-
LG Gram 14 (2023)
The LG Gram 14 (2023) is a compact, lightweight Windows laptop. At just 2.2 pounds, this notebook is designed to be as portable as possible. Its large 72Wh battery and 16:10 aspect ratio screen help it stand out from the rest.
Pros
- Good display
- Solid IO
- Great battery life
Cons
- Integrated graphics are weak
- Limited upgrade options
-
MacBook Air (M2)
$1200 $1300 Save $100
The MacBook Air (M2) is Apple’s latest compact notebook. It features Apple’s latest M2 chipset, a high-end display, and in an all-new design. Its impressive battery life and great performance helps it stand out in the category.
Pros
- Great battery life
- Efficient M2 processor
- Impressive display
Cons
- Notch is an eyesore
- Minimal IO
LG and Apple have a history of creating some of the best thin and light machines in their Gram and Air series, respectively. With the latest versions now available — the Apple MacBook Air M2 and LG Gram 14 (2023) — which one should you go for? Should you go with LG’s super light design or Apple’s impressive new M2 processor? Beyond the operating systems, what are the true differences?
LG Gram 14 (2023) vs MacBook Air (M2): Price, specs, availability
Both of these machines sit in the $1,100 price range for their starting models but can be had in larger or higher-spec versions. As you can tell from their price tags, they aren’t trying to compete with the best laptops on the market, though they are very respectable for mid-range machines.
The MacBook Air M2 ranges from $1,099–$2,399 for the 13-inch version and $1,299–$2,499 for the 15-inch version. The maxed-out prices include two more GPU cores, 24GB memory, a 2TB SSD, and a 70W USB-C power adapter up from the 8GB, 512GB, and 35W base SKUs.
The LG Gram comes in 14, 15.6, 16, and 17-inch models and a mix of touch and non-touch SKUs in the form of 2-in-1 convertibles. There’s also the SuperSlim and the Style, which mix the design up slightly. Today, however, I’ll be focusing on the LG Gram 14, which comes in two SKUs. The base model starts at $1,100 and the top model at $1,700. The main differences between the two are that the pricer model has four times the memory and double the storage, along with a Core i7 processor over the Core i5 found in the base model.
-
LG Gram 14 (2023) MacBook Air (M2) Brand LG Apple Color Black, White Silver, Space Gray, Starlight, Midnight Storage 512GB, 1TB nVME SSD Up to 2TB SSD CPU Intel Core i5 1340P, Intel Core i7 1360P Apple M2 Memory 8GB, 32GB Up to 24GB Operating System Windows 11 Home macOS Battery 72Wh 52.6WH battery Ports 2x Thunderbolt 4 USB-C, 1x 3.5mm headphone port, 1x HDMI, 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, 1x microSD slot, 1x Kensington lock 2 x USB4/Thunderbolt, 3.5mm headphone jack, MagSafe 3 Camera FullHD IR webcam 1080p Full HD FaceTime camera Display (Size, Resolution) 14-inch, 1920×1200 resolution, IPS LCD, 60Hz 13.6-inch Retina (IPS), 2560×1664, P3 Wide Color, True Tone, 500 nits or 15.3-inch IPS, 2880×1864, 500 nits, True Tone, P3 Wide Color Weight 2.2 pounds 2.7 pounds (13-inch) / 3.3 pounds (15-inch) GPU Intel Xe graphics 8-core or 10-core Dimension 12.28×8.42×0.66 inches 11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches (13-inch model) / 13.4 x 9.35 x 0.45 inches (15-inch model) Network Intel Wireless-AX211, WiFi 6 2×2, Bluetooth 5.1 Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0 Speakers 2 x 1.5W with Dolby Atmos Stereo Quad-speaker stereo setup, Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos Price $1,100, $1,700 Starting at $1,199 (13-inch) or $1,299 (15-inch) Model Gram 14 MacBook Air (M2) Finish Magnesium alloy Aluminum
Design: Minimal vs traditional
Apple has ditched its long-standing wedge shape for a new flat-level design for the MacBook Air M2. It has a reflective Apple logo on the lid, smooth curved edges, and a slim side profile. Opening it up, it has a backlit keyboard without a number pad, a large glass haptic touchpad, and a screen with minimal top and side bezels with a large notch for the webcam.
