Companies like Apple, Lenovo and Dell probably thought they had a firm grip on the ultraportable market until devices like the LG Gram 16 turned the tables with an enticing mix of impressive speed and delicate design. The latest version of Gram refines its winning formula with a few improvements and one of Intel’s new power-saving processors. Otherwise, it retains the good looks and pleasant keyboard of the series. The LG Gram 16 we tested costs $1,450, but you can drop the price by $150 if you settle for a Core i5 processor.
These numbers compare well with those of its competitors, although the competitive situation with the Gram 16 is a bit strange: When you think of other mid-sized notebooks, you think of the Dell XPS 15, the MacBook Pro 16, or the ThinkPad X1 Extreme, but the Gram’s lightweight status also puts it at odds with the smaller MacBook Air, the XPS 13 Plus, or the Surface Laptop series.
The LG Gram 16 (2022) improves on the 2021 model, which was already a fantastic laptop and whose 17-inch model made our coveted list of the greatest laptops. LG was able to slightly reduce it, despite a slight increase in weight. A substantially quicker 12th generation Intel Core CPU and quick LPDDR5 memory make up the processor nowadays. While Windows 11 is set as the default operating system, the storage subsystem has also been upgraded to PCIe Gen 4.0.
LG Gram 16 review: Design
The LG Gram 16 2-in-1 weighs about 3.62 pounds thanks to the aluminum cover and magnesium alloy chassis that make up its body. This weighs much less than other 16-inch, 360-degree convertible 2-in-1s like the MSI Summit E16 Flip and the HP Spectre x360 16, which both weigh 4.4 and 4.45 pounds, respectively. The LG, MSI, and HP are all the same thickness (0.67 inches), however the HP is thicker (0.78 inches). The LG Gram 16 2-in-1 is unquestionably easier to carry about than most large convertible 2-in-1s.
The magnesium alloy does, however, have one flaw that frequently manifests in LG Gram laptops. It is less stiff than the aluminum utilized in the Spectre x360 16 and the Summit E16 Flip. In contrast to previous 2-in-1s, the Gram 16 2-in-1 exhibits slight bending in the chassis bottom and flexing in the keyboard deck. Even the aluminum lid has some give to it.
Although LG tests the Gram 16 2-in-1’s ruggedness up to military standards, it doesn’t feel as sturdy as its main rival. The Gram 16 2-in-1 won’t meet your expectations if you’re looking for a laptop that feels like it costs $1,500 or more, but that doesn’t mean it’s not well-built. The hinge keeps the display solidly in place in clamshell, tent, media, and tablet modes but is just the slightest bit stiff, necessitating a second hand to hold down the bottom of the chassis as you approach directly upright.
LG Gram 16 review: Performance
The LG Gram 2022 is now equipped with an improved version of Intel’s new 12th Gen Intel Core processor; specifically, my review model includes the Intel Core i7-1260P. That chip is incredibly quick for productivity tasks; in fact, according to our benchmark results, it is even faster than the M1 chip found inside the MacBook Air. Even though it uses the same chip as the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 2, there are indications of possible throttling.
But as long as you want to stay to daily productivity workloads, that shouldn’t be a problem. The integrated graphics capability of the Intel processor is likewise outstanding. Although you won’t be able to play contemporary games at their highest graphics settings, you can still create content and play games for fun. However, competing productivity laptops with greater performance in this area can be found due to the throttling difficulties.
The LG Gram 16 truly shines in one area: SSD performance. During testing, it reached read rates of 6514 MB/s and write speeds of 4898 MB/s. The Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 2 is one of the other laptops I just evaluated, and this one is twice as quick. This indicates that the Gram can swiftly install and load files onto the actual drive. This is helpful for starting up and launching your favorite downloaded programs, among other things. The 512GB standard storage capacity is likewise respectable, and there is also the choice of the larger 1TB SSD.
LG Gram 16 review: Keyboard and touchpad
It takes some getting used to using the touchpad and keyboard. The full-sized, island-style keyboard’s key travel is unquestionably superior to that of a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro’s Butterfly keyboard, but it doesn’t feel as comfortable as, say, a Lenovo ThinkPad T490S. The right side of the keyboard also has a number pad, which looks like a useful addition for productivity use, but it is, in my opinion, a little too thin and hence uncomfortable to use. Without the number pad, I would have preferred if the keyboard had filled the entire deck.
It could take a little while to get used to the keyboard. I averaged 54 words per minute on the 10fastfingers typing test, compared to my normal 60 words per minute on my MacBook Air. It only takes a little while to become acclimated to the keyboard alignment for this number to increase over time. The glass touchpad is incredibly roomy and measures 5.1 inches by 3.3 inches. It makes extremely few mistakes and responds to clicks and motions. The touchpad’s bottom corners can be clicked to generate a proper tactile response that doesn’t feel mushy. However, because of where it is on the keyboard deck, unintentional input can happen.
