Choosing a thin and light laptop usually means making compromises elsewhere, but try telling that to Acer. The company’s new Swift Edge includes high-end AMD processors and a 16in 4K OLED screen within a device that weighs just 1.17kg.
That makes it one of the lightest laptops of any size, and second only to the 2021 LG Gram among 16in laptops. But the Swift Edge’s screen is what really sets it apart – 4K and OLED are features you won’t find on LG’s offering. For many creatives, this can make all the difference.
Despite the absence of a discrete GPU, performance also looks set to be strong. The Swift Edge is equipped with AMD’s Ryzen 7 6800U processor (from the ‘Pro’ tier of the Ryzen 6000 Series), alongside 16GB of DDR5 RAM and a 1TB SSD.
AMD’s decision to opt for a magnesium-aluminium alloy has helped keep the device light, but it also remains relatively thin at 12.95mm. However, there’s still room for an impressive port selection, with 2x USB-C, 2x USB-A, full-size HDMI and 3.5mm headphone jack.
Acer
Acer doesn’t say how big the battery on the Swift Edge is, although it claims you’ll get 10.5 hours of video playback on a single charge. But that drops to 7.5 hours based on a MobileMark benchmark, which is considered more reflective of real-world usage.
Other features of note include a Full HD webcam, Wi-Fi 6E and Windows Hello fingerprint unlock. It also runs Windows 11 Pro out of the box.
So, what’s the catch? As you might have guessed, it’s price. The Swift Edge starts at $1,499.99/£1,499, making it one of the more expensive laptops you can buy.
You get a lot for your money, but most people will be reluctant to part with that sort of cash for a laptop. If you are considering this, though, you don’t have long to wait.
The Swift Edge will go on sale at some point later this month, with the likes of Currys, Amazon and Harvey Norman all confirmed to be stocking the device.
These specs suggest the Acer Swift Edge could be a solid business laptop. But it remains to be seen how well these strong specs translate to real-world usage.
