Tested: LG Gram 17” 2022 | An ultralight that knows how to be loved

The LG Gram 17” combines minimal weight with a 17” screen and power to spare, and above all knows how to please the user with amazing functions. But it’s not affordable and its speakers are average.

Karim Benessaieh
The Press

WE love

LG’s Gram range has often inherited the title of best ultralight laptop, and the 2022 version with its 17-inch screen still has something to impress. With a weight of 1342 g, it is easy to transport and its autonomy of 26 hours makes it the ideal companion for a student or a worker on the move.

The screen has a resolution of 2560 by 1600 pixels, a brightness of 350 nits and displays rich colors. In terms of power, the model we tested ranks among the best Windows laptops thanks to its 12-inch Intel Core i7 processor.^e generation, its 16 GB of RAM for 1 TB.

The speed of its Samsung SSD hard drive is top-notch, with 3305MB/s write and 3223MB/s read for large files. In our previous tests, only the HP Specter x360 did better.

These technical considerations alone would make it a recommendable choice, but it’s other features that impressed us and make the LG Gram 17” stand out. Grouped in an application called LG Glance, these innovations seem so experimental that we tested them with some skepticism. And they all work, with no notable bugs. Importantly, they can be undone if they irritate you.

The most useful: when the LG Gram is connected to an external monitor, the cursor follows your gaze and moves according to the screen you are looking at, without having to move the mouse. The computer even remembers where the cursor was the last time it appeared. If you click on a window while holding the button, this window moves when you look at the other screen.

When you leave your computer, according to a configurable delay between 5 and 30 seconds, your screens lock or see their brightness decrease. If you are listening to a movie or video on YouTube, streaming stops when you step away from the computer and resumes when you return to the screen.

Even more spectacular: the LG Gram alerts you when someone is behind your back and is looking at your screen. A disturbing icon is displayed on one side, depending on the visitor’s position. You can then blur or turn off the screen, or do nothing at all.

Finally, for essential videoconferences, your microphone is automatically cut off if you move away from the computer. If you speak while your microphone is off, the computer warns you.

For connectivity, there are two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB-A 3.2 ports, an HDMI output, an audio jack and a microSD card reader. Note that LG has made a rare flower for French speakers: its keyboards sold in Canada have accents.

We love less

With its Iris Xe graphics card, the LG Gram defends itself well for everyday work, displaying photos and videos, but don’t count on it for video games or more demanding editing.

The speakers advertised as producing “clear sound and more powerful bass” are rather disappointing. They are enough for a videoconference or to broadcast a music video, but they will not satisfy you for a movie or an album.

The screen is not touch sensitive and is obviously not compatible with a stylus.

At $1899.99, we are not at all in the affordable product designed for all uses and all budgets.

One buys ?

At this price, you don’t buy an LG Gram 17” if you don’t need its power, large screen and above-average battery life. Many less expensive laptops will suffice for your needs. And if the detachable touchscreen is a must-have for you, the Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 offers the same performance at a similar price.

For everyday work, however, it’s hard to imagine a better fit than the attractive functions of the LG Glance. In short, a very recommendable purchase for those who agree to pay the price.