Acer Swift 14 AI: A Premium Laptop with Mixed AI Results
The Acer Swift 14 AI landed on our desk with a sleek aluminum chassis, incredible battery life, and promises of powerful AI performance. But does it live up to the hype? We put this latest Snapdragon-powered laptop through its paces, evaluating its performance, battery life, and AI capabilities. Here's our verdict.
Design and Build
The Swift 14 AI boasts a robust aluminum chassis with diamond-cut edges and a glossy silver accent. It exudes a premium feel, despite its relatively lightweight design. The laptop's interior features a gray keyboard and touchpad that don't contrast well with the deck, but the sleek design remains consistent.
While initially listed as a slim 0.38 inches, the actual thickness of the Swift 14 AI is closer to 0.66-0.72 inches. This discrepancy was confirmed by an Acer representative, who explained that the larger size is the official measurement. So, be sure to verify the thickness on retailer websites, as they may still reflect the outdated information.
Ports and Connectivity
The Swift 14 AI offers a decent selection of ports, including two USB Type-C ports, one USB Type-A port, and a headphone jack. While it lacks an HDMI port, Acer includes a Type-C to HDMI dongle. The laptop also features Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 for seamless wireless connectivity.
Display
The Swift 14 AI's 14.5-inch, 2560 x 1600, 120Hz display boasts a high refresh rate and resolution. However, its brightness and color accuracy fall short. The display struggles with color accuracy, covering only 75.6% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, below the average premium laptop (88.3%). Its brightness also lags behind the competition, reaching 367 nits compared to the category average of 461 nits.
Keyboard and Touchpad
The keyboard on the Swift 14 AI offers comfortable typing but lacks a satisfying tactile feedback. The keys are bouncy with low travel, and the space between the top of the touchpad and the spacebar flexes under pressure. Despite this, most users should adapt to the keyboard over time.
The 5.1 x 3.1-inch touchpad is a standout feature, offering a smooth and responsive experience thanks to the integrated LED lights that illuminate Acer's AI branding. These lights activate whenever you use an AI feature, including the Copilot button.
Audio
The Swift 14 AI features a pair of side-firing speakers that deliver decent audio but lack the bass to adequately reproduce percussion instruments. While the audio is clear, it can sound hollow at times, lacking the richness in the mids and highs. Acer includes a DTS audio app with presets for Music, Voice, and Entertainment, but it doesn't significantly improve the sound quality.
Performance
Powered by a Snapdragon X Elite X1E-78-100 processor, the Swift 14 AI delivers impressive performance across various benchmarks. It excels in CPU-intensive tasks, scoring 14,531 on the Geekbench 6.3 overall performance test, far surpassing the average premium laptop (9,853). The laptop also transcodes a 4K video to 1080p in just 4 minutes and 46 seconds on the HandBrake benchmark, outperforming the competition.
AI Performance
The Swift 14 AI is a Copilot+ PC, meaning it's designed to leverage AI features for improved productivity. We tested its AI performance using the Geekbench ML 0.6 AI performance test. While the Swift 14 AI scored well, its performance was not as impressive as we expected, particularly compared to laptops with specialized AI chips. The test focuses on ONNX/CPU performance, which may not fully leverage the strengths of Qualcomm's NPU.
Battery Life
The Swift 14 AI delivers exceptional battery life, achieving 17 hours and 30 minutes on the Laptop Mag battery test. This surpasses the average premium laptop (11:49) and even outlasts laptops known for their long battery life, such as the MacBook Air (15:03) and Zenbook 14 (15:52).
Webcam
The Swift 14 AI features a 1440p webcam, which is rare in laptops. While the webcam boasts a higher resolution than most, its image quality is underwhelming. The colors are saturated and details appear grainy, resulting in a less-than-ideal video experience. It's recommended to consider investing in a dedicated external webcam for higher quality video calls.
Heat
The Swift 14 AI can become quite hot during prolonged use. After streaming a 15-minute video, the underside reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit, exceeding our comfort threshold. The keyboard and touchpad also experienced a noticeable rise in temperature, reaching 94 and 79 degrees, respectively.
Bloatware
Acer pre-loads the Swift 14 AI with bloatware, including apps like Booking.com and App Explorer. It's recommended to remove these applications to optimize system performance and reduce clutter.
Final Thoughts
The Acer Swift 14 AI is a great laptop with impressive battery life and performance. However, its display struggles with color accuracy and brightness, and its AI performance isn't as stellar as expected. If you prioritize a high-quality display, consider alternatives like the MacBook Air or Zenbook 14. But if you value a reliable, long-lasting laptop with solid performance and a great touchpad, the Swift 14 AI is a good choice.
Acer Swift 14 AI: Should You Buy It?
Ultimately, the Acer Swift 14 AI offers a mixed bag. Its battery life, performance, and touchpad are excellent. However, its display, AI performance, and heat management leave room for improvement. If you're looking for a well-rounded laptop with the latest AI features, you may want to explore other options. But if you're seeking a solid laptop with exceptional battery life and a premium feel, the Swift 14 AI is worth considering.
