Will Acer's Swift 5 Upmarket Moves Be Worth The Price Bump?

Acer has launched the latest iteration of its popular Swift 5 series and this time around the Taiwanese company has decided to take the range upmarket. The new laptop features a premium two-tone CNC machined design and is powered by the latest Intel 12th gen processors with up to 12 cores. The Swift 5 is also Intel Evo-certified. The company says that it weighs in at just 2.65 lbs (1.2 kg) thanks to its use of aero-space grade aluminum and is 0.59-inches thin (14.95 mm). Battery life is rated at up to a somewhat mediocre 10 hours, but on the plus side, a 30-minute fast charge will yield up to a further 4 hours of use.

While Acer hasn't specified exactly which of Intel's mobile Alder Lake chips it is using in the Swift 5, an educated guess points to Intel's 45W H-series with either the Core i5-12500H or Core i5-12600H CPUs (both with a 4P and 8E configuration) fitting the 12-core description at the upper end. This would suggest the entry-level option will likely be the Core-i5-12450H CPU with 8 cores (4P and 4E). Acer is keeping things cool with an upgraded TwinAir dual-fan system mated to D6 heat pipes with user configurable silent, normal and performance mode options. Even its backlit keyboard features an air inlet design that expels between 8-10 percent more heat than a standard keyboard.

The Swift 5's new 14-inch WQXGA (2,500 x 1,600) touchscreen has a 16:10 aspect ratio for increased height. As a result, the bottom bezel is almost eliminated for an overall screen-to-body ratio of 92.22 percent. This is protected by antimicrobial Corning Gorilla Glass. The new 1080p webcam used Acers Temporal Noise reduction for improved performance for online meetings when working from home. The built-in mic also features noise reduction and sound enhancing technology. Another nice touch is the OceanGlass touchpad that is made from ocean-bound plastics which Acer says delivers a "sleek glass-like tactile feeling". With the premium features comes a new premium price tag that starts at $1,499 (up from $1,000 for the 2021 model).

Acer has also updated its Swift 3 model with a splash of color, with three different looks to choose from. Like the Swift 5, it picks up Intel's latest 12th gen processors, although these are likely Intel's P series, which are 28W CPUs. Acer doesn't specify battery life, but also like the Swift 5, a quick 30-minute charge will yield up to four hours of battery life. Things are also kept cool with Acer's TwinAir dual-fan cooling system, which isn't something you always see at its price point. Its 14-inch display uses a 16:9 aspect ratio and comes in either FHD (1920 x 1080) or QHD (2560 x 1440) resolutions. It will be priced at $850 when it goes on sale in June, 2022.