It’s probably a weird time to talk about ultrabooks right now, what with a good portion of the population working from home because of the pandemic. The very term “ultrabook” itself is a portmanteau of ultra-portable and notebook, and with, uh, everything that’s going on in the world today, there’s really not that much of a need for a lightweight laptop to get things done on the go.
Which is unfortunate, because the LG Gram 14 is the best in class when it comes to portable computing. Hopefully, eventually, when we emerge from our safety bunkers, folks will come to appreciate toting around a 0.9kg productivity powerhouse to do some work at post-pandemic coffee shops and cafes. 
While self-quarantine has everyone chained to their desks at home right now, allow me to tell you a little bit about what LG’s shtick is with their Gram (officially branded in the lowercase “gram”) series of laptops. Like what the name implies, it’s all about lightness — without compromising on battery life and processing power, that is.
The 2020 versions of the Gram laptops were unveiled at CES earlier this year (ah, remember the times when large gatherings and exhibitions were still a thing?), and the new clamshell range includes 17-inch, 14-inch and 15-inch models on top of a 2-in-1 convertible. Our review unit, the LG Gram 14, is the lightest one of the lot, weighing in at only 999 grams, while its wider siblings are heavier, though not by much. 
The impressive refresh here is that all of the laptops are powered by 10th Generation Intel Core Processors with Iris Plus graphics and up to 24GB of dual-channel DDR4 memory. If that sounds like gibberish, it just means that they’re more powerful than ever before, capable — in theory — of editing 4K videos and hi-res gaming on the go.
Or so LG says. In reality, it’s not really that much of a gaming rig, as it shouldn’t be. Running Call Of Duty Warzone was out of the question, but playing Apex Legends on medium settings was passable (barely), with frequent stuttering. Black Mesa doesn’t really push the graphics that hard, but even so, the LG Gram 14 slightly struggled to keep things buttery smooth. Make no mistake, this laptop is not for heavy-duty stuff like 3D designing or intense video rendering. 
Again, this is by no means a gaming laptop, so it shouldn’t be expected to fly in that aspect. What it does excel in is doing actual work stuff. Browsing the web, checking emails, running Microsoft Office, editing photos, using social media programmes, teleconferencing with colleagues and friends — they were all an absolute breeze to run. And at an unusually quiet volume with little to no heat too, which is commendable for such a compact device. Do the same stuff on a MacBook Air and you’re bound to feel an uncomfortable amount of warmth at the space above its keyboard. 
Unlike the MacBook Air as well, the LG Gram 14 can still fit in a decent array of ports (for the record, I loathe the #donglelife). On the left, there’s a USB 3.1 Type-A port, a USB-C port, a power connector, and a full-size HDMI input. On the right, a second USB 3.1 Type-A port, a microSD media card reader, an audio jack, and even a Kensington Security Slot.
Speaking of security, the fingerprint reader — embedded in the power button — is unexpectedly excellent, unlocking Windows in an instant and without recognition failure every single time. 
Yes, I’m sure you don’t have any plans for travel or daily commute (unless you work in an essential industry, in which case, thank you) anytime soon, but we have to talk about the laptop’s feathery weight. LG’s Gram series has long been one of the lightest laptops in its class, but this ain’t the case any longer — Dynabook and NEC hold their own claims to having the lightest notebooks around.
The astonishing lightness of the LG Gram 14 comes at a tactile cost. The chassis is made out of aerospace-grade magnesium alloy (a blend of magnesium and carbon fibre) that’s passed the test for durability, including against extreme shock, pressure, dust and temperature.
Be that as it may, I came to miss the premium feel of a solid laptop. It’s not supposed to feel cheap, but there’s just no escaping the impression that it’s a flimsy device for something that costs at least $1,999 ($2,299 price tag too if you upgrade from the i5 to i7 processor).
What’s left to talk about is screen and battery, the latter of which is simply stellar. LG claims that the 72Wh lithium battery can hold 23.5 hours of use per charge, and real-life tests at home show that it did last an entire day of work unplugged. As for the display, it’s… fine? It sports an okay Full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution, but with decent enough viewing angles and vibrant colours for casual photo editing. Not for photography professionals mind you, but hobbyists would be perfectly fine with it. 
Barring its fragile feel and middling graphics performance, the LG Gram 14 is a super-thin, super-light laptop that’ll be a good fit for students, businessmen and frequent travellers — the benefits of which will be truly, genuinely felt when we’re all free to roam the lands like we did in the old days. It’s not the ultra-portable apparatus that you may need right now, but it’s the one you deserve when the dust has settled.
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