution/refresh. After tweaks (removing bloat, setting the OLED to dynamic refresh, etc.), most were able to reach the 8–10 hour range on battery. So if your Spectre’s battery life seems off, a bit of optimization might be needed. Overall, though, the Spectre x360 holds its own – it “lasted 11 hours of web surfing, longer than almost any Intel laptop [the tester] had seen – although the MacBook Pro [M3] lasted a ridiculous 17+ hours” in the same test. That highlights that while HP is great for a Windows PC, Apple’s power efficiency is still king. But as we’ll see, Microsoft’s ARM entry changes that dynamic.
• Microsoft Surface Laptop 7: Thanks to the Snapdragon ARM architecture’s efficiency, the Surface Laptop 7 is a battery life champ. Microsoft advertised up to 20 hours on the 13.8″ and 22 hours on the 15″ of “typical device usage”. Those are optimistic figures (likely local video playback loops). In realistic testing, the Surface still dominates. TechRadar got about 15 hours of regular usage (a mix of productivity tasks) on a charge, which they called “absolutely incredible” for a Windows laptop. In their video playback test, it ran 10 hours 10 minutes of looping movie before dying. The Verge’s Tom Warren likewise reported around 15 hours of use in his day-to-day, easily beating most Intel machines. In fact, both reviewers likened it to MacBook-level endurance: “It’s rare to find a laptop with that kind of lasting power outside of MacBooks these days, and coming from a Windows laptop it’s even more impressive,” wrote TechRadar. The Surface Laptop 7 thus achieves the goal of closing the battery life gap with Apple. For many users, this means 2 days of moderate work without needing a charger, or a full day of heavy work + an evening of streaming. One contributing factor is that when idle or in standby, the ARM chip barely sips power – so connected standby drain is minimal (nice if you keep your laptop in sleep in your bag). Charging the Surface is done via the proprietary Surface Connect port (which clicks on magnetically). It supports fast charging – roughly 80% in under an hour – similar to prior Surfaces. You can also charge via USB-C PD if needed (especially the USB4 ports on this model support charging), but Surface Connect is optimal for full 65W speed. The Surface doesn’t ship with as high wattage a charger as the HP 16, but since it’s so efficient, even 60W is plenty to keep it running and charging simultaneously. And because there’s no discrete GPU, you won’t see sudden huge spikes in power draw. All told, if battery life is your number one priority, the Surface Laptop 7 is the winner here. Lenovo’s Yoga 9i is a close second, with Spectre not far behind. We’re talking differences of a few hours under load – all can last a workday – but the Surface gives that extra cushion for long flights or forgetting your charger.

It’s worth mentioning some user habits: on OLED models (Yoga and Spectre), using dark mode and lower brightness can significantly prolong battery life because black pixels turn off on OLED. On the Surface’s IPS, dark mode helps a bit (less bright backgrounds), but not as dramatically. Also, enabling battery saver or lowering the refresh rate (the Spectre and Yoga can drop to 60Hz when you need extra hours) can extend runtimes.

Heat and noise: These go hand-in-hand with battery, because a cool, quiet laptop often indicates efficiency. The Yoga 9i runs cool for most tasks – in stress tests it got to about 95°F (35°C) on the keyboard center, and 100°F (37.8°C) on the bottom – warm but not hot. The fans on the Yoga rarely ramp up during typical use; one user noted the fan “hasn’t turned on or was so quiet I didn’t hear it” during general tasks, only spinning audibly when gaming (and even then it sounded like a normal laptop fan). That’s great for an ultra-slim. The HP Spectre 14’s fan will come on more frequently under medium loads (the Core i7 155H can draw more power if allowed). Some users said the fans on the 14″ ran quite often even when not doing super intense tasks, although not at an annoying volume. Possibly the default HP performance profile is aggressive. The bottom of the Spectre 14 hit about 39°C in a video streaming test, which is fine. The Spectre 16, when using the NVIDIA GPU, can get toasty – expect the bottom to be hot if gaming. But for everyday use on integrated graphics, it behaves like the 14. Microsoft’s Surface, being fanless (at least the 13.8″ model has no fan; the 15″ might have a small auxiliary fan for sustained loads, but it’s silent most of the time), is essentially silent. It runs very cool during light tasks – reviewers remarked the device “ran pretty cool, with fans only spinning up during heavy loads”, and otherwise you wouldn’t hear a peep en.wikipedia.org. This is a big plus of ARM chips – no noisy fan bursts when opening an app or anything. Even under load, the Surface gets warm but not scalding. So in a library or meeting, the Surface and Yoga are least likely to draw attention with fan noise, whereas the Spectre might occasionally be heard when it’s crunching something. All three allow you to choose performance modes (Lenovo’s shortcut key to toggle modes, HP Command Center app for Comfort/Performance modes, etc.), which can help if you want absolute quiet or want to unleash full power.

Software and User Experience

All three machines ship with Windows 11 (Home edition on consumer models, Pro on some higher trims or business SKUs). The core OS experience is therefore very similar across them – you get the new Windows 11 interface with the centered Start Menu, integrated Microsoft 365 apps, and of course Microsoft’s Copilot AI assistant ready to help (which all these laptops can handle thanks to their NPUs). That said, there are some differences in the software loadouts and user experience due to each manufacturer’s approach and the Surface’s ARM architecture.

