When you are LG Electronics and you’ve already had a crack at selling notebooks and failed, the next best thing to get back into the market is a cutting-edge product that takes it right up to competitors, and that’s exactly what LG has done with their new 16-inch Gram notebook.

16″ is not a size you associate with light, wafer-thin and ultra-portable, but that’s exactly what their new Gram machine is.

The new 13th Gen intel i7 model I tested was also very fast, especially when handling large files such as we do in the production of publications.

168 pages of content opened in seconds and this is down to the big performance boost Intel has delivered with their 13^th Gen processor, however this device is more for the business market than creatives.

The ultra-slim Gram weighs just 1190g, and measures just 10.99mm thick, which is up there with the best there is out there, including Apple’s M2-powered MacBook Air which weighs 1.2 kilo and is 11.3mm thick, making it both heavier and thicker than LG’s newest flagship notebook offering.

Selling for around $3,299 at JB Hi-Fi, the one thing missing from this wafer-thin Intel 13th gen notebook is touch, which for me is a key feature of any premium business notebook.

Also missing is a touch pen capability, which for a large screen is a big omission, especially for creatives.

This is a highly practically lightweight notebook, especially for power users who are constantly on the go or need a notebook at multiple meetings, especially as it has HDMI capability built in and has good battery life when not connected to power.

Also on board are 2 x USB 3.2 ports, 2 x USB-C ports, 1 x Thunderbolt 4.0 port, Webcam, Bluetooth v5.1, Intel® Wireless-AX211 (Wi-Fi 6E 802.11ax, 2×2, Dual Band, BT Combo.

There is also a MicroSD card reader. These features across a lot of premium notebooks have been removed, replaced with a simple USB C connector, which if you want to connect an HDMI cable means you have to buy an additional dock or multi connector port.

The impressive speed and design takes this notebook into a unique league. It also has a great keyboard which for me, as a writer, is essential, especially when you spend days pounding a keyboard.

The latest version of the Gram is in essence a nip and tuck product vs previous models, with the bulk of the improvements being under the bonnet, in particular the improved processor and the power it delivers.

LG is famous for their OLED display technology and with this new model what you get is a 16:10 aspect ratio WQXGA anti-glare display that delivers 2,560 x 1,600 resolution and 386 nits.

Personally I would have liked to see a full OLED panel and nits up to 500, similar to what Dell is delivering with their XPS models, especially as LG are asking more than $3K for this notebook.

Ultimately, the Gram’s display is better suited to everyday business workloads rather than hard-nosed creative work.

The processor is the latest 13th Gen Intel® Core™ i7 12 core processor. Also on board is 512GB SSD storage and 16GB of RAM.

The standout feature is the weight, and at first I was suspicious that the flexibility and the weight was not necessarily a good combination for a business-on-the-go notebook, especially when you can easily flex the lid and screen.

Then there is the issue of what appears to be a weightless keyboard and motherboard.

My fears were quickly dispelled after a week of reviewing this device, in fact, the flexibility is a big plus over far more rigid notebooks.

LG assures me this Gram has been fully tested and certified to MIL-STD-810G protocols.

This means it can withstand drops, shock hits, vibration and different temperatures and pressure levels, and even dust ingress.

One of the reasons this device is a standout PC is the use of magnesium alloy, which delivers rigidity while also delivering the flexibility that makes this device unique.

Along with the new notebook we got a look at the LG +view.

It’s a portable monitor that uses the same 2,560 x 1,600 IPS internals as the Gram, and is designed as an extension screen,. What you get is a folding case and the ability to face the extension screen at an audience while you power a PowerPoint presentation or an Excel spreadsheet.

It weighs around 950g and it’s 8.3mm thin, so it’s easy to carry alongside your notebook, and it has USB-C ports on either side for easy connectivity and positioning.

Conclusion

The LG Gram 16 is a laptop designed for a clearly defined market of power users, and while it’s powerful, light and highly functional the world has moved to touch both with smartphones and notebooks and LG, should have gone with the flow and delivered a tough screen capability.

For those who don’t want touch or a pen this is the machine for you. The keyboard is great and the display as good as a lot of other notebooks out there, and it handles just about any functions or workload will throw at it.

The LG Gram 16 we reviewed with its Core i7 processor, 16GB of memory and 512GB SSD drive is cheaper than the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro.

With the Gram, you’ll get great battery life of a lightweight machine and a bucketload of processing power. Screen quality could also have been better, especially as LG are known for having some of the best TV and monitor displays in the world.

Rating 8/10

Due to missing touch screen