LG Gram Style (2023) review: 120Hz OLED, bold color-changing body, and lightweight, but limited power, poor thermal management and trackpad, and bendy chassis
Monica Chin / The Verge :
Context & Ripple Effects
LG’s Gram line has long prioritized low weight and large-screen portability: the 2018 launch positioned a 17-inch clamshell at 2.9 pounds, while a 2022 Gram 17 review again paired very low weight with concerns about graphics performance and chassis rigidity.
The Gram Style extends that formula with a higher-refresh OLED panel and a distinctive finish. Its reported thermal, input, and structural shortcomings matter because they suggest the familiar portability trade-offs remain unresolved rather than confined to an older model.
First-order effects
- Buyers weighing the Gram Style get a notably light OLED laptop with a bold exterior, but must accept limited power, weak thermal management, a problematic trackpad, and a flexible chassis.
- LG’s premium design features are less likely to offset concerns about day-to-day usability and perceived build quality in this model.
Second-order effects
- The review raises the bar for thin-and-light rivals: display refresh rate and visual design are not sufficient differentiators when cooling, rigidity, and input hardware undermine the experience.
- For LG, recurring criticism of chassis compromise—from the earlier Gram 14 review through the Gram 17—puts more pressure on future Gram designs to balance weight targets with structural and thermal execution.
Third-order effects
- If ultralight laptops continue to add OLED panels and more ambitious finishes without corresponding gains in cooling and rigidity, the category may increasingly compete on balanced engineering rather than headline portability alone.
- The enduring trade-off is likely to segment the market: buyers who value minimum weight may tolerate compromises, while premium buyers may treat input quality and chassis confidence as baseline requirements.
The trend: This is one data point in the thin-and-light laptop market’s shift from weight-led differentiation toward proving that premium displays and industrial design can coexist with durable, well-cooled everyday hardware.