Windows 11 on ARM vs Intel: On the Yoga 9i and Spectre x360 (Intel machines), Windows 11 is the standard x86_64 version and will run any Windows app that a typical PC can, with no caveats. On the Surface Laptop 7’s Windows on ARM, the system transparently emulates x86 and x64 applications that don’t have native ARM versions. For most users, this is seamless – you click an installer, it installs and runs. But power users should be aware: some very old drivers or antivirus that are low-level might not be compatible with ARM. Likewise, certain games or apps that use anti-cheat or specific virtualization may not work. Microsoft’s own apps (Edge, Office, Teams, etc.) are all optimized for ARM, as are browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and many others now. Adobe has brought several Creative Cloud apps to ARM. For anything not yet native, the Prism emulation layer in Windows 11 23H2 is quite fast (significantly improved over earlier attempts) en.wikipedia.org. Still, using an emulated app will consume more battery and sometimes you’ll notice a slight performance hit, especially in heavy tasks. The Verge’s reviewer ultimately kept the base $999 Surface Laptop 7 as his daily machine, finding the app compatibility acceptable and the battery trade-off worth it, but cautioned that if you rely on a specific niche x64 app that’s not optimized, you might experience mixed results. For the general public, Windows on ARM has finally matured to a point where you don’t have to think much about it – but it’s good to know it’s not exactly the same under the hood.

Pre-installed Software: Lenovo and HP do preload some of their own utilities. Lenovo has its Vantage app for system updates and settings, which is generally useful and not too intrusive. It might also include a trial of McAfee LiveSafe or similar, but far less bloat than in years past. The Yoga 9i Aura being a premium model should have a pretty clean image aside from Lenovo utility and perhaps a Dolby Access app for the audio. HP, historically, adds a bit more – the Spectre x360 will have HP Command Center (for performance mode, fan control, etc.), HP QuickDrop (to share files with your phone), possibly ExpressVPN offer, LastPass offer, and unfortunately a trial of McAfee antivirus which tends to spam reminders. Many techies recommend uninstalling the third-party AV if you prefer just Windows Defender (which is built-in and quite good now). In fact, as noted earlier, some have blamed McAfee’s background services for causing slowdowns on the Spectre out-of-box. So a little decrapifying can go a long way. Once done, the Spectre is a joy to use. HP also might include an app called HP Palette which is a hub for creative tools (concepts like quick drawing, photo search, etc.) – those are optional to use. Microsoft’s Surface, by contrast, is relatively clean. Being a first-party device, it has no third-party bloat at all. You will get a trial of Microsoft 365 (Office) and an ad for Xbox Game Pass trial. But otherwise, it’s stock Windows 11 with the Edge browser and the usual Inbox apps. Microsoft does have some Surface app for device-specific settings (e.g., trackpad options, pen if it had one, etc.), and the Surface firmware updates come via Windows Update smoothly. Also worth noting: Microsoft recently has focused on making Surfaces more IT- and developer-friendly, so there’s support for things like Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) out-of-the-box and in the ARM world, they even have an Dev Kit that shares the chip with this laptop. That means if you’re a developer wanting to test ARM64 apps or run Linux VMs on ARM, the Surface is a great choice. However, if you need to run x86 VMs (like VirtualBox images of x86 Linux or something), that’s not possible on ARM Windows (you can only virtualize ARM64 OSes, though you can emulate x86 inside those – which is complicated). On Intel machines like Yoga and Spectre, any virtualization or Docker scenario you normally use will work as expected.

User Experience: All these laptops provide fast logins via Windows Hello – the IR face recognition tends to be the most seamless (just open the lid and it logs in). The Spectre and Yoga also have fingerprint readers as an alternative, which are fast (a light tap on Lenovo’s reader or HP’s reader key logs you in instantly if you prefer that over face, or if you’re in a scenario where face login isn’t ideal, like an odd angle). The Yoga 9i has a neat feature in that extra key column: one button can toggle the Performance modes (extreme performance vs battery saver) without needing to open software. Another can toggle blue light filter for eye comfort. These quick toggles are convenient once you know them. The HP Spectre uses its HP Command Center for similar tweaks, or you can use the Windows 11 Performance slider in the taskbar.

Trackpad and Typing Experience: We touched on these earlier – the haptic trackpads on the Spectre and Surface allow some advanced settings. For example, you can adjust the click pressure and feedback intensity. The Surface’s Settings actually have options to tune the haptic feedback to your liking (making it more “clicky” or more subtle). The Spectre’s haptic pad got one complaint from a user who said “trackpad gets accidental touches sometimes because it’s so large” – indeed, a big pad can mean your palms brush it. Tweaking palm rejection or setting the touchpad sensitivity to “low” in Windows settings can mitigate that. The Yoga’s mechanical pad, some might find more predictable if they’ve had issues with haptics. It really comes down to personal preference; none of these laptops have major issues with input – they are all high tier.

Copilot and AI in daily use: Windows 11’s Copilot (essentially an AI chatbot sidebar integrated into the OS) works on all three. On the Yoga and Spectre, Copilot might occasionally tap the cloud (using OpenAI’s services) which is the same on Surface. But any features that can offload to the NPU (like image generation in the Photos app, or Studio Effects in Teams) will run smoothly on all. You might not see the AI at work, but when you join a Zoom or Teams call and background noise is automatically hushed and your face stays centered in frame, you’ll appreciate it. That happens on all three devices. One thing unique to the Spectre and Surface – they have the auto presence feature (Studio Sense for HP, I think) where they use a sensor to know if you’re there. The Yoga doesn’t explicitly mention human presence detection, so it may not have that. The Spectre can automatically lock the screen when you step away and wake when you come back (if enabled) – a nice security and convenience function.

Operating system updates and support: Microsoft will support Windows 11 updates on ARM just like on Intel, so no worries there. Lenovo and HP both provide driver and firmware updates through either Windows Update or their own utilities for at least a few years. Microsoft has an edge in that they are the OS maker, so Surface devices often are first to get new Windows features and are tested extensively for compatibility. Additionally, the Surface Laptop 7 is likely to have a longer official support window – Microsoft has released service guides and emphasized repairability (you can even get official parts for it relatively easily now, which is new for Surface). For instance, replacing the SSD or battery on Surface is doable by authorized service providers and more straightforward than in past models. The Yoga and Spectre are a bit more fiddly to service: the Yoga 9i, for example, has hidden screws and was deemed “unrepairable for most people” by Tom’s due to the risk of damaging the rubber foot when opening. The SSD is upgradeable (M.2 2242 size) in the Yoga, but again, not something average users will do. The Spectre’s RAM is soldered, SSD is technically replaceable if you open it up. So day-to-day, that might not matter, but longevity-wise, Surfaces are now surprisingly among the easier to service premium laptops (contrary to years past).

