[Test] Acer Swift 7: extreme ultramobility

WE love

• Reduced weight and dimensions
• Quality screen
• Good autonomy

We don’t like

• Reduced connectivity
• Limited performance
• Glossy screen
• Webcam placement

Verdict:

Elegant and very light machine, the Swift 7 nevertheless incorporates a fairly large screen, which proves to be efficient (although brilliant). However, trying to gain a few millimeters in thickness or on the edges of the screen, we end up with consequences that may displease some users (feeling of fragility, position of the webcam, poor connectivity, etc.).

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The new Acer Swift 7 ultrabook is the archetype of the ultraportable computer that seeks at all costs to be as small as possible. The concern is that certain factors, which can be seen as advantages by some, also turn into disadvantages for others. Everything is therefore a matter of compromise and the working habits of each user.

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Yes and no for format

One thing is certain: the machine benefits from a hyper compact format (31.8 x 18 x 1 cm), with in particular a weight, rarely seen for this size, of only 836 grams. Suddenly, the PC is very easy to handle. Its extreme finesse allows it to easily find its place in a bag or briefcase.

The ultrabook is attractive and sober. However, you can’t help but also feel a sense of fragility. So of course we are not going to use the Swift in a rugby scrum or use it in perilous conditions. Given its price, we can imagine that we will take care of it, handle it without rushing it and not twist it in all directions without reason.

The inevitable consequence of this compactness is well known and is verified once again: connectivity is reduced to only two USB 3.1 type C ports (which have the advantage of being Thunderbolt 3 and DisplayPort compatible) and to be used for charging drums. Even the traditional memory card reader is not present.

To compensate, Acer provides a mini port replicator, which provides an additional USB type A port and an HDMI connector when necessary. The advantage of this solution is that you can keep it at the bottom of a bag as long as you do not need it, on the go, and connect it when you settle in a desk. Good point, even the AC adapter is very reasonable in size.

Another concession linked to the Lilliputian format: sound! The maximum volume is quite low, for watching a movie for example, and the two speakers provide very modest audio quality. Helmet compulsory!

Yes and no for screen and display quality

The 14-inch screen of the Swift 7 is Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) and has hyper-thin edges (less than 3 mm). This last point provides a successful and trendy design. But, suddenly, the manufacturer does not know where to place the webcam. If Dell has solved the problem with its latest XPS 13, this is clearly not the case for Acer…

Result, the latter was placed under a retractable key, in the upper left corner of the keyboard. Small problem, the Webcam therefore films from bottom to top, which can sometimes result in a face placed very high in the image, with – icing on the cake – the hand in the foreground.

In this case, you have to move away from the laptop a bit, or lower your trap (or raise the machine) so that your face is well centered, because of course the sensor is fixed (while when the camera is on the screen, you can adjust the angle of the latter). Of course, this detail is anecdotal if you only use the Webcam very rarely…

The display quality is excellent. The IPS IPS LCD panel uses a glossy coating, which provides particularly vivid colors, with good contrasts. But as always, this also induces a mirror effect, which can be annoying in certain situations, depending on where you are (outdoors, for example). Microsoft’s Surface Laptop 2 “suffers” from the same problem, while Dell and Asus have opted for matte panels for their XPS 13 and Zenbook.

As a bonus, the screen is touchscreen, which can facilitate certain manipulations. On the other hand, the latter is protected from scratches and other small impacts by a coating of the Corning Gorilla Glass type.

Yes and no for performance

The Swift 7 incorporates an Intel Core i7-8500Y processor (2 physical cores clocked at 1.5 / 4.2 GHz, with a TPD of 5 Watts) which is less efficient than the Core i7-8565U chip (4 cores at 1, 6 / 3.4 GHz with TPD of 15 Watts) from Zenbook or XPS 13. But is it really a problem to use office applications in the context of light professional or personal use? No, presumably.

On the other hand, this chip has the advantage of consuming less electricity, which makes it possible to obtain a higher autonomy during simple tasks, such as playing a video. The autonomy that we have measured amounts to approximately 9 hours (in video playback, with the maximum brightness and sound from the speakers), against approximately 6 h 15 min for XPS 13. This can therefore be higher for light office use (Internet, mail, etc.).

Finally, the “small” processor of the Swift 7 allows you to control the rise in temperature during long work or entertainment sessions, since the machine remains lukewarm perfectly tolerable. For the rest, the Intel UHD 615 graphics chip can respond positively to multimedia needs (videos for example), but remains very limited for games.

Yes and No for the keyboard / touchpad duo

The machine has an efficient keyboard / touchpad duo. The keys are backlit (in white), but not continuously, since the light disappears after a few seconds of inactivity. It is rather advantageous to save energy, but it is not very practical to find your marks when you want to resume typing in the dark (because you have to press a key at random to restore the lighting).

As for the touchpad, its very (too?) Large size does not bring much, and can even cause handling errors when typing. To avoid this, a key is used to deactivate it. Finally, note that the start button (located next to the retractable webcam) includes a fingerprint reader, which is always practical.

Overall positive verdict

In the end, if we see that the aspect of mobility, the Swift 7 deserves a score of 9/10, since it fulfills its contract perfectly by offering extreme lightness and good endurance. However, if we take into account all the small negative points, often inevitable given the size of the machine (reduced power and connectivity among others), a score of 7/10 is required. An average of 8/10 overall seems fairer.

Finally, the price asked by Acer remains. The Swift 7 is sold at 2000 € at Fnac, with 16 GB of memory and a 512 GB SSD. Miniaturization has a price! In comparison, the very recent XPS 13 2-in-1 (touch screen rotating 360 degrees), with the same internal components, is sold for € 1,749.

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