The LG gram has been out for quite a bit but in this day and age where almost every single person has a laptop, what does the gram have to offer? This is my review of the 13-inch LG gram.
The Looks
When unboxing the LG gram, the first thing that hit me was the minimalistic look of the cover. As someone who loves minimalistic design, the gram is definitely a looker.
The Weight
The second thing that dawned on me is the weight of the laptop. It is light. Very light. To be exact, it weighs 840g, which makes it ultra-portable and lighter than the 12-inch Macbook. One would think that LG must have compensated something to manufacture such a light laptop. However, judging from the ports it still offers, I don’t think so.
The Ports
On the left side of the gram, you will find a charging port, a USB 3.0 port, a HDMI port and a USB Type-C port. And on the right, you will see the second USB 3.0 port, a 3.5mm headphone jack and a MicroSD card slot.
The most probable reason why LG can create such a light laptop could be because the gram is made up of magnesium alloy, which also makes the computer more durable and heat-resistant.
The Webcam
Immediately after I lifted up the cover, I noticed the weird positioning of the HD webcam, i.e. 1280 x 720p. It looked like it was staring at my brain through my nostrils. This is seriously a design flaw. Not only that, the webcam takes grainy images that should not exist in 2017.
The Keyboard
The keys on the keyboard are decently spaced out from one another, and each key has a slight curve on it, which makes it really pleasant to type on it. Perfect for writers like me.
I also fell in love with its backlit keyboard. It looks gorgeous in dark environment, and I used it many times in my room with the lights off. WARNING: DO NOT LEARN THIS BAD HABIT FROM ME.
The Specifications and Battery Life
Inside this 13-inch LG gram laptop is a 7th Generation Intel Core i7-7500U processor, 8GB of memory and a 256GB SSD. It also has an Intel HD Graphics 620, which I don’t think is suitable for intensive gaming.
The gram houses a 34.6Wh battery that can give you up to 10.5hrs of usage time, at least this is what it says on paper. During my test, I managed to squeeze out 10 hours of usage time, where I mainly used it for surfing the net, watching YouTube videos and writing my articles. For heavy users, the experience may differ.
But not to worry, just remember to turn on the Battery Saver to let it help you optimise your battery life and you should be able to squeeze out more time from the battery.
The Screen
The gram has a Full HD (1920×1080) IPS display. The viewing angles are excellent, and even after dimming the light on the screen, images are still sharp and clear. There’s really nothing to complain about in this area.
The Speakers
The speakers on the LG gram does not project upwards like many other laptops. Instead, the Hi-Fi stereo comes out from the sides. Though so, they don’t sound bad at all. In fact, listening to it feels a little like having a surround sound experience without the bass.
Here’s our test video for the LG gram speakers on full volume:
Buy or Bye?
The LG gram is indeed a remarkable laptop. It is light-weight, has excellent technical specifications and the design looks really clean. The battery life is also extraordinary, allowing me to do my work in peace without having to scramble around to find my charger to charge it after 8 hours of usage. The only imperfection of this laptop is the webcam. Other than that, the LG gram is a perfect laptop for me to bring it around.
I highly recommend anyone who does not have a laptop or are looking for a computer that is very portable with above average specifications to get the LG gram. If you already have a laptop and are thinking of getting another for travel, I would also recommend the gram to you.
The 13-inch LG gram retails at S$2,199, and you can find them at all major electronics stores.