Networking and connectivity: All have the latest Wi-Fi 6E/7 wireless cards (Intel for Yoga/HP, Qualcomm FastConnect in the Surface). So you’re future-proofed for fast wireless. Bluetooth 5.4 on Yoga/HP and 5.3 on Surface ensures good peripheral connections (the exact version difference is minor; BT 5.4 mainly adds some future audio LE features). The Surface Laptop 7 (business SKU) is the only one offering optional 4G/5G cellular connectivity. So if having built-in mobile internet is important, the Surface has a variant with 5G (likely using Qualcomm’s modem). The Yoga and Spectre do not have cellular options; you’d need to tether via phone or use a USB dongle for that.

In general use, each laptop feels fast and fluid thanks to modern hardware and SSDs. Windows 11 adds some nice touches for convertibles – e.g., on the Yoga and Spectre, when you rotate into tablet mode, the OS will auto-switch to a more touch-friendly UI (larger icons, etc.), and things like the on-screen keyboard pop up when needed. Lenovo and HP also have some pen software: Lenovo Pen Settings app lets you customize the Yoga Pen’s buttons, and HP has a Pen Control panel for pressure and button config too. Microsoft’s device has no pen, so none of that is present.

One important user-experience aspect: portability and day-to-day comfort. The Yoga 9i 14 and Surface Laptop 13.8 are extremely easy to carry around – both under 3 pounds, compact, and with all-day batteries. They’re ideal for students, commuters, or anyone mobile. The Spectre x360 14 is only slightly heavier (~3 lbs) and similar in footprint to Yoga (just a hair thicker maybe). It’s still very bag-friendly. The Spectre x360 16 is more of a desktop replacement in disguise – at 4.3 lbs and a 16″ screen, you feel its heft. It’s great as a laptop/tablet around the house or office, but as one Reddit user lamented, the 16″ model is “vastly superior… but yes, twice as heavy” as the 14″, so you sacrifice some portability for that big OLED canvas. If you plan to often use the 16″ on the go, keep that in mind. Meanwhile, the Surface 15″ at 3.67 lbs is relatively light for a 15″ laptop (lighter than a 15″ MacBook Air M2, for example), making it a nice choice if you want a larger screen without too much weight.

Finally, on the software support side, because these are premium PCs, they all come with at least 1 year warranty standard (Microsoft might include 90 days of tech support; Lenovo often has a depot warranty; HP sometimes includes 1 year and offers Care Packs to extend). It’s wise to check if any promotions include extended plans. Given the cost of these, some buyers opt for an extended warranty or accidental damage protection (especially with 2-in-1s that could be dropped in tablet mode). HP sells Accidental Damage Protection plans (e.g., 2 or 3 year pickup-and-return with ADP), and Microsoft offers Microsoft Complete for Surface, etc.

Reviews and Opinions from Experts and Users

Gathering insights from professional reviews and early adopters can shed light on strengths and weaknesses that specs alone don’t show. Here’s a roundup of what experts and actual owners have been saying about each device:

Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 (Aura Edition): The Yoga 9i has garnered high praise for its all-around excellence. “It’s like having an LG OLED TV in my lap,” raved Laptop Mag, which gave it an Editor’s Choice award. Their reviewer gushed over the combination of the “stunning 14-inch OLED display, bangin’ speakers, crispy keyboard, and long battery life”*, calling it the “perfect combination” in an ultraportable. The only major con noted was middling performance for the price – the Yoga is extremely good at what it’s built for, but a few competitors with higher-watt chips can outpace it in raw speed. Still, for the target user, that’s a minor trade-off. Tom’s Hardware similarly labeled it a “blue-chip convertible”, applauding its build quality, vibrant screen, and surprisingly solid battery life (they got nearly 13 hours). Tom’s did critique the upgradeability (as we mentioned, not easy to open) and thought a haptic touchpad would have been fitting for the premium Aura edition. PCWorld’s review by Chris Hoffman was glowing, calling the Yoga 9i Aura “a sleek 14-inch Lunar Lake laptop with a beautiful display and extreme battery life”. He noted that it would be easy to recommend to everyone “if it was less expensive” – indicating value is good but not a bargain. PCWorld measured an eye-popping 24 hours in one test and listed battery, screen, and webcam as big pros. On the user side, Redditors who bought the Yoga 9i Aura have mostly positive feedback: the screen and speakers “reeled me in” said one, and another commented “if you’re taking the laptop somewhere without a charger I’m very confident you won’t have to worry about battery life.” There was discussion about a price hike due to tariffs – one buyer was relieved to snag it before a sudden $1000 increase in Lenovo’s price (likely an error or brief hike). Some early buyers noted that Best Buy’s model might not include the sleeve or pen, but in fact the Yoga does include the pen (no sleeve) even at Best Buy, per clarification. A few minor user complaints: one reported the fan sometimes pulses on for a second occasionally (even when cool) which was a bit concerning but rare. Another had difficulty initially finding stock (it was selling out). Overall, early adopters laud the Yoga 9i 2025 for its premium feel and well-rounded capabilities, aligning with experts who place it among the year’s best 2-in-1s.

