For a very long time, the MacBook Air has been the most impressive notebook when it comes to visual appeal. But now, things are changing. Being a lighter, mightier, thinner and bigger device compared to the MacBook Air, the LG Gram 15 has cemented its position as a strong contender in this year’s notebook market.
So, how thin is the Gram 15? A stunning 16.8mm is what the numbers say. That is downright impressive as it makes the laptop thinner than the MacBook Air as well. When it comes to the weight, the Gram 15 measures just 2.16 pounds. Once again, that’s lesser than the MacBook Air.
The 15.6 inch FHD displays provides excellent viewing angles and vibrant colours. The design showcases how simplicity can be elegance. A ‘new gold’ magnesium and lithium frame with just two LG logos on the entire body creates a very captivating notebook in terms of looks. One little trouble you might experience with the Gram 15’s body is its tendency to catch scratches.
The connectivity i.e. ports provided on the notebook are plenty. Even the MacBook Air doesn’t offer 2 USB 3.1 ports, 1 HDMI port and a USB-C type port. LG also offers two display modes namely reading mode and movie mode to offer variable viewing experiences. The somewhat short keyboard is in no way a useless one.
The keys offer a satisfactory feedback every time they are pressed. The glass trackpad provided is a responsive one. The fact that the keyboard is not backlit is disappointing. However, with so much good, the bad loses its influence.
The LG Gram 15 is powered by a sixth generation Intel i5 processor (6200U) that runs at a normal frequency of 2.3 Ghz and can stretch up to 2.8 Ghz when better performance is required. The i5-6200U is a dual core processor with a cache of 3MB which enables the notebook to take of multi-threaded tasks as well.
The Intel HD 520 graphics can manage high definition videos and mildly demanding games at medium settings. The 8GB DDR3L RAM accounts for all the memory needs of applications. The RAM is more than enough if heavy gaming is not on your mind. The storage provided is a 256GB SSD drive.
The device comes with 802.11ac (2×2) Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 as well. The OS on which the device runs is Windows 10, the latest offering by Microsoft. The device can handle anything except graphic heavy tasks as the graphics card is not a strong one. However, any other task will run smoothly on the LG Gram 15. The provision for instant boot and a 720p webcam brings even more to the table.
On the performance front, LG Gram 15 does deliver excellence, if not perfection. The device comes with a 4,495mAh battery. The brand advertises the LG Gram 15’s battery life to be around 9 hours, but in actual practice, 5 hours is the maximum you can get. In such an amazing notebook, the battery life will prove to be the limiting factor for most.
LG manages to create a machine that defies the conventions on notebook design. The performance is not an aspect where compromises have been. The only serious cons in this device are the battery life and lack of a backlit keyboard. Simply put, the LG Gram 15 is worth your money.
Price: $1499
