Forget the MacBook Air, everyone's talking about the new LG Gram

LG has refreshed its range of lightweight laptops – the LG Gram – and we're excited to report that the new offering, honoured for innovation at CES 2021, looks good enough to rival Apple's MacBook Air. The new range contains a whopping five new models, with three main sizes (the Gram 14, 16 and 17), plus two convertible 2-in-1 versions of the smaller sizes (Gram 16 2-in-1 and Gram 14 2-in-1). 

The updated range is exciting news for creatives, as the features feel tailor-made for those who want to create and design on an ultra-portable machine (for more options, see our pick of the most powerful laptops and best travel laptops). Though the specs aren't a million miles away from the LG Gram's previous feature-set, the upgrades are crucial enough to elevate the range as a serious competitor. 

But will the LG Gram have impressive enough capability to rival Apple's own M1 chip, which is currently rolling out across the MacBook range? Well, they run on Intel's Evo Platform, which is being consistently reviewed as holding up well against the M1 chip, with reports that Intel has been gearing up to take on the challenge of Apple's groundbreaking technology. So these LG Gram laptops may well do enough to take the wind out of Apple's sails. Whether it's enough to make it in to our pick of the best laptops for graphic design, only time will tell.

In terms of the all-important display, the new, improved LG Gram laptops will have 16:10 aspect ratio (as opposed to the standard 16:9) across the board. That means that whatever screen size you go for you won't be compromising on visual quality – brilliant for creatives who need to be immersed in their work and see it in more detail.

Other key specs include the laptops' weight (or lack of) – these are super-portable, with the Gram 17 weighing just three pounds, the Gram 16 2.6 pounds, and the smallest Gram 14 weighing a featherlight 2.2 pounds. They're also paper-thin – just 0.66 of an inch, in fact. However, the touchpads and keyboards have been subject to the opposite treatment, instead of being shrunk they've been enlarged – a brilliant thing for those worrying about the useability of a dinky machine. 

We loved the LG Gram 17 when it first came out in 2019 (see the LG Gram 17 review here) and we can't wait to see how these improved laptops pan out. The key upgrades made seem to make the range a true comp in the lightweight laptop arena and potentially brilliant choices for creatives who want something super-portable. But as Apple develops the next stage in its M1 journey (find out about the M1X here), can these new LG devices continue to keep up?

Read more:

• LG's Rollable smartphone is here (and you won't believe it's real)
• CES Innovation Week 2021
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