HP Spectre x360 (14 & 16) 2025: The Spectre line has long been a darling of tech reviewers, and the 2024/2025 iteration is no exception. “The new HP Spectre x360 14 is hard to fault,” says TechRadar, “It’s a fast, beautifully designed laptop, with a sumptuous screen, excellent performance and battery life… a star.” techradar.com. That hands-on (originally from PC Pro) praised the OLED display’s vibrancy, the 4K webcam’s superb quality, and the snappy performance – even comparing it favorably against Apple’s MacBook in some tests. They did note integrated graphics are the only compromise on the 14″ (not for hardcore gaming), but for a general-purpose premium laptop, it “justifies its high price.” Laptop Mag’s sister site (or editor) also reviewed the Spectre 16 and was impressed by its capability, though heavy use of the discrete GPU can shorten runtime. On the user review side, feedback is a bit mixed. HP’s own website shows the Spectre x360 16 averaging 4.0 out of 5 over many reviews – many love its big beautiful screen and versatility, but some reported quirks. One HP.com reviewer complained that “the pen has no place to tuck it… it is magnetized and sits on top of your keyboard so you can’t shut it without breaking the screen” – advising to store the pen elsewhere. Another user said “Wish there were more USB ports” – echoing the port limitation. A Reddit discussion on the Spectre 16 (2024 model) had people saying “the concept is great but it lacks in reliability. My first 2024 16-inch had touchpad issues when connected to a secondary display.”. It appears some early production units might have had driver/firmware issues causing glitches, but HP likely addresses these via updates. On Reddit’s Spectre forum, a rather scathing post (quoted earlier) called the 14″ 2024 model with Ultra 7 “garbage” due to lag on battery, but multiple owners replied that after removing bloatware or clean-installing Windows, their units ran perfectly smooth. This suggests that out-of-the-box software may hinder the Spectre, but the hardware itself is very capable. In terms of positive user points: the Spectre’s design is often admired – many comment how luxurious it looks and feels. A Best Buy customer review of the 16″ said “WOW! look at the screen, and the size… I cried when I got it, it felt like home. It’s quiet. I never hear the fan.” – clearly an emotive (and somewhat humorous) response, but it highlights the gorgeous OLED and relatively quiet operation for normal tasks. Another user on HP’s site (with a 16″) said “Very good so far, nice feeling keyboard. Trackpad gets accidental touches… fan runs high very often even when not performing intense tasks.”. So user experiences can vary – some fine, some noticing fan noise or touchpad quirks. It’s worth noting HP issues BIOS and driver updates periodically that often smooth out these things (e.g., fan curve or palm rejection improvements). Overall, expert reviewers consistently rank the Spectre x360 among the top premium 2-in-1s, often giving it 4.5/5 or even 5/5 scores. Paul Thurrott said “it’s a terrific laptop… an astonishing accomplishment” and one of his favorites, praising the refinement HP brought in 2024. He wished to test the 16″ too, which he suspected would be great with the optional GPU. The combination of performance, design, and features (like that 4K camera and haptic trackpad) makes the Spectre a strong contender. Just be prepared to do a bit of setup tweaking for the best experience (removing bloat, updating drivers).

Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 (7th Edition): This device had a lot to prove, being the first mainstream ARM-based Surface laptop. It appears to have exceeded expectations. TechRadar gave it a rare 5-star rating, with Allisa James calling it “well-rounded and high performing,” and awarding it Editor’s Choice in her August 2024 review. She cited “great performance, battery life, display, and keyboard” as its winning qualities. Her testing yielded ~15 hours battery on regular use, which she found on par with Apple’s MacBook Air, finally. She did note downsides: middling port selection, and no OLED option for those who want deeper blacks. But overall, she was very impressed (her initial skepticism about Surface was gone). TechRadar’s verdict headline literally was “makes me believe in the Surface series again”. In Pros/Cons, they listed “Incredible performance; Excellent battery life; Great display and keyboard; Priced well” as pros, and “Port selection is terrible; No OLED option; Touchpad has some sensitivity issues” as cons. That sums it up well – the value proposition of giving you ~15 hours, strong performance, 16GB RAM at $999 is indeed “priced well” in this segment. The Verge’s Tom Warren was also positive, calling the Surface Laptop 7 “the best competitor to the MacBook Air” and saying “Microsoft has closed the gap… and raised the bar for expectations for a Microsoft laptop.” He lauded the “great battery life” and that for most apps, performance is great, plus that the default 16GB RAM is a welcome move. He was initially skeptical of the base model’s use of Snapdragon X Plus, but found it sufficient and loved the battery life so much he decided to continue using it as his daily machine. He did caution, as mentioned, that if you need gaming or have heavy x86 app needs, it might not be for you (pointing out AI features can feel gimmicky, and emulated apps drain more battery). On consumer forums, the reaction to Surface Laptop 7 has been mixed largely due to the ARM factor. Some Windows enthusiasts were hesitant: threads titled “Should I wait for the new 2025 Surface Laptop?” had people uncertain if ARM was the right choice, and rumors swirling about a potential Intel variant with Lunar Lake in 2025 (which thus far has only materialized as the Surface Laptop 7+ for Business with Intel Core Ultra, not for consumers). But those who actually bought the Surface Laptop 7 seem to echo the pros. One YouTube review “6 months later” states “couldn’t recommend it more. Battery life is incredible and it’s always cool and quiet.”. On Reddit, a user weighing 13.8″ vs 15″ said the 15″ weight is about 3.67 lbs vs 2.96 lbs for 13.8″, and remarked a comparable Lenovo (Yoga Slim 7X) was 2.82 lbs – interestingly showing how competitive the Surface’s weight is for a 15″ ARM laptop. Another point: some tech reviewers (like Wired) highlighted that 2024 Surface devices (Laptop 7 and Pro 11) are the most repairable Surfaces ever, with user-replaceable SSD, battery, and modular components. This earned Microsoft some kudos in an era where repairability is valued.

In short, expert consensus on Surface Laptop 7: it’s a breakthrough for Windows on ARM, delivering on promises of ultra-long battery and competitive performance, thereby making it a top choice for general users – provided you don’t need lots of ports or specialized x86 software. User consensus: those who use it for typical tasks are extremely pleased with the quietness, endurance, and quality; those who are heavy gamers or need specific apps might steer away, but they probably wouldn’t have chosen a Surface Laptop anyway.

