Big hitters like Samsung, HP, Lenovo, Asus and Dell are the brands you're most likely to see in the laptop section of your high street electronics store, but TV, phone and white goods giant LG is also in the portable computer game. With CES 2019 just around the corner, the company is adding two new flavors to its range of gram laptops – a 17 inch model and a 14 inch 2-in-1 convertible.
With the gram 17, LG is claiming the crown for the lightest 17 inch laptop on the market with a figure of 1.34 kg (2.95 lb). The firm has managed to squeeze a 17 inch WQXGA (2,560 x 1,600) 16:10 ratio display into a 15.6 inch laptop chassis, which is also home to an 8th Gen Intel Core processor with integrated UHD graphics and support from up to 16 GB of RAM and 256 GB of SSD storage. There's an additional slot for extra SSD storage inside if you need more.
Thunderbolt 3 connectivity is included for data transfer, device charging and feeding video to an external monitor, together with USB 3.1, HDMI and microSD ports. And there's a four point glass touchpad in front of a backlit keyboard with two brightness settings.
LG says that the gram 17's 72 Wh battery is good for up to 19.5 hours of use per charge, though in our experience such figures can be way off in real world conditions. You're likely to enjoy at least all day working and maybe even some movie watching before having to seek out a wall outlet, but we'll have to wait for the reviews before true battery life figures and benchmarks are available.
If you appreciate decent sound, this gram rocks DTS Headphone X that simulates 11.1 channel output. Testing to MIL-STD-810G standards for durability means that it should be good for life on the road without showing too many signs of wear, and users will be able to log on and sign in at the same time courtesy of a fingerprint reader.
The gram 17 is being pitched at prosumers and business users, so it's probably not going to be budget-friendly (indeed, a 15.6 gram has a retail price tag of nearly US$2k).
As with other convertibles on the market, the gram 2-in-1 features a 360 degree hinge that allows it to serve as a laptop and a tablet. It has a 14 inch 1080p IPS touchscreen with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 out front and comes with an 8th Gen Intel Core processor inside, along with up to 16 GB of RAM and SSD storage.
The 72 Wh battery here is reported good for up to 21 hours of use between charges. The gram 2-in-1 tips the scales at 1.145 kg (2.5 lb) and comes supplied with a Wacom AES 2.0 Pen for onscreen sketching and note-making. This model also has a backlit keyboard, fingerprint reader, DTS Headphone X technology and has been tested to MIL-STD-810G durability standards.
Pricing and availability information hasn't been announced, but those going to CES 2019 in Las Vegas next month will be able to get up close and personal with the new models.
Source: LG
