Perhaps best known to U.S. consumers for its TVs, home appliances and smartphones, LG Electronics Inc. has launched a series of Ultra-Slim Windows 10 laptops in the U.S., making this the first time ever Americans can buy LG laptops locally. (via ZDNet)

LG has christened its new series of laptops ‘Gram’ based on the fact that both the 13-inch LG gram and 14-inch LG gram weigh less than a kilogram at just 980 grams or 2.16 pounds. Combined with the overall design and thinness, it is this lack of weight that draws immediate comparisons to Apple’s MacBook Air range. By comparison, the 13-inch MacBook Air tips the scales at 2.96 pounds and even the 11-inch MacBook Air fails to crack the sub one-kilogram division at 2.38 pounds or 1.08 kilograms.

Apart from beating the MacBook Air in the ultra-thin-and-light department, the LG gram series is very well specced with a choice of Intel Core i5 or Core i7 processor (14-inch model only), 8GB of RAM as standard and up to 256GB onboard storage.

Before we take a look at some early hands-on feedback, let’s see how the LG gram models stack against the MacBook Air equivalents in the hardware spec department.

LG Gram vs. MacBook Air: Tech specs

Early hands-on reviews and where to buy

Other early reviewers have found plenty to be excited about; especially when it comes to the display. “The 1080p IPS LCD looks stunning on this laptop, even significantly better than MacBook Air’s Retina displays,” wrote Gizmodo in its review.LG’s Gram series of notebooks are constructed using a magnesium alloy chassis combined with plastic components for some of the other hardware. It is perhaps this combination of materials that has led to some early hands-on reviewers saying that the LG’s construction feels flimsy – especially when compared to the unibody aluminum construction of Apple’s MacBook Air range. Particular complaints focus on undue flex on both the keyboard and the underside of the Gram devices.

Also on the plus side, the Gram sports an HDMI output, microSD card reader (in place of a full size one), a microUSB port, and two USB 3.0 ports, so you’ll have no problems connecting a variety of accessories to it. The one other downside is the lack of a backlit keyboard – especially when considering the MacBook’s handy ambient light sensor that adjusts keyboard backlighting based on light conditions.

Microsoft is set to sell the LG Gram notebooks via its retail and online stores as a “Signature Edition”, meaning they won’t come with any of the manufacturer’s bloatware. The LG Gram range is available right now via Amazon and, judging by the fact that two versions were already sold out at the time of writing, they are selling like hotcakes.

Image via LG