Price, Value and Configurations

All three of these devices sit in the premium price bracket, though their value propositions differ. Here’s an overview of pricing and configuration options as of mid/late 2025:

• Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 (Aura Edition) – This model is positioned as a flagship 2-in-1, and it’s priced accordingly. The specific Aura Edition configuration (Core i7-258V, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD, OLED) originally had an MSRP around $1,749. However, Lenovo often runs sales: Tom’s Hardware noted the unit was on sale for $1,499.99 at the time of review. Indeed, one Reddit user mentioned they got a build-to-order version for about $1,440 on Lenovo’s site (before a sudden price hike occurred). There is also a lower configuration available: Lenovo lists a model with an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, 16GB RAM, 512GB or 1TB SSD – essentially a non-“Aura” spec – for a bit less. A user cited Best Buy selling a version at $1,450 (16GB RAM, 155H CPU) versus $1,800 for the maxed one. So presumably, the 16GB/155H config might hit that ~$1,399–$1,499 range on sale, which could be a decent value if you don’t need 32GB. Considering what you get (OLED, 2-in-1, pen included, 32GB RAM, etc.), $1.5k for the Aura Edition is competitive with peers. It’s certainly more costly than, say, a Dell XPS 13, but it offers more features. Lenovo also often bundles or promotions – e.g., sometimes including a sleeve or cashback. In terms of value for money, reviewers felt it’s a bit expensive but justifiable: “it would be easy to recommend more widely if it were less expensive” PCWorld said, implying it’s somewhat niche at the high price. But given its longevity and quality, many find it worth it. Availability: The Yoga 9i Aura can be bought through Lenovo’s website (custom or prebuilt) and recently was seen at Best Buy (pre-configured model). Early in 2025 it had limited stock (some orders got delayed a few weeks), but by now it should be readily available in the US and other regions. It comes in that single color (a bluish-grey called “Storm Grey” or “Aura Silver” depending on marketing). So not much choice in aesthetic, but it’s a striking look.
• HP Spectre x360 14 & 16 (2025): HP’s pricing can vary widely based on configuration and retailer. The Spectre x360 14 (2024/2025) base model might start around $1,399 for a Core Ultra 5, 16GB, 512GB, OLED model. A fully loaded 14 (Core i7-155H, 32GB, 2TB SSD) was reviewed in the UK at £1,499 inc VAT, which would be roughly $1,700–$1,800. On HP’s US site, a typical high-end config (i7, 16GB, 1TB) was listed around $1,549–$1,649. There are often coupons or “instant savings”. The Spectre x360 16 naturally costs more, especially if you opt for the NVIDIA GPU. One configuration (like the 16″, i7-155H, 16GB, 2TB, RTX 4050) was about $1,999 on HP’s site when not discounted. We saw that exact model (16-aa0097nr) advertised at $2,099 but during a sale or with a coupon, maybe around $1,799. HP also sells through Best Buy and others: Best Buy might have a fixed config, e.g., 16″ with i7, 16GB, 1TB + RTX for around $1,699 on sale. One Redditor noted Best Buy had a 16″ at $1,799 (32GB RAM, 1TB, Ultra 7) and a 14″ at $1,450 (16GB RAM, 155H), though it’s unclear if those were exact Spectre models or a comparison. Usually, the Spectre 14 without discrete GPU is a bit cheaper than something like a Yoga 9i 32GB variant – especially since HP often has promotions (students or holidays) and one can find it a few hundred off. Value perspective: The Spectre x360 14 was considered pricey at launch, but given its feature set (OLED, 120Hz, 4K webcam, haptic pad, Thunderbolt 4, etc.), it competes well against similarly priced Dell XPS or Microsoft’s devices. If one can snag it around $1,400-$1,500, that’s a strong deal for what you get. The 16″ with RTX is a bit of a unique beast – there are not many 16″ convertibles with OLED + dGPU. Its direct rivals might be the Dell XPS 15/16 (which aren’t 360°) or Lenovo Yoga 7/9 Pro 16 (Lenovo has a Yoga 7/9 16” line but they usually use higher watt CPUs). So HP kind of created a niche and can charge a premium for it. Users who bought it at full price sometimes feel it’s steep (hence comments like “for this price I expect no lag” etc.), but most agree it feels like a premium product. Configurations: The Spectre 14 is Intel-only (Core Ultra 5 or 7), up to 32GB RAM but often only 16GB in retail models, SSD up to 2TB. Comes in Nightfall Black or Nocturne Blue typically, sometimes a silver. The Spectre 16 likewise, plus the option to add the GPU. Both include the pen and a sleeve in some regions (HP often bundles a sleeve in the box). If ordering from HP.com, you can custom pick some things like 16GB vs 32GB, or the color, etc. Availability is generally good – HP has these in stock on their site, and Best Buy carries at least one model of each size in the US (as do other electronics retailers). Warranty: HP gives 1 year, and as shown in their site snippet, you can add extended coverage (which might be wise if you’re investing ~$2k in a laptop with OLED – coverage could protect against screen burns or accidental damage).
• Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 (2024): Microsoft actually surprised many by pricing the Surface Laptop 7 aggressively. The base model with Snapdragon X Plus, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD (13.8″) launched at $999. That undercuts a lot of premium ultrabooks which often start at 8GB in that range – here you get 16GB standard. Most reviewers see that as a big value win (in fact the Verge was skeptical of that base model but ended up liking it). The higher-end configs scale up: a 15-inch with Snapdragon X Elite, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD goes for around $1,699-$1,799. There’s also a 15″ 64GB RAM option for enterprise which is above $2k. But for consumers, the max is usually 32GB/1TB. So roughly, Surface Laptop 7 pricing spans $999 up to ~$1,799. This is very much in line with (or slightly below) equivalent MacBook Air/Pro pricing. For example, a 13″ MacBook Air M2 with 16GB/256GB is $1,199 – so Microsoft undercut that by $200 while offering similar battery and a slightly larger screen. The value for money here was highlighted by TechRadar: “Priced well” they said, because you’re getting a lot of longevity and performance for the price. Now, one could argue that if you specifically need x86, the value changes – but for the target user, it’s a great deal. Configurations and availability: The Surface Laptop 7 comes in two sizes and multiple colors. Consumers can choose 13.8″ or 15″, each with X Plus (for the smaller) or X Elite (for both). Actually, the 15″ ships only with the X Elite 12-core to give it extra oomph; the 13.8″ offers X Plus (10-core) at the lower end and X Elite in the higher end. Memory: 16GB or 32GB (the 64GB is technically only on the Surface Laptop Studio 2 or enterprise special models of Laptop 7, if at all). Storage: 256, 512, 1TB (with 256 in base, and 512/1TB optional). Color: Platinum (silver), Black, Sapphire (blue), Dune (light sand). Retailers like Best Buy and Microsoft Store carry a few standard configs, e.g., Platinum 13.8″ 16/256 for $999, Black 15″ 32/512 for $1,599, etc. Microsoft often does student discounts or bundle deals (sometimes including a free Microsoft 365 subscription for a year or accessories if you catch a promo). Warranty is 1 year standard; Microsoft Complete 2-year accidental damage protection typically costs extra ~$250 but covers two incidents. Business versions (Surface Laptop 7 for Business) have slightly different SKUs – interestingly, the Business edition has an Intel option (Core Ultra 5/7 “series 2” Meteor Lake) for organizations that need x86 – but that isn’t marketed to consumers. The business models also often come with Windows 11 Pro and have slightly higher base prices.

