Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 assessment: the brand new go-to 2-in-1 Chromebook

I used to be cautiously optimistic about Acer’s Chromebook Plus Spin 514 when I tested a preproduction model final month, however the remaining unit is right here now and it sticks the touchdown. Effectively, largely.

Acer’s newest convertible Chromebook has zippy efficiency and oodles of battery life, together with touchscreen with stylus assist. However crappy audio system and no fingerprint sensor make its $700 value harder to swallow, and prevents it from dethroning the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14, our current favorite Chromebook.

Our assessment unit of the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 is the base $699 config. It has MediaTek’s Kompanio Extremely 910 processor (identical because the current Lenovo), 12GB of RAM, and 256GB of UFS storage. Its 14-inch 1920 x 1200 IPS touchscreen has a 120Hz refresh fee and reaches 300 nits of brightness. And it helps USI 2.0 styluses, although they’re bought individually and there’s nowhere on the laptop computer to stow them. Acer sells a $799.99 spec with 16GB of RAM and a 2880 x 1800 decision show that’s barely brighter at 340 nits, however that upcharge doesn’t actually remedy the Spin’s greatest downsides.

I want the display screen was a lot brighter (400 nits or greater, ideally), and I at all times choose OLED and a pair of.5K decision, however this can be a nice-looking IPS panel. I preserve that 1920 x 1200 decision is okay (not perfect, however the minimal tolerable spec) for a 14-inch display screen if every thing appears to be like good color- and contrast-wise. And that’s the case right here. It doesn’t look almost as vivid, vivid, and contrasty because the OLED on the Lenovo, however the sooner 120Hz refresh is an honest comfort. Stylus sensitivity for note-taking on the Spin 514 in pill mode is sweet, although palm rejection may very well be just a bit bit higher. I’ve had some uncommon circumstances the place the knuckle of my pinky finger drew a small line. However this can be a strong display screen with a pleasant, quick refresh fee, and it’s connected to a sturdy 360-degree hinge.

The Spin 514’s star characteristic is its Kompanio Extremely 910 processor. The Arm-based chip is speedy sufficient for on a regular basis productiveness duties and typical ChromeOS net apps, and it simply lasts effectively over a full workday on battery energy. In contrast to Lenovo’s Chromebook Plus with the identical chip, the Spin has a cooling fan. It appeared to lead to barely higher benchmark scores than Lenovo’s Chromebook Plus 14, however in common utilization I not often hear the fan spin up in any respect. I can work an eight-to-nine-hour day consisting of Slack, Google Docs, enjoying music on Spotify, plenty of messaging, many open Chrome tabs throughout digital desktops, and so forth., put it to sleep for the night, and get by means of almost half of the subsequent day earlier than having to cost. I like that sort of freedom.

As for important elements just like the keyboard, trackpad, and ports, the Spin 514 is strong throughout the board. The keyboard isn’t fairly as tactile and good as its Lenovo counterpart, however it feels good to kind on, and key journey is enough. The mechanical trackpad is simply pretty much as good because the one on the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14, however with a greater, extra dampened sound. And its two USB-C ports are twice as quick because the Lenovo’s.

The webcam on the Spin 514 is a monumental improve from the last Acer laptops I tested. As an alternative of an overprocessed, crunchy picture, the 5-megapixel digicam right here is sharp and adequately contrasty. It handles blended and low mild effectively sufficient, although it as a substitute typically struggled with actually vivid scenes close to a window, taking a second to find out that my face was blown out and wanted to be toned down. However on common, this can be a excellent webcam.

The place Acer falters is the Spin 514’s audio system and lack of biometric login. Should you use an Android telephone it can save you your self from placing in your lockscreen PIN each time by having your telephone related and close by. However that’s no substitute for shortly unlocking your laptop computer along with your fingerprint. The audio system are equally irksome, and being on the flanks of the keyboard they fireplace away from you in pill / tent mode. However even when oriented towards you, they sound muddy and muffled. You possibly can at all times circumvent poor audio system with headphones or exterior audio system, however it’s a blight on this in any other case nice laptop computer.

The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 isn’t the brand new king or queen of Chromebooks, however it’s a good duke or duchess. These new Arm-based Chromebooks strike that just-right steadiness of nice efficiency and lengthy battery life, and I don’t see a lot purpose to sacrifice one or each with an Intel-based mannequin until you’re actually value delicate.

If I have been shopping for a high-end Chromebook myself proper now, I’d decide the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 for $50 extra. I like 2-in-1 convertibles just like the Acer as a result of they let me often get the keyboard out of the best way to observe stuff, however I don’t thoughts sticking to a clamshell kind think about alternate for an OLED show, good audio system, and a fingerprint sensor. If the value delta have been larger, I would rethink issues. And that’s probably only a matter of time. Acer laptops typically go on sale, and Kelly Odle, media relations for Acer, informed me this $699 laptop computer will probably get common reductions as little as $599.99 at Finest Purchase. I can nonetheless suggest the Spin 514 at its full value to somebody who actually desires a convertible Chromebook. It’s an excellent 2-in-1 that’ll be extra broadly compelling if and when it goes on sale.

Pictures by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge