The Acer Swift Edge 16 (2023) excels in two areas: remarkable slimness and lightness for its large size, and an exquisite display. Other aspects are decent but not exceptional, with a somewhat steep price justified by its high-resolution, color-accurate OLED panel.
NewForTech judgment:
Pros:
- Exceptionally slim and lightweight considering its dimensions.
- Stunning, high-quality display.
- Reliable productivity performance.
- Impressive webcam quality.
Cons:
- Moderately high price.
- The keyboard feels slightly cramped.
ACER SWIFT EDGE 16 (2023): Quick Overview
The Acer Swift Edge 16 (2023) achieves excellence in two key aspects. Its slim profile defies its 16-inch size, prioritizing portability. Moreover, the OLED display shines with both accuracy and visual allure, boasting noteworthy HDR capabilities.
By seamlessly combining portability and a superb display, the Acer Swift Edge 16 (2023) competes favorably with premier Ultrabooks. Beyond mere status symbols, it stands a chance of being considered one of the finest Windows laptops. Its potential inclusion among the top laptop contenders hinges on your prioritized features.
While not engineered for video editing, 3D design, or heavy gaming, this laptop packs ample power for day-to-day tasks and light editing. A standout feature is its impressive webcam, which lends itself well to video conferencing.
A few minor drawbacks surface, including a slightly confined keyboard and a more significant concern: the price tag. The Acer Swift Edge 16 (2023) does come at a premium, attributed largely to its standout attributes. However, opting for an OLED-equipped laptop entails an investment, and this model provides a substantial, color-accurate panel within an elegant, lightweight framework.
ACER SWIFT EDGE 16 (2023): Cost & Availability
Price: Starts at $1,299.99 (approx. £1,030 / AU$2,025)
Availability: Currently available
Where to Buy: Accessible in the US and UK
Price Rating: 4 / 5
While the Acer Swift Edge 16 (2023) has yet to debut in Australia, it offers multiple configurations in the US and UK. Each territory boasts three options, with one commonality – the mid-range variant featuring an AMD Ryzen 7 6800U, priced at $1,499.99 / £1,499 (about AU$2,340).
The entry-level setup, priced at $1,299.99 (approx. £1,030 / AU$2,025), features an AMD Ryzen 7 7735U. Meanwhile, the top-tier configuration, costing $1,599.99 (about £1,270 / 2,500), houses an AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 6850U. Although CPU performance varies, both models employ 8-core, 16-thread processors. For everyday tasks, users likely won’t discern a significant performance gap.
A notable anomaly is the UK-exclusive test unit, also the UK’s premium configuration, priced at £1,300 (about $1640, AU$3,215). Distinguishing itself from others, it employs an AMD Ryzen 7 7840U CPU and features a 120Hz refresh rate screen. In contrast, all other models offer a 60Hz refresh rate.
Considering the investment is primarily for a slim, lightweight laptop boasting a large 16-inch WQUXGA OLED panel, the cost is substantial yet justified. Notably, the Acer Zenbook S 13 OLED, though slightly cheaper at $1,399.99 / £1,499.99 / AU$2,099, offers a smaller OLED display. However, it does come with 32GB of RAM.
ACER SWIFT EDGE 16 (2023): Specifications
The Acer Swift Edge 16 (2023) offers several configurations, with distinct CPUs defining its variations. In the US, three options exist, featuring AMD Ryzen 7 7735U, AMD Ryzen 7 6800U, or AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U. The UK also provides three CPU choices: AMD Ryzen 5 6600U, AMD Ryzen 7 6800U (shared with the US), and AMD Ryzen 7 7840U as reviewed here.
Another notable difference is the test unit’s display, which boasts a 120Hz refresh rate, distinct from the 60Hz on other models.
Below are the specifications for the Acer Swift Edge 16 (2023):
| Component | Base Configuration | Review Configuration | Top Configuration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,299.99 (about £1,030 / AU$2,025) | £1,300.00 (about $1640, AU$3,215) | $1,599.99 (about £1,2702 / AU$2,500) |
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 7 7735U | AMD Ryzen 7 7840U | AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 6850U |
| GPU | AMD Radeon Shared Graphics | AMD Radeon Shared Graphics | AMD Radeon Shared Graphics |
| RAM | 16GB LPDDR5 | 16GB LPDDR5 | 16GB LPDDR5 |
| Storage | 1TB SSD | 1TB SSD | 1TB SSD |
| Screen | 16-inch WQUXGA (3840 x 2400) 16:10 CineCrystal (Glare) 60 Hz | 16-inch WQUXGA (3840 x 2400) 16:10 CineCrystal (Glare) 120 Hz | 16-inch WQUXGA (3840 x 2400) 16:10 CineCrystal (Glare) 60 Hz |
| Ports | 2x USB-C, 2x USB-A, 1x HDMI 2.1, micro SD card reader, 3.5mm Combo-Jack | 2x USB-C, 2x USB-A, 1x HDMI 2.1, micro SD card reader, 3.5mm Combo-Jack | 2x USB-C, 2x USB-A, 1x HDMI 2.1, micro SD card reader, 3.5mm Combo-Jack |
| Wireless | IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.1 | IEEE 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.1 | IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.1 |
| Camera | 1440p @ 30Hz webcam | 1440p @ 30Hz webcam | 1440p @ 30Hz webcam |
| Weight | 2.58 lb (1.17kg) | 2.58 lb (1.17kg) | 2.58 lb (1.17kg) |
| Dimensions | 0.55 x 9.5 x 14 inches (14 x 241.3 x 355.6mm) | 0.55 x 9.5 x 14 inches (14 x 241.3 x 355.6mm) | 0.55 x 9.5 x 14 inches (14 x 241.3 x 355.6mm) |
Apart from the CPUs and the screen refresh rate difference, no internal or external distinctions are present among models at the time of writing. While the Acer Swift Edge 16 (2023) webpage mentions specs of up to 32GB RAM and 2TB storage, actual models maintain 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD as seen on the test unit.