In terms of long-term value, each device targets a slightly different user:

• The Yoga 9i Aura is a luxurious convertible that should serve well for 4-5 years easy, thanks to 32GB RAM and a robust build – the investment is in its versatile form and gorgeous OLED. If you value the tablet mode and audio/visual excellence, it’s worth the premium.
• The HP Spectre x360 is arguably the closest competitor to the Yoga, offering similar or better performance at similar prices, plus the option for a larger model with discrete graphics. It’s a strong value if you can leverage that versatility and perhaps the GPU in the 16″ – otherwise the 14″ vs Yoga comes down to brand preference and slight feature differences. HP’s frequent sales can make the Spectre a relative bargain at times (there have been moments where Spectre 14 OLEDs were found for $1,200 on sale, which is fantastic value).
• The Surface Laptop 7 is a value leader for pure laptop usage – at $999 it undercuts many, and even maxed out it remains under $1,800. The value is only dampened if you happen to require something it doesn’t offer (like Thunderbolt eGPU support, or pen input, or heavy backward compatibility). But for the general audience, Microsoft priced it to sell in volume, signaling confidence in the product.

To put it simply: Yoga is slightly pricier for its spec but oozes premium quality; Spectre offers lots of tech and arguably justifies its cost if you need its features; Surface gives a lot of bang for buck in performance per dollar, assuming its limitations aren’t an issue for you.

Known Issues and Early Adopter Feedback

No product is perfect – let’s recap some of the known quirks, issues or points of praise that early users and reviewers have highlighted for each:

