LG Gram Pro 2-in-1 hands-on: A lightweight convertible laptop gets a better, faster OLED screen

In recent years, LG has attended every CES with an update to its Gram series of ultra-thin and light laptops. And every time, I'm thrilled to see how difficult (or easy) it is to do a quick arm workout on the living room floor with the latest version. This year at CES 2024the company is pair of Pro models launched which feature improved OLED panels supporting touch input and variable refresh rates. They are also equipped with Intel Meteor Lake processors and RTX 3070 graphics cards from NVIDIA.

This generation of LG's Gram Pro comes in 16- and 17-inch models, with OLED and IPS display options to choose from. The company also improved its stylus so that it charges when magnetically attached to laptops. The stylus available at the show didn't work, so I couldn't see if its thinner body affected the writing experience. Additionally, the sample model of the Gram Pro 2-in-1 also stuttered occasionally when changing screen orientation when I switched it between landscape and portrait modes.

LG Gram 2-in-1
Cherlynn Low for Engadget

I'm willing to attribute this to the units running pre-production software, which is also why I haven't had a chance to check out the software features LG is rolling out with these laptops either. For one, the Gram Pros' processors are equipped with Intel AI Boost, which is supposed to help machines perform AI tasks faster. LG also offers its Link software that can let you use Windows, Android, and even iOS devices as secondary companion displays to the Grams. However, none of these features were shown off in the CES 2024 demo area.

What I was able to check out in person was the construction, which an LG representative says is more durable than before. It uses nanomagnesium alloy and impressively houses a dual-fan cooling system. For a system packing this hardware and featuring two USB-A ports, two USB-C ports, and an HDMI port (as well as a headphone jack), the 17-inch Gram Pro I purchased was surprisingly sleek. It has a contoured edge that is thicker at the port end and tapers to a surprisingly pointed end.

The LG Gram Pro 2-in-1 folded with its screen facing up, resting on a person's arm while the other hand interacts with the screen.
Photo by Cherlynn Low / Engadget

The 2-in-1, available only in 16-inch form factor, won a Guinness World Record for “lightest 16-inch 2-in-1 laptop.” It weighs 3 pounds, which didn't make it at all difficult to do the bicep curls and shoulder presses I did with it. But that also means it won't add too much weight to your load when you're on the move.

We've had concerns about the build quality of Gram laptops in the past because they were so thin that their chassis exhibited flex. This year's model is just as sleek, with a profile measuring 12.4mm, and it has a nano-magnesium frame like the non-2-in-1 version. The unit I checked certainly seemed a little sturdier than the ones I'd seen in previous years, but I can't give you details since I wasn't trying to break it.

You can choose between OLED or IPS panels, with the former offering a variable refresh rate between 48 and 120 Hz and the latter extending that range to 31 Hz and 140 Hz. The Gram Pro series will be available in February and will start at $1,499 . For more details on what's new in Gram Pro 2024 laptops, check out our news article here.

We're reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 6-12. Follow all the news from the show here.

This article was originally published on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/lg-gram-pro-2-in-1-hands-on-a-lightweight-convertible-gets-a-better- faster-oled-screen -025942736.html?src=rss

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