ACER SWIFT EDGE 16 (2023): Design
Design Rating: 4.5 / 5
The Acer Swift Edge 16 (2023) impresses with its slimness and portability, defying its larger size. Surprisingly, at just 0.55 inches thick, it accommodates a 16-inch screen. The thin aluminum alloy chassis contributes to its light weight of 2.58 lb (1.17kg), even lighter than the 15-inch Apple MacBook Air at 3.3 lbs (1.51kg).
The standout feature is undoubtedly its stunning OLED panel. Boasting a sharp 3840 x 2400p 3.2K resolution and a 16:10 aspect ratio, it offers ample screen real estate. Color accuracy is exceptional, with a Delta E of 0.27, 196.6 sRGB, and 139.2 DCI-P3 color coverage. The panel also supports VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500 for commendable HDR performance. Its visibility remains good outdoors, despite glare.
Less remarkable are the keyboard and trackpad. While not subpar, they fall short of excellence. The full-sized keyboard, complete with a numpad, shifts keys to the left, impacting typing comfort. The flat keycaps might not suit everyone’s preferences. A 75% layout centered on the chassis could have been more ergonomic.
The trackpad generally functions well but proves overly sensitive at times, inadvertently triggering actions. Additionally, its slight left orientation aligns with the keyboard but might not cater to all user preferences.
Port selection is commendable, featuring two USB-C ports with 65-watt power delivery and alt DisplayPort mode, two USB-A ports, a micro SD card reader, an HDMI 2.1 port, and a 3.5mm combo jack. A minor drawback is both USB-C ports being placed on the left side, potentially inconveniencing charging when only one side is used.
ACER SWIFT EDGE 16 (2023): Performance
Performance Rating: 4.5 / 5
The Acer Swift Edge 16 (2023) delivers reliable performance in productivity tasks. It’s equipped with an AMD CPU for its power, lacking a discrete graphics card. The available 16GB of RAM is substantial for regular work, casual gaming, and light photo editing. However, it falls short of intensive video editing and demanding gaming, which isn’t its focus.
Despite the absence of a powerhouse configuration, the laptop capably handles day-to-day tasks and even casual gaming due to its competent specifications and outstanding screen quality.
Benchmark Results:
3DMark:
- Night Raid: 26686
- Fire Strike: 6873
- Time Spy: 2996
GeekBench 6:
- Single-core: 2427
- Multi-core: 10168
- 25GB File Copy: 21.1 seconds
- Handbrake 1.6: 6 minutes and 4 seconds
CrossMark:
- Overall: 1628
- Productivity: 1595
- Creativity: 1781
- Responsiveness: 1321
- Sid Meier’s Civilization VI: Gathering Storm (1080p): 44.775 fps
- Web Surfing (Battery Informant): 7 hours, 18 minutes, and 20 seconds
In real-world testing, the laptop handled a demanding scenario with 20 open tabs, including multiple streaming sites, without lag. Casual gaming was manageable as well. However, more demanding games like Battlefield 2042 posed a challenge, causing the laptop to struggle on low settings.
The audio quality from the speakers was moderate, typical for a slim laptop. The highlight, however, is the webcam, offering up to 1440p at 30 fps resolution. Notably, it auto-zooms and adjusts eye contact, enhancing the video conferencing experience. Additionally, the microphone features background noise cancellation.
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ACER SWIFT EDGE 16 (2023): Battery Life
Battery Rating: 3.5 / 5
The Acer Swift Edge 16 (2023) falls short in battery longevity, particularly in comparison to other laptops in its category. With a battery benchmark result of seven hours and 18 minutes, it’s somewhat disappointing, especially when viewed alongside other high-end Ultrabooks. By contrast, the Acer Zenbook S 13 OLED achieves over 12 hours of testing, despite having a smaller but still demanding high-resolution OLED screen with HDR. The Acer Swift Edge 16’s OLED screen is likely a key contributor to its less impressive battery performance.
While the battery life might be deemed satisfactory, the laptop compensates with fast charging via its USB-C port. Nevertheless, the speed of the fast charging isn’t as exceptional as anticipated. A 10-minute charge yields approximately a 15% battery increase, a decent but not exceptionally swift improvement.