Revised Review: Stunning Display Linked to subpar Chassis in Acer Swift 16 AI Assessment
The Acer Swift 16 AI Slate-like Device appears to be crafted from a single slab of stone. Without the Acer emblem etched onto its surface, one might mistake it for a construction site artefact. While equipped with the cutting-edge Lunar Lake processors, the Swift 16 AI delivers impressive performance, but its construction quality falls short of its performance potential.
The main draw of the Swift 16 over the Swift 14 is its generous 16-inch AMOLED screen - a spectacle in itself. Acer claims an astounding 18-hour battery life and offers all the Copilot+ PC advantages in a compact form. Regrettably, the keyboard shows signs of weakness under pressure, bending and causing discomfort.
Another downside is the speaker sound quality, which fails to meet expectations. The laptop struggles to deliver on its advertised battery life as well. Rumors suggest that it may eventually accommodate an Intel Core Ultra 9 chip, but that won't be available until late 2024. For the price, the Swift 16 AI provides a spectacular screen, but its build quality is subpar compared to other options in the same price range.
Acer Swift 16 AI Review: Build Quality
© Image Credit: Kyle Barr / Gizmodo
Despite its appealing colour scheme and lightweight construction, the Swift 16 AI's weak structure marred my experience. Ample I/O ports, including HDMI, USB-A, and USB-C, as well as WiFi 7 connectivity and a 1TB SSD, make for a promising work laptop.
Unfortunately, it's a different story when it comes to the build quality. The keyboard's keys produce a peculiar, rubbery clicking sound and show signs of bending under pressure. The palm rest region also exhibits noticeable flex. Though the cover feels sturdy, the majority of the device's strength comes from its sides, making the middle especially vulnerable. Even the slightest pressure on this area can cause it to bend nearly half an inch.
The keyboard also introduces some idiosyncrasies, some which are unpleasant. The keys produce a mechanical-rubbery sound, which may be less noisy than traditional clicky keys but feels different to type on. Typing on a desk is manageable but problematic when typing on your lap, where the effort required is increased. The mousepad is comfortable, but it struggles with palm rejection issues, causing the cursor to jump erratically during typing.
Compared to the Swift 16 Go of earlier in the year, the device is notably thinner, but it fails to reach the mark in terms of overall quality. The flawed build quality is further accentuated with its lack of a flat display and touchscreen capabilities.
Acer Swift 16 AI Review: Performance
© Image Credit: Kyle Barr / Gizmodo
The Swift 16 AI I tested came with the Intel Core Ultra 256V Lunar Lake processor, promising improvements over its 14-inch laptop counterparts from other OEMs. While higher-end Lunar Lake chips, such as the Intel Core Ultra 9 288V, do exist, they are not available in the 16-inch Swift AI at the time of this review. The Intel Core Ultra 256V is undeniably a powerful chip, but it falls short of the highest-end options.
Under load, the Swift 16 AI performed well in Cinebench scores, outperforming similar 14-inch laptops but trailing behind the Snapdragon X Elite and Apple's M3-powered MacBook Air. In OpenCL and AI benchmarks, the Arc 140V graphics chiphold its own, but it cannot match the performance of more powerful graphics solutions. In 3DMark graphics tests, for example, it took more than double the time it took to render a BMW scene compared to a Ryzen 9 HX 370, demonstrating its limitations in more graphically demanding tasks.
In real-world scenarios, the Swift 16 AI performs admirably. It's fast and responsive, but it has its limits as a productivity tool. With its sleek design and powerful GPU, it could be an attractive option for budget-conscious gamers or digital artists on a tight budget, but they would be better off spending a little more for a higher-performing laptop with better build quality.
Acer Swift 16 AI Review: Screen, Sound, and Webcam
© Image Credit: Kyle Barr / Gizmodo
The Swift 16 AI boasts a stunning 16-inch AMOLED display, delivering vibrant and accurate colours. It's sleek design and lightweight build make it an attractive option for those in need of a powerful and portable device. But despite its merits, the Swift 16 AI falls short in certain areas.