It comes in four colors: Midnight, Starlight, Space Gray, and Silver. In traditional Apple fashion, the MacBook Air is made of aluminum and, as such, should feel really well-built — up there with the best Macs. Its 13-inch model is rather compact and, as a result, has pretty minimal IO. You get four ports: two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, a MagSafe 3 charging port, and a 3.5mm headphone/microphone combo port. This IO, unfortunately, doesn’t change with the 15-inch model. The MacBook Air M2 13-inch comes in at 2.7 pounds, and while that’s pretty light for an aluminum laptop, it’s still around 20% more than the LG Gram 14, which weighs just 2.2 pounds.
Conversely, the Gram 14 is made of magnesium alloy. Its wedge shape will help it feel much slimmer than it is. It’s actually 0.22 inches (or 50%) thicker than the MacBook Air. It comes in two colors: white and black. It also has more ports than the MacBook. Alongside its two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports and headphone/microphone combination port, it has a full-sized HDMI port, two USB-A ports, a microSD card slot, and a Kensington lock. This makes it far more useful if you are in need of traditional ports instead of relying on dongles and docks to expand your machine’s capabilities.
The Gram, similarly to the MacBook Air, has a reflective logo on the top lid, but with harsher edges and with a tapered bottom casing to create a wedge-shaped side profile. Opening it up, it has a similarly-sized keyboard with no number pad, a large trackpad, and some thin bezels with a traditional top bezel to house the webcam. No notches here!
Display: The difference maker
LG and Apple have taken different approaches when it comes to their machines’ displays, and this is the category where the biggest disparity in quality emerges. LG’s use of a 16:10 1920×1200, 60Hz, IPS display is understandable because this machine isn’t designed for mass multimedia consumption or creation. It’s designed mostly for office use and to be as portable as possible. Its taller-than-normal aspect ratio is useful for fitting more windows on the screen and means you don’t have to scroll as much on web pages.
However, Apple’s 13.6-inch 2560×1664, 60Hz, IPS screen takes the cake. Its display is rated at 500 nits peak brightness instead of the 400-nit panel on the LG Gram, and it has a much higher resolution, meaning the display will be noticeably sharper than any similar-sized Full HD panels. It also means that you can take advantage of macOS’ scaling options to give you screen real estate for more windows and items on the screen at once. Its higher brightness also makes outdoor visibility considerably easier than with the LG’s display, too.
Both laptops will give you a good viewing experience, but the MacBook Air M2 is a definitive step up from the LG Gram 14 (2023).
Performance: Old school vs the new generation
The MacBook Air’s M2 SoC and the LG Gram’s 13th-generation Intel Core i5 CPUs are great processors for their form factor because neither draws much power and, therefore, doesn’t output a lot of heat. However, the M2 chipset is more powerful than the Core i5 in almost any task. If you want something to compete with the M2, you’ll have to go for the higher-end Core i7, which means you’ll have to spend more on the LG Gram 14 to get similar performance.
The Intel Core i5-1340P found in the base LG Gram 14, is a 28W chip that can run up to 64W under maximum load. These are the same power specifications as the Core i7-1360P found in the higher-end Gram 14. They also share the same core count at four performance and eight efficiency cores. The differences are the cache, which is 12MB in the i5 and 18MB in the i7, and clock speed. The Core i7 is clocked 400MHz higher in the turbo frequency, which will make a difference in performance, but not enough to be a dealbreaker. You’ll be fine with either chip.
