LG Gram hands-on – in pictures
It may cost a lot but the LG Gram’s ultra-light weight makes it special
LG Gram hands-on – in pictures
LG makes phones. LG makes amazing OLED TVs. LG makes fridges. You probably know that. But did you know LG also makes laptops? This is the first time we’ve seen them sold in the UK, but the Gram is a fine way to make an entrance. It’s not a touchscreen hybrid and it’s definitely not a gaming machine, but it can take on just about any other laptop identity you like. There’s just one hitch. At £1549 for 14in the version with a Core i7 processor, the Gram costs more than the 4K Dell XPS 13. Ouch. Let’s have a look.
Design: super lightweight
With a name like LG Gram, there are no prizes for guessing this laptop’s main design feature. It’s made of magnesium, which isn’t ultra-common because it can be mistake for plastic, but it means the 13in and 14in versions weigh a packet of crisps or so below a kilogram, and even the 15in version is only 1.09kg. A similarly sized MacBook Pro weighs 1.83kg. There’s no touchscreen, the hinge only lets you fold the screen back to a totally familiar laptop-like angle, and LG has waved two fingers at the trend of making the keyboard as thin as a greetings card. You can also choose between white and silver finishes.
Build: tougher than it looks
At this weight, you might expect the Gram to flex if you breathe on it too hard but it’s really quite sturdy – with a couple of caveats. While the screen bends significantly more than a MacBook’s and the top part of the touchpad flexes if you press it in the right place, the QWERTY doesn’t wobble when you type. This design earns the LG Gram a military spec rating too, MIL-STD 810G. That means it has been bashed, frozen, lightly boiled, vibrated and sprayed with salty water. And it survived. So, yeah, it’s definitely tougher than it looks.
Features: well connected
This laptop also has much better connectivity than you tend to get these days in an ultra-ultra portable machine. There’s a Thunderbolt 3 USB-C for all your future gadgets, but also the important ones we want for today’s stuff. That includes a full-size HDMI, two USBs and a microSD card slot. Behind the keys, you get a two-level backlight for working in the dark, and a fingerprint scanner built into the power button. This is the classiest way to fit one in. Because no-one wants one cluttering up the touchpad.
Screen: keeping with tradition
All of the LG Gram versions have 1080p IPS LCD screens with glossy but not ultra-reflective surfaces. Colour is good, contrast is good and viewing angles are solid. In fact, the brightness on the LG Gram 14 could almost took your eye out. The old price issue turns up again, though. For similar money you could get a 4K screen from Dell or HP, and that will make everything look much sharper, even in the 13-inch version.
Performance: Big on battery
Despite being so light, there’s no related compromise when it comes to performance. You get either an 8th generation Core i5 or i7 CPU, which means more demanding applications should run fine, although the Gram isn’t cut out for the latest games. LG says the Gram’s 72Wh battery will last for 22.5 hours at 50% brightness doing light office tasks, which is kind of amazing. Will it hang on that long if you start playing games or streaming video? Of course not, but it should stay alive for a full day’s work.
LG Gram: initial verdict
From first impressions, it seems the LG Gram would make the perfect laptop for a student. It’s ultra-light, the 14in version is big and comfy enough to work on all day. And it should last all day too. Not many students will be able to afford one of these, mind. It costs a packet, more than most premium portable laptops. Still, business travellers with plenty to spend to keep their shoulders comfortable while schlepping about an airport should give the LG Gram a careful look.