The touchpad appears to be too close to the center and the keyboard is slightly to the left due to the number pad. This improves aesthetics but impairs usability, causing unintentional swipes or clicks from your right hand when typing. The touchpad would be much more comfortable to use if it were little more oriented to the left.
LG Gram 16 review: Display
The 16-inch IPS panel in our test unit offers a WQXGA resolution. Its matte anti-glare coating is a vast improvement over the glossy display of the 2021 model, which frequently resulted in disturbing distorted reflections. The lack of a touchscreen and the lack of a glass coating on the panel are likely weight-saving measures. This indicates that it lacks stiffness, as we have said, and it has an unattractive plastic trim around the screen.
The screen-to-body ratio is excellent thanks to the tiny bezels, and the matte finish makes it considerably more appropriate for outdoor use. We have very little to complain about in terms of the performance of the display. Because of the excellent color depth, graphic designers and video editors can use it. It provides a ton of detail, outstanding contrast, and luscious, brilliant colors. Additionally, the display is moderately bright, so using it outside wasn’t difficult. Here, where glass-fronted displays frequently suffer in direct sunshine, the matte surface is a huge assistance.
On the other side, the speakers aren’t particularly strong. They can produce a respectable amount of volume, but there is virtually no low end to speak of, and their firing orientation is downward, which makes problems worse. It’s fairly simple to muffle the sound if you’re using it on your lap or another soft surface. In the top bezel is a webcam with a resolution of 1080p. Although its image quality is superior to that of most laptops’ 720p displays, it is mediocre and has trouble in backlit environments. However, it does support Windows Hello, allowing you to sign in with your face, and it also has a very neat party trick utilizing the LG Glance by Mirametrix app.
LG Gram 16 review: Software
Unwelcome goodies abound with the Gram 16. It does come with Alexa built-in, which might be useful to some people. Although Windows 11 comes with a fully serviceable antivirus named Microsoft Defender Antivirus, the review sample we received had an outdated version of McAfee Livesafe antivirus that pestered us every day to upgrade.
Along with these, there are shortcuts to Spotify, Disney+, Adobe Express, Prime Video, Tiktok, Facebook, and Instagram, as well as a trial version of Microsoft 365 (previously known as Office 365), a fully functional version of Laplink PC Mover Professional, three Cyberlink applications (PhotoDirector, AudioDirector, PowerMediaPlayer, and Power Director), and several other apps.
Three of LG’s own apps are included with the Gram 16: Smart Assistant, which lets you fine-tune the device down to the speed of the CPU fan, Virtoo, which lets you link your smartphone to a PC in a manner akin to Microsoft’s Your Phone, and LG Glance, which makes use of Miramatrix technology. The last app, which uses the integrated full HD front facing camera to track your glance, is the one that most excited us.
It offers a variety of capabilities, including the ability to switch active Windows to another display and letting the laptop know whether the user is there. In an effort to protect your privacy, it can even let you know if someone is looking over your shoulder by spotting a second pair of irises. Sadly, it only functions when you are connected to the mains, despite the fact that we found it to be rather accurate in our tests.
LG Gram 16 review: Battery life
The chassis of the Gram 16 2-in-1’s tiny and low weight can accommodate an 80 watt-hour battery. That’s not the largest battery capacity we’ve seen in 16-inch laptops, but this one doesn’t have the most powerful parts, nor does it feature an OLED or 4K+ display, which are both power-hungry. The Gram 16 2-in-1 should perform well in our testing because LG’s Gram series is renowned for its long battery life.
And it did, in fact. In our web-browsing test, which cycles through a number of well-known and complicated websites, it lasted for 11.5 hours, outlasting its nearest rival, the HP Spectre x360 16 (with an OLED display), by almost two hours. Although not the highest we’ve observed, that is a good test result. In our video test, which loops a local Full HD Avengers trailer, the Gram 16 2-in-1 performed even better, lasting for nearly 18 hours and ranking among the longest-lasting we’ve tested. The Spectre x360 16 was about five hours behind schedule.
LG Gram 16 review: Price
The 1TB configuration costs £1,733 in the UK. Although Australia does not now sell the 2-in-1, the UK pricing is AU$3,045. The Gram 16 costs $1,500, which is neither cheap nor expensive given what you receive. However, Costco currently has it marked down to $1,200, which is actually a decent deal and worth taking advantage of if this model fits your needs.
Additionally, it’s worthwhile to wait for a price reduction if you’re reading this and the item isn’t already in stock. Additionally, despite the premium price, you might wish to remove some bloatware. It’s not much, but some of the preloaded apps like LG Glance, which employs presence recognition for privacy and security features, and Wacom’s Bamboo Paper notepad app are helpful.
Final words
The new 2-in-1 Gram 16 gives up a little in terms of screen brightness and battery life, but gains 280g in weight compared to the clamshell laptop version. It also loses a Type-A USB and HDMI port. To make up for that, you get a touchscreen, an excellent stylus that comes with it, and the choice to use it in tablet, tent, or stand mode. We don’t think that’s a huge compromise, so we’d gladly accept the 2-in-1 model’s added versatility in exchange for the slight cost.
