Acer’s new Swift 5 Ultrabooks are among the first to be verified under Intel’s new Evo platform, while the Swift 3 is still pending certification. What was once known as Project Athena, Intel Evo is now the marketing name for laptops that meet key experience targets for responsiveness, instant wake, long-lasting battery life, and fast charge — and both Acer notebooks deliver on these metrics thanks to a stated battery life of up to 18 hours.
Swift 5
The Swift 5 will be the more premium of the two devices, as this laptop marries a stylish design with performance in an ultrathin package. The Swift 5 is powered by Intel’s 11th Gen Core i5 or i7 processors. And thanks to Intel’s new Iris Xe integrated graphics, the Swift 5 can be used for creative tasks as well as casual gaming on the go.
Weighing just 2.2 pounds, the Swift 5 is made with premium materials like magnesium-lithium and magnesium-aluminum. When the laptop’s lid is open, the hinge allows the backside of the keyboard to be elevated, improving ergonomic and thermal performance, Acer claims. The Swift 5 comes equipped with a 340-nit bright 14-inch FHD display that is capable of covering 100% of the sRGB color space. Thanks to narrow bezels, the modern design boasts a 90% screen-to-body ratio.
Acer also made some screen improvements to the Swift 5. The touchscreen layer is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass, and it comes with an antimicrobial coating. You will be able to pick up the Swift 5 (SF514-55) starting in November at $999.
Two variants of the Swift 3
Like its more premium sibling, the Swift 3 is powered by the same 11th-Gen Intel processors and underwent testing to earn the Intel Evo certification badge. The laptop comes with a sleek metal chassis design, Intel Xe graphics, and support for Thunderbolt 4.
Acer is utilizing a 3:2 aspect ratio display on the Swift 3 (SF313-53), compared to the more traditional 16:9 aspect ratio on the Swift 5. The 13.5-inch screen comes with a 2256 x 1504-pixel resolution. Like the Swift 5, you’ll get 100% sRGB coverage, but the display here is a bit brighter at 400 nits.
This is all comes in a package that weighs 1.19 kilograms and measures just 0.63-inch thick. The Swift 3 (SF313-53) starts at $799 when in launches in November.
A second variation of the Swift 3 comes with a 14-inch FHD panel for those who prefer the 16:9 aspect ratio. This variant of the Swift 3 (SF314-59) will launch in November starting at $699. It features a design constructed from aluminum, with a magnesium-aluminum palm rest.
The Intel EVO certification will help these laptops better compete against always-connected Windows PCs powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon ARM-based platform. Like Intel Evo, the Snapdragon for PC initiative largely boasts the same key features alongside thin, light, and powerful mobile form factors and mobile broadband connectivity options.
