In high-end laptops, thin is always in, but that doesn't mean you have to sacrifice connectivity. Acer's new Swift Edge 14 AI, leading its ultraportable lineup ahead of Computex in Taipei, is a sleek notebook that weighs less than 1 kilogram (approximately 2.18 pounds) but still has plenty of ports.
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Acer Swift Edge 14 AI |
|---|---|
CPU | Up to Intel Core Ultra 9 288V |
Graphics | Up to Intel Arc graphics 140V (integrated) |
RAM | Up to 32GB LPDDR5x |
Storage | Up to 1TB PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD |
Display | 14-inch, 2880 x 1800, OLED touchscreen, matte |
Battery | 65 WHr |
Wireless Connectivity | Intel Killer Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 |
Weight | 2.18 pounds (0.99 kg) |
The Swift Edge 14 AI will use Intel's "Lunar Lake" chips, ranging from a Core Ultra 5 226V up to a Core Ultra 9 288V, with up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage. That's all in a chassis that's 0.65 inches thick.
It's notable that Acer isn't skimping on ports here. While many 13, 14, and even some 15-inch laptops have dropped to just a pair of USB-C ports, Acer's got two USB Type-C ports (supporting Thunderbolt 4), a pair of USB Type-A ports, HDMI 2.1, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. That's a lot of connectivity on the go. We saw this with HP's OmniBook 7 Aero, but that much I/O on an ultrabook is still pretty rare these days.
Like many high-end laptops, Acer's chassis is built from a mix of magnesium and aluminum. But unlike those laptops, the company is pushing a "soft-touch" keyboard that the company says has a "unique UV-cured coating that feels like velvet and is wear- and stain-resistant." We didn't get too much time to play with this keyboard, but we're certainly hoping it stays clean in the long term, especially considering this is a white laptop.
Acer is promising up to 21 hours of battery life from the 65 WHr battery, but doesn't say how it got there. If it comes close, that would match the longest-lasting laptop we've ever tested.
Unfortunately, Acer hasn't removed the weird AI indicator light from its touchpad, which glows whenever you use the NPU or use Copilot (which uses the internet and does not run locally). It is, at best, a distraction.
Acer is also using Computex as a launch pad for its Swift Go 14 AI and Swift Go 16 AI, each with OLED displays and media controls built into the touchpad. All of these Swift laptops have 1080p webcams with IR support for Windows Hello.
North American pricing and availability haven't been revealed just yet. Acer said that this information will be announced "closer to market availability." In Europe, the Swift Edge will release in June, while Australia has a more vague "Q2" release date. The Swift Go 16 AI and Swift 14 AI will ship in July and August in Europe, respectively.