• Lenovo Yoga 9i Aura: The feedback here is largely positive. Praised for: exceptional battery life (some even doubted how Lenovo pulled ~15 hours from a 75Wh battery, but it consistently delivers over 12 hours for most), best-in-class OLED display, and premium audio. The keyboard comfort and inclusion of a pen are also pluses. Criticisms/Issues: The performance, while adequate, is not on par with some chunkier laptops – a few power users wished it had an option for a higher watt CPU or perhaps an NVIDIA MX series GPU, but those would have cut battery life. The right-side shortcut keys required adjustment for some, as accidental presses happened initially. In terms of reliability, hardly any complaints – Lenovo’s Yoga line is mature, and no widespread reports of defects. One tiny issue a user mentioned: the fan pulsing (brief spin-ups) occasionally even when not hot. This could likely be addressed by a BIOS update if it’s a thing. Also, the chassis is very glossy – it looks great but can show fingerprints a bit. And being a convertible, it has moving parts that could loosen over time, but Lenovo’s hinge is proven (no reports of hinge loosening so far). Some users were also surprised by a $1000 overnight price jump on Lenovo’s site due to tariff news – so pricing volatility upset some, but that’s not the product’s fault. Summarily, early adopters love the Yoga 9i Aura – many calling it the best Windows 2-in-1 of 2025 outright. If anything, the “issues” are minor learning curve things and a wish for a bit more performance headroom.
• HP Spectre x360 14/16: Being a bit more complex (especially the 16 with dGPU), there are a few more reported issues here. Praise for: gorgeous design, excellent OLED screens, the only 2-in-1 with a discrete GPU option (16”), and top-tier webcam and port selection (except lacking SD). People like the keyboard feel, and many comment that it’s one of the most feature-packed laptops (presence detection, AI noise reduction, etc.). Issues: The pre-installed software has been a common gripe – particularly McAfee causing performance issues until uninstalled. Several users experienced laggy or stuttery performance on battery out of the box. The remedy was often to do a clean Windows install or at least remove bloat and update drivers – after which most say it runs flawlessly. It’s unfortunate that such steps are needed on a premium device. Another issue: some have mentioned fan noise and heat on the 16″ – the fans can ramp up even when doing light tasks if background processes run. Possibly the RTX 4050 variant triggers more active cooling. One user of the 16″ said the fan runs high “very often even when not performing super intense tasks”. This could perhaps be mitigated by using “Quiet” mode in HP Command Center when not gaming. Also, a Reddit thread mentioned a touchpad glitch when an external monitor is connected on the 16″ – which sounds like a driver bug. BIOS/firmware updates from HP might have fixed some of these since early release. The magnetic pen storage issue we’ve discussed – that’s a design oversight: you just have to be careful to remove the pen before closing the lid to avoid any chance of scratching or pressure on the screen. Some owners wish the pen had a garage or at least stuck more securely to the side. The port selection being just 3 ports (on 14″) also got criticism – one user gave 3/5 partly due to wanting more USB ports. HP had to drop a second USB-A or any SD slot likely to keep it thin, but it’s a valid complaint for power users. On the 16″, they did add HDMI which helps. On the plus side, HP’s Spectre quality control seems decent; we haven’t heard of major hardware failures or widespread defects beyond these configuration woes. Value-wise owners love what it offers but expect perfection for the price, which is why any lag or fan noise stands out. The consensus is that once you tune it right (clean OS, correct power mode), the Spectre x360 is a top-notch machine, but casual users might be annoyed by those initial hiccups.
• Microsoft Surface Laptop 7: For a product that represents a platform shift, it’s doing remarkably well. Praise for: insane battery life (it really delivers 13-15 hours for most, which still wows people used to 6-8 hour Windows laptops), premium build and look (the new colors like Sapphire are hits), best-in-class keyboard and a much improved trackpad (with haptics) compared to previous Surfaces. Also, performance in everyday tasks is widely praised – people note the machine feels very responsive and is great for office work, web, media. Issues/limitations: The one that comes up most is software compatibility – while most normal apps run fine via emulation, anyone who needs specialized software might complain. For instance, some Adobe apps only recently got ARM versions; if you had asked in early 2024, Lightroom or some parts of Office might have had bugs on ARM (now largely resolved). Gamers obviously will point out it’s not viable for popular PC gaming. Some tech enthusiasts lament the lack of Thunderbolt ports – the USB4 support on Surface isn’t advertised as TB4, so while it can connect to displays and drives, it may not support eGPUs or dual 4K displays the same way. Microsoft did release a Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock that works with it (suggesting the ports can function like TB4), but the details are a bit muddy. Another limitation: no pen/touch focus – a few Surface fans were disappointed that this laptop doesn’t do tablet or pen, since earlier Surface Laptops did support pen (even if not convertible). Microsoft basically positioned Surface Laptop now purely against clamshells like Dell XPS and MacBook, leaving the 2-in-1 role to Surface Pro and Studio. For most, that’s fine, but a few students or artists might miss the versatility. As for actual issues reported: not many hardware issues. Some mention the touchpad sensitivity – TechRadar said there were some unintended inputs or overly sensitive edge detection. Possibly that could be improved with a driver update; or you can adjust the settings. Port selection is clearly minimal – two USB-C and one USB-A had at least one reviewer calling it “terrible” (given no HDMI or SD). However, it’s exactly the same count as the Yoga (3 ports plus audio) aside from Yoga having 2 USB-C + 1 USB-A vs Surface 2 USB-C + 1 USB-A. So it’s perspective – a MacBook Air has only 2 USB-C total. Still, an HDMI on the 15″ Surface would have been nice. A unique early adopter concern was whether Windows 11’s features like Recall (the timeline search) might have privacy issues – Microsoft responded by making it opt-in due to feedback. But that’s more of a Windows topic. Hardware-wise, the Surface Laptop 7’s launch was actually one of the smoothest in recent memory – no massive driver issues, no recall needed (unlike Surface Laptop 3 which had a screen cracking issue, or Surface Pro 7 had Wi-Fi driver issues at launch, etc.). Likely because the Snapdragon platform had been tested with Surface Pro X and dev kits prior, so Microsoft worked out many kinks. So the primary “known issue” is just: if you try to do something off the beaten path (e.g. run an obscure old app, or dual-boot Linux – which doesn’t run on ARM easily), you’ll face obstacles. But early reviewers and buyers generally report satisfaction – many calling it the first Surface Laptop that truly competes with MacBooks on all important fronts, which is high praise.

Roadmap and Future Outlook

Looking ahead, what can we expect beyond these models, and are there any leaks or updates coming?