LG’s Gram 14 relies on integrated Intel Xe graphics, which aren’t particularly powerful for 3D rendering and gaming. Apple’s M2 SoCs have substantially better graphical performance, though it’s still not as powerful as a discrete unit, which you can find on other laptops.
Most other tasks such as web-browsing, watching videos and films, listening to music, and even doing all of these at once should be easily achievable with both laptops. However, the 8GB base memory could be a limiting factor when multitasking, so I recommend you opt for 16GB or more if possible. It should give you that headroom to open another window or tab and not run into a performance bottleneck. Thanks to the use of high-speed nVME PCIe SSDs, both the MacBook Air M2 and the LG Gram 14 should load very quickly and zip through any basic tasks that require fast storage.
One of the main differences in user experience between the two is acoustics. Apple’s implementation of its M2 in the MacBook Air is passively cooled, meaning there is no fan. This means that no matter how much you stress the SoC, there’s no fan to make any noise. Conversely, LG’s Gram 14 (2023) has a fan for both of its Intel processor options. This helps keep the CPU cool, but is also audible under load, which could be distracting at times.
Of course, the MacBook Air M2 runs Apple’s macOS operating system whereas the LG Gram 14 runs Windows 11. Which one of these you prefer will greatly determine which machine you purchase as their interfaces are rather different but ultimately let you do the same things. It is worth looking out for compatibility with your current software and hardware, though.
Battery: Neck and neck
Despite having rather different-sized batteries, the MacBook Air M2 and LG Gram 14 (2023) offer pretty similar battery performance. In our review time with the MacBook Air M2, the machine managed 10 hours on a charge, which is impressive. The LG Gram 14 is rated for similar longevity out of its significantly larger battery. This makes both machines great for those who often work away from desks or power outlets.
This difference in efficiency is likely due to the M2’s ARM architecture, which sips power compared to the already-efficient Intel Core processors that are based on traditional x86 architectures. The Intel chips in the LG Gram 14 are rated at 28W with a 64W max boost. By comparison, the Apple M2 consumes less than 10W under load in the MacBook Air.
Both can be charged over USB-C, though the Apple MacBook Air M2 can also be charged through its proprietary MagSafe 3 magnetic charging connector for added safety. When its cable is pulled, it simply detaches through its magnets instead of pulling the machine with it.
LG Gram 14 (2023) vs MacBook Air (M2): Both are good, but there’s a clear winner
Both of these laptops are great machines. They both perform admirably for their size and weight and have great battery life, too. For around the $1,100 mark, they’re hard to beat, though upgrading the memory of both will go a long way. The main differentiating factors are the displays, software, and design.
For most people, Apple’s MacBook Air M2 is the better choice due to its impressive performance, battery life, and far superior display. Its high-end build, huge glass trackpad, and good webcam come as bonuses to the fantastic screen. It really is the MacBook Air M2’s standout quality. Of course, the inaudible operation and tremendous battery life help to create a seamless user experience. However, some may be turned off by its comparably limited IO and big display notch which is a blot on an otherwise fantastic screen.
MacBook Air (M2)
Better for most
$1200 $1300 Save $100
The MacBook Air (M2) is Apple’s latest compact notebook. It features Apple’s latest M2 chipset, a high-end display, and in an all-new design. Its impressive battery life and great performance helps it stand out in the category.
If you want a truly lightweight Windows laptop with a good selection of ports, the LG Gram 14 (2023) is the one to go for. Its wedge design and lack of a notch will appeal to those who prefer a more traditional layout for a thin and light machine. Its comprehensive selection of onboard IO will come in clutch when you need full-sized ports but don’t have a dongle with you. Its solid performance and great battery life definitely help its case, though its lesser display would put me off without the option to upgrade it.
LG Gram 14 (2023)
Better IO
The LG Gram 14 (2023) is a compact, lightweight Windows laptop. At just 2.2 pounds, this notebook is designed to be as portable as possible. Its large 72Wh battery and 16:10 aspect ratio screen help it stand out from the rest.