The sound quality, for example, leaves much to be desired. The twin speakers produce muffled and weak sounds, making it difficult to fully appreciate music, movies, or games. Additionally, bass is virtually non-existent. The battery life is also a letdown, with its advertised 18-hour battery life falling significantly short in real-world testing.
In terms of the webcam, while it's decent in well-lit rooms, quality is noticeably reduced in darker environments. Unfortunately, the microphone is no better, producing weak and distorted audio, making video calls less than ideal. Despite these issues, the screen remains its strong suit, and for many, the Swift 16 AI's superior screen may justify the compromises.
In conclusion, the Acer Swift 16 AI is a powerful and well-equipped laptop that delivers bright and vivid colors on its 16-inch AMOLED display. However, it's weak build quality, inadequate sound, and battery life issues detract from its overall appeal. The lack of compatibility with the most powerful Lunar Lake chip is also a potential drawback. While it has its merits, the Swift 16 AI may not be the best option for those seeking a well-rounded and reliable laptop.
The primary reason to opt for the 16-inch Swift model over its 14-inch counterpart is its 3K OLED display. This lavish touchscreen is prone to smudging with your greasy fingertips. It boasts a max resolution of 2880 by 1800 and a peak full-screen brightness of 340 nits. Although it's not the brightest, it provides a delightful viewing experience for regular use.
If you yearn for an excellent movie-watching experience on your mobile device, I'd suggest purchasing high-quality headphones. The audio output from the Acer Swift 16 AI's AI-powered speakers is underwhelming, offering thin and tinny sound. Despite having two stereo speakers, it lacks bass, even when played at maximum volume.
Webcams typically aren't a standout feature of laptops, and I doubt many people care about their visual quality during the fourth meeting of the week on Zoom. Despite this, the Swift 16 AI boasts a QHD webcam with a resolution of 2560 by 1440. During a video call, I found the image quality to be quite detailed, even in dim lighting. Acer's webcams also include AI-enhanced PureView and PureVoice features. However, I couldn't discern any noticeable improvement in quality or clarity while using these features, and the popup screen for PureView kept reappearing frequently during my call.
Acer Swift 16 AI Review: Battery Life
After approximately 3 hours of work using Google Chrome for basic tasks, I found the battery level at around 50%. Even with Windows's power settings set to Balanced mode and medium screen brightness, I was still at around 50%. Acer claims up to 13.5 hours of browsing, although it may vary based on the use of performance-intensive browsers like Google Chrome. It's not a 20-hour battery life, but it suffices for most purposes. With continuous use, I can almost get a full day from it.
During our battery test, where we ran the laptop on basic settings with low brightness and a 24-hour YouTube video, the Acer Swift 16 AI's battery dropped from 55% to 0 in approximately 8 hours. Although it's close to the promised 19.5-hour battery life for video playback, it falls just short. The 70Whr battery and Lunar Lake chipset provide decent mileage but may not sustain multiple days of constant use.
Acer Swift 16 AI Review: Conclusion
If I had the option to choose a slender Lunar Lake laptop under $1,000, the Swift 16 AI would not be my first pick. Its construction quality does not meet the expectations of a device priced above $1000. Its screen is excellent, although not exceptionally bright. Besides battery life, it falls short on the other essential features you would expect from a laptop at this price point. I am not convinced that it justifies the $1000 price tag, considering its flexibility when using it.
Despite its impressive 16-inch AMOLED screen, the Swift 16 AI's future relies on improvements in build quality and sound performance. The use of cutting-edge technology, such as Lunar Lake processors, is commendable, but the user experience could be enhanced significantly with more durable construction and improved audio capabilities.
In the realm of future technology reviews, the Swift 16 AI's reviewers will keenly monitor its potential upgrade to an Intel Core Ultra 9 chip. Such an upgrade could significantly boost the device's performance and justify its current price tag, provided it delivers a substantial improvement in both build quality and sound performance.
