Acer’s latest Swift Edge 16 gets thinner, smarter, and cheaper

We actually appreciated the unique Acer Swift Edge 16, and Acer’s replace to it’s surprisingly intriguing: It’s even thinner, although heavier, with a step down in each the show high quality and value. And there’s now AI, too!

In our unique evaluate of the Acer Swift Edge 16 we famous that “we’ve not seen a laptop with a larger screen that weighs less.” But reviewer Matt Elliott went on to notice that he wouldn’t thoughts seeing Acer put money into a bit extra materials to stabilize the laptop computer. Acer apparently rejected that recommendation, went the opposite path, and this $1,299 Ryzen 7000-based laptop computer is the end result.

As a consequence, the Acer Swift Edge 16 (SFE16-43-R98R) will probably be a tad thinner at 0.51 inches thick, however will weigh 2.73 kilos, a 0.14-pound improve over the earlier technology.

(The earlier technology sloped from 0.55 inches thick to 0.51 inches thick; the latest model is 0.51 inches, entrance to again. Acer additionally provided the earlier technology at both $1,499 or $1,299; the 2023 refresh will probably be bought in a single mannequin for North America, at $1,299. )

The contrasts proceed. Although each Acer Swift Edge fashions embrace an OLED panel, the sooner technology makes use of a 16-inch 16:10 4K(3840×2400) show. The present mannequin steps all the way down to what Acer calls (*16*): a 16:10 (3200×2000) show as a substitute. On the opposite hand, the latest Swift Edge’s show runs at 120Hz, a quality-of-life enchancment that may usually simply be simpler in your eyes. (Like some OLED shows, it’s not a touchscreen.) Still, the improved refresh price has a price hooked up to it: The battery-life score of “8+” hours appears like a dip from the ten or so hours that the unique Swift Edge lasted in our assessments.

The attention-grabbing twist is the processor: the Ryzen 7 7840U. Like sure members of Intel’s Thirteenth-gen cellular Core household, the AMD Ryzen 7040 Mobile household contains Ryzen AI, which an AMD government defined is important to the corporate’s processor improvement going ahead. (Because of AMD’s bizarre naming scheme, the Ryzen 7040 household contains the Ryzen 7 7840U, the chip contained in the latest Swift Edge 16.)

Ryzen AI is AMD’s secret sauce towards enabling AI. Unfortunately, there’s little public data about purposes for Ryzen AI and Intel’s AI-infused Core chips, apart from, say, Windows Studio Effects, which give video enhancements throughout video calls. But with Microsoft asserting Windows Copilot at its Build convention in May, there could also be additional makes use of for AI-powered chips.

Other intriguing options embrace a 1440p webcam, a considerable step up from the 1080p webcam that almost all laptops embrace. The laptop computer’s audio can be powered by DTS:X, through a pair of front-facing audio system. Finally, the I/O ports assist USB4, which is actually the open model of the Thunderbolt protocol discovered on Thunderbolt docking stations. An Acer consultant additionally defined the extra weight: enhanced cooling mechanisms, and enhancements to the keyboard. Acer added a quantity pad, and elevated the important thing journey from 1mm to 1.3mm, making it simpler and extra snug to kind upon.

Acer is scheduled to ship the Acer Swift 16 in July for $1,299. We’ve summarized the options under.

Acer Swift Edge 16 (2023) fundamental options:

• Display: 16-inch (3200×2000) OLED, 120Hz at 400 nits (HDR500) (non-touch)
• Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 7840U
• Graphics: Radeon 780M
• Memory: 16GB LPDDR5
• Storage: 1TB PCIe Gen 4
• Ports: 2x USB-C (USB4) with 65W charging; 2x 10Gbps USB-A, 1 HDMI 2.1, microSD, 3.5mm mic/headphone jack
• Camera: 1440p
• Battery: as much as 8.5 hours
• Wireless: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.1
• Operating system: Windows 11 Home
• Dimensions (inches): 14.08 x 9.68 x 0.51 inches (12.95mm)
• Weight: 2.73lb
• Color: Black
• Price: $1,299

This story was up to date at 8:35 AM with extra particulars.