As we enter the CES 2021 technology exhibition at full speed, LG has announced a refresh of its range of light gram laptops – one of the premium ultraportable line-ups on the market today.
The main update is the introduction of the latest 11th generation Intel chipsets into the gram portfolio, which will ensure more performance with less battery drain. Graphics are provided by an integrated Intel Xe chip, so this is not for demanding games or other intensive tasks.
There are a total of five new models: 16-inch and 14-inch models come in standard laptops and 2-in-1 configurations (with the latter offering 360-degree rotary hinges, touch screens, and styluses), while there’s also a 17-inch Model that’s only available in standard laptop form factors.
The 17-inch and 16-inch laptops come with a display that runs at 2,560 x 1,600 pixels of WQXGA resolution, while the 14-inch model offers WUXGA resolution of 1,920 x 1,200, which is still impressive for its screen size.
Another change is the introduction of a 16:10 aspect ratio for all models in the gram range, a design option previously exclusive to the largest gram of 17 inches. While it’s not very suitable for watching big screen videos like 16:9, 16:10 is a better option to customize more documents or webpages on the screen at once.
LG says the keyboard and trackpad have also been enlarged, while the specs are rounded out with 8 GB or 16 GB of RAM. We don’t yet know how much internal storage will be available, but we know it will be the latest NVMe SSD.
As in the previous gram incarnation, the lightness of this laptop is important. The largest and heaviest 17-inch model weighs just 1,350 grams (2.98 lb), while the standard 14-inch non-2-in-1 laptop weighs just 999 grams (2.2 lb). LG promises nearly 20 hours of battery life for all models in that range, although manufacturers tend to be overly optimistic in this area.
CES 2021 is usually the place for companies to show off what’s coming next year, with price details and availability catching up later, and that’s what happens with new LG gram laptops – we don’t yet know when they’ll be launched for sale or how much they’ll cost, but based on the current model, those prices will lead to more expensive markets.