• Lenovo/Yoga: Lenovo typically refreshes the Yoga 9 series annually. The 2025 Aura Edition (Gen 9 Yoga) introduced Lunar Lake. Going forward, the next refresh (Yoga 9i Gen 10 perhaps) could coincide with Intel’s “Arrow Lake” or whatever 16th-gen Core series is, possibly in 2026. Lenovo might also offer different sizes – there was mention in a forum that “Yoga Pro 9i Aura Edition” 16″ is coming (which might actually be referring to the Slim/Pro line rather than the convertible). In fact, Lenovo did launch a Yoga Pro 9i (2023) which is a 16″ powerhouse clamshell with RTX graphics. An Aura refresh of that in 2025 would suggest a high-end 16″ laptop to complement the 14″ Yoga 9i. But as one user noted, that’s a different beast: 4.5 lb, 16″ clamshell, not really a direct competitor (more a MacBook Pro rival). So, in convertible space, the Yoga 9i 14 will likely remain Lenovo’s flagship through most of 2025, with perhaps a new model in late 2025 or spring 2026 with next-gen Intel and maybe even more AI integration. No major leaks of a Yoga 9i “Gen10” have surfaced yet (as of Aug 2025). One thing to watch: OLED tech evolving (maybe brighter or more efficient panels) and perhaps Lenovo adding haptic feedback touchpads in the future (since competitors are doing that). Also, colors – Lenovo might release additional colors or special editions (e.g., last year they had an Oatmeal color Yoga 9i, this year just Storm Grey/Aura).
• HP Spectre x360: HP tends to do minor refreshes every year as well. The 2024 model brought Meteor Lake; it’s possible that in late 2025 or early 2026, HP will launch a Spectre x360 with Intel’s 15th Gen “Lunar Lake” if those chips become available for the performance class. However, Intel’s release schedule is a bit uncertain – Lunar Lake first hit in low-power form (the Yoga’s 7 258V is 15W class), Meteor Lake covered 28W and some 45W. It could be that HP sticks with Meteor Lake H for a while if Lunar Lake-P/H isn’t ready until 2026. Alternatively, HP might even consider an AMD variant; in the past, Spectre x360 16 had an AMD option in some markets (though not common). If AMD’s new Ryzen 8000 series with AI (codenamed Strix Point perhaps) is compelling, HP could do an AMD Spectre in 2025. No concrete rumors though. For the Spectre line, one upcoming thing is perhaps better integration of AI features – HP already calls these “AI PCs.” Expect even more in that vein: perhaps improved presence sensing (like detecting not just presence but specifically who is in front of the PC for security), or AI-enhanced display (dynamic refresh and resolution adjustments to save power). There was also mention of IMAX Enhanced on the OLED for Spectre – maybe HP will continue that partnership (it’s mostly marketing for HDR content). In terms of design, HP’s design is well-established, so no radical changes leaked. Possibly new color options each year (the Spectre 13.5 in the past had a Poseidon Blue, etc.). As for any known issues roadmap, HP did release some firmware updates after launch to fix touchpad and performance glitches, so those should be applied. The next models likely address initial complaints (maybe a better magnet for pen, who knows).
• Microsoft Surface Laptop: Microsoft typically updates the Surface Laptop roughly every 1.5 years. The Surface Laptop 5 was in fall 2022, Laptop 6 (if it existed) was skipped, and Laptop 7 came mid-2024. It’s unclear if they’ll do a Surface Laptop “8” in 2025 or wait until 2026. Rumors on Reddit suggested “early 2025 with a matte screen and Lunar Lake chipset”, but what happened is: the Surface Laptop 7 for Business (launched Feb 2025) has an anti-glare matte option and uses Intel 14th-gen (Meteor Lake) instead of Snapdragon for certain enterprise buyers. So that rumor was somewhat true but conflated with the business variant. Looking forward, Microsoft will likely continue down the ARM path for consumer Surface Laptops – possibly using the next-gen Snapdragon (Orion?) chips expected in 2025 that could be even more powerful. They might offer a choice of ARM or Intel to cater to all preferences, as they did via the business line. No solid leaks of a “Surface Laptop 8” as of August 2025 – and with Windows 12 rumored for late 2025, Microsoft might time new hardware to showcase that. If anything, we might see refreshes in late 2025: perhaps a bump to a Snapdragon X2 (the successor) and updated colors. The Surface Laptop 7th Gen being such a success means Microsoft will likely iterate on it rather than pivot away. One area they might improve is the display – many called for an OLED or Mini-LED option on Surface Laptop. It’s possible a future model could adopt something like a Mini-LED HDR display to appease those wanting deeper blacks without sacrificing productivity (similar to what Apple did with MacBook Pro screens). There’s also the chance Microsoft could re-introduce pen support if they figure out a good design (maybe a 360 hinge version? But that seems unlikely, as that’s basically a Surface Book or Studio which they’ve done differently). Roadmap tidbit: Microsoft’s next Surface event (usually annual around fall) will likely focus on other models like Surface Pro or Studio – the Laptop just got refreshed so it might skip a year. So expect the current Surface Laptop 7 to remain the latest through most of 2025, with perhaps a new one in late 2025 or 2026 with next-gen Qualcomm chips (which are rumored to be even closer to Apple M-series performance).

In summary, none of these devices are likely to be obsolete anytime soon – they all represent the cutting edge of mid-2025. If anything, we’ll see iterative improvements: new CPUs, possibly new GPU options (NVIDIA 5000 series for HP?), more AI features, and small design tweaks responding to user feedback (like better pen storage or more ports if feasible).

For now, the Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 (2025), HP Spectre x360 (2024/2025), and Surface Laptop 7 stand out as three of the best laptops in their respective categories: premium 2-in-1 convertible (Yoga), premium 2-in-1 with performance options (Spectre, especially the 16), and premium ultraportable laptop (Surface). Each has its unique strengths, and the “winner” really depends on the user’s needs – do you need a tablet mode? Do you crave the longest battery? Do you require discrete GPU power? We’ve covered all these aspects to help inform that decision.

Conclusion: Choosing among the Yoga 9i, Spectre x360, and Surface Laptop 7th Gen isn’t easy – they’re all excellent PCs with their own philosophies. The Yoga 9i Aura Edition is a multimedia powerhouse in a travel-friendly 2-in-1 form, perfect for those who want creativity and consumption on the go (and it even looks and sounds the part). The HP Spectre x360 offers versatility and raw power, especially in the 16″ variant – it’s for users who want a do-it-all machine (tent mode presentations, tablet sketching, even some gaming/rendering with the RTX GPU). Meanwhile, the Surface Laptop 7 is a game-changer for everyday productivity, delivering ultra-long battery life and a seamless, quiet experience – it’s arguably the best pick for writers, road warriors, or anyone who just needs a dependable, no-fuss laptop that lasts all day and then some.

In any case, you’re getting a cutting-edge device loaded with features in 2025. By considering all the points above – specs, design, features, performance, battery, software, and real-world feedback – you can decide which one aligns best with your priorities. No matter which you choose, it’s clear that Windows laptops have come a long way: these three prove you can have performance, portability, and panache all in one package, each in their own way.

sources:

• Lenovo Yoga 9i Aura Edition – Tom’s Hardware review, LaptopMag review, PCWorld review.
• HP Spectre x360 (2024) – TechRadar/PC Pro hands-on, Reddit user reports, HP spec sheet.
• Surface Laptop 7 – TechRadar review, Wikipedia summary of reviews, Microsoft spec sheet.