April 26, 2024

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[THE INVESTOR] LG Electronics said on Jan. 12 its ultralight laptop has secured its place in the Guinness Book of World Records.

The company’s 14-inch (35.6 centimeters) ultralight Gram, which was launched early this month, weighs 860 grams. 

“Guinness World Records confirmed LG’s new ultralight Gram is the lightest in the world after measuring around 70 models of 14-inch laptops being sold in 25 nations,” a LG Electronics official said.

This is LG Gram series’ second title in the Guinness Book of World Records, following the first title of the predecessor 15.6-inch Gram (39.6 centimeters), which set the record last year.

The ultralight Gram series include a 13.3-inch (33.8 centimeters) model weighing 830 grams, a 14-inch model that weighs 860 grams and a 15.6-inch model weighing 980 grams. They each offer 12 hours of battery life.

The demand for ultralight laptops has been growing in Korea amid a declining, sluggish personal computer market.

According to research firm IDC Korea, ultralight laptops accounted for 47 percent of total laptop sales in Korea last year, a 25 percent rise from the previous year. Around 1 million units of the slim devices were shipped here.
IDC Korea’s senior analyst Kwon Sang-joon said, “Tech firms may find new opportunities in ultralight laptops or all-in-one desktops amid a declining demand trend for personal computers at home and abroad.”

Alongside the ultralight Gram, LG said it would employ a two-track strategy with its All-Day Gram, which highlights greater battery capacity.

The All-Day Gram series, which come in 13.3 inch, 14 inch and 15.6 inch, offer 24 hours, 23 hours and 22 hours, respectively, of battery life.

“With the 13.3-inch laptop, users can watch videos up to 17 hours nonstop, which means they can enjoy movies throughout a flight from Incheon to New York without concern about charging,” a LG official said.

The 13.3-inch All-Day Gram weighs 940 grams. The 14-inch model weighs 970 grams and the 15.6-inch model weighs 1,090 grams. Users may still find it lightweight because they don’t have to bring adapters, which can add another 200 to 300 grams, the company said.

By Shin Ji-hye/The Korea Herald (shinjh@heraldcorp.com)