LG is back with another round of its Gram laptops, continuing the trend with no less than five new models, including an external display. You get a pretty good variance in size, starting with the Gram 14 on the smaller side, and going up to the Gram 15, Gram 16, Gram 17 and the Gram 16 2-in-1. All of them retain the same lightweight design as covered previously on the blog and that has been a big part of the Gram lineup for some time.
On top of the five new laptops announced this week, there’s also an external display called the +view for LG Gram. It only needs to plug in via USB to work, and offers some unique features when connected to any of the Gram laptops.
The new Gram laptops explained
The magnesium alloy LG uses is the biggest reason why a device like the LG Gram 17 weighs less than three pounds. Even the Gram 14 is a feathery 2.2 pounds. The lighter frames have been key to making LG’s laptops unique compared to others, so that hasn’t really changed.
What LG did change was what’s under the hood. All of them will run on Intel’s 12th-Gen Alder Lake Core processors. Better graphics, more RAM options, 1TB of internal storage, plus a bigger battery means you get incremental improvements across the board. The battery stands out because LG claims you can get up to 25 hours per charge. That’s with some usage, by the way, so even with heavier use, you should theoretically be able to hit 20 hours or more.
LG is also pretty generous with the ports. You get USB-A, USB-C, microSD, HDMI and 3.5mm headphone options. The HDMI port is only on the Gram 15, 16 and 17, as the 14 and 2-in-1 don’t come equipped with one.
The 2-in-1 is only one with a touch display for obvious reasons. Detach the keyboard and use it as a tablet, much like you could with previous versions of this model. It has a slightly brighter screen than the Gram 16, though also weighs more when the keyboard’s attached.
LG also chose to keep it simple on colour with all five Grams. Obsidian black is the only variant right now, and no word on whether white (as in the past) will happen or not. The Canadian models will come with a bilingual keyboard, which is a first for the Gram lineup.
The +view screen
LG also showed off a cool new accessory called the +view, an external portable display you can easily connect to any of the Gram laptops. It has a nice resolution of 2560 x 1600, and can orient in landscape or portrait style. The protective cover coming with it also doubles as a stand to prop it up.
This is not a touchscreen, so the idea isn’t to treat it like a tablet. At 16-inches, it’s a portable monitor you can deploy almost anywhere you need it. That could be at a desk, in a home office, or when setting yourself up at a hotel or some other spot.
While it is an LG device, it can work with pretty much any computer, including a Mac. You don’t have to go with an LG Gram laptop to make it work, which is great if you were looking for a smaller second screen.
LG Glance software
All of these Gram models will come with software called Glance. It’s AI-based software that allows each laptop to lock or blur the screen for privacy. If someone is looking over your shoulder at what you’re working on, it will blur the entire display. If you step away for any reason, the screen automatically locks to cover everything.
The +view also comes into this. Glance tracks eye and head movement, so when you look away from your laptop and over to the screen, the screen’s contents transfer over. Look back to the laptop, and they transfer back. The mouse cursor will also be in the exact same spot you left it, regardless of which screen you look at.
Order LG Gram now from Best Buy
All of the new LG Gram laptops and +view are available for pre-order at Best Buy. Let us know in the comments what you like most about the new lineup of LG laptops.
