Today, LG silently announced that the world’s lightest 15-inch laptop – according to the company’s claim, that is – will be coming to Malaysia. This is quite a surprising move, considering it has been quite some time since an LG laptop is officially available here.
Naturally, we got to spend some time with the Gram 15, and we have to admit: this is one crazy lightweight laptop. If the Gram 15’s retail prices we were told of are accurate, this is potentially the laptop to get for those who are always on the go.
For such a slim and light laptop, the Gram 15 is packed with some very capable hardware. Unlike other compact notebooks, which are often equipped with Intel’s Core M processors, this laptop is powered by a Skylake-based Core i5 or i7 processor. Other than that, it also has a very generous 512GB SSD, 8GB of RAM, and a 15.6-inch 1080p IPS display.
When I first picked up the Gram 15, I was really, really impressed with how light it is. In fact, it feels even lighter than the 12-inch MacBook, which actually weighs 60g less. It’s no wonder LG is proud to claim that the Gram 15 is the world’s lightest 15-inch laptop; it definitely feels like it.
Considering how slim this laptop is (it measures only 16mm thick), I was sceptical of the Gram 15’s keyboard. Unfortunately, I was proven right: the keys have a rather limited amount of travel. That said, I do like the tactile feedback of the keyboard. While I’m not particularly fond of the short key travel, I imagine it’s something consumers will learn to live with. As for the Gram 15’s trackpad, I’ll say its…functional. It seems to track my fingers accurately, but it’s not exactly on the same level as a MacBook’s trackpad.
Instead of opting for a more pixel-dense display, LG “only” equipped the Gram 15 with a 1080p IPS panel. While some would’ve preferred a higher resolution panel, I’d say this is smart move by LG. For a laptop this thin, battery life could be a major issue. I’d gladly take a 1080p panel if it means better battery life. After all, this is a productivity laptop, where battery life is one of the most important features.
Battery life concern aside, the Gram 15’s display is adequately bright when used indoors, and the minimal bezels definitely make the laptop a looker. The colours of the display are vibrant, and the viewing angles are decent as well. That being said, as the Gram 15 has a glossy display, the laptop may not be suitable to be used under direct sunlight. Of course, this still remains to be seen.
There are hardly any 15-inch laptops that can quite match the portability and weight of the LG Gram 15, but there are certain sacrifices that had to be made to make it so lightweight. For one, the Gram 15 has a magnesium alloy body, which feels…a lot like plastic. This, in turn, doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in the overall build quality of the Gram 15. Then again, It’s only fair to give this laptop a more thorough look in a full review before giving it a final verdict.
LG’s decision to start bringing in its laptops into Malaysia is an exciting move. Not only do we have another player in the local laptop market, the tentative retail prices of the Gram 15 – which starts from RM4,500 – is quite competitive, especially for a premium laptop.
We can’t wait until June 2016 for the official launch of the LG Gram 15. It will be interesting to see how well-received this laptop will be among Malaysian consumers.
