Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 review: the new go-to 2-in-1 Chromebook

I was carefully optimistic about the Acer chromebook and spin 514 when I tested a pre -production model last month, but the last unit is here now and it sticks landing. Well, above all.

Acer’s latest convertible chromebook has zipped and heaps of battery life, as well as a good touch screen with stylus support. But shitty speakers and no fingerprint sensor make its price for $ 700 more difficult to swallow, and prevents it from dethroning the Lenovo Chromebook plus 14, our current favorite chromebook.

Our ACER Chromebook Plus Spin 514 revision unit is the basic configuration of $ 699. It has the Kompanio Ultra 910 processor from Mediatek (such as the recent Lenovo), 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of UFS storage. Its IPS 1920 x 1200 14 inch touch screen has a 120 Hz refresh rate and reaches 300 nits of brightness. And he supports Stylus Usi 2.0, although they are sold separately and there is nowhere on the laptop to store them. Acer sells a specification of $ 799.99 with 16 GB of RAM and a resolution display of 2880 x 1800 slightly Brighter at 340 nits, but this overload does not really solve the biggest disadvantages of the spin.

I want the screen to be much brighter (400 nits or more, ideally), and I always prefer OLED resolution and 2.5K, but it is a pleasant panel with a pleasant look. I maintain that the 1920 x 1200 resolution is good (not idealBut the minimum tolerable specification) for a 14 -inch screen if everything seems good and in terms of contrast. And this is the case here. It does not seem as alive, brilliant and contrasting as the OLED on the Lenovo, but the faster refreshment of 120 Hz is a decent consolation. The sensitivity to the stylus for taking notes on the Spin 514 in tablet mode is good, although the rejection of the palm can be a little better. I had a few rare cases where the joint of my little finger drew a small line. But it is a solid screen with a nice rapid refresh rate, and it is attached to a robust 360 -degree hinge.

The Star function of the Spin 514 is its Kompanio Ultra 910 processor. The ARM -based chip is fast enough for daily productivity tasks and typical Chromeos web applications, and it easily lasts a full day of work on the battery. Unlike the Chromebook Plus from Lenovo with the same chip, the spin has a cooling fan. This seemed to lead to slightly better reference scores than the Lenovo Plus Chromebook, but in regular use, I rarely hear the fan rotation at all. I can work a day of eight at nine o’clock composed of relaxation, google documents, play music on Spotify, many messages, many chrome tabs open to virtual desktop computers, etc., put it for the evening and will spend almost half of the following day before you have to charge. I love this kind of freedom.

As for essential components such as keyboard, trackpad and ports, spin 514 is solid in all areas. The keyboard is not as tactile and pleasant as its counterpart Lenovo, but it is good to type, and the key trip is adequate. The mechanical trackpad is just as good as that of the Lenovo Chromebook plus 14, but with a better and more attenuated sound. And its two USB-C ports are twice as fast as those of Lenovo.

The webcam on the Spin 514 is a monumental upgrade of the last Acer laptops that I tested. Instead of a too transmitted and crunchy image, the 5 megapixel camera here is clear and adequately contrasting. He manages light and low light fairly well, although he sometimes fought with really shiny scenes near a window, taking a moment to determine that my face was blown and had to be attenuated. But on average, it’s a very good webcam.

Where Acer vacilla is the speakers of the 514 spin and the lack of biometric connection. If you use an Android phone, you can save yourself by putting your lock screen in the locking screen each time by connecting and near your phone. But that does not quickly replace your laptop with your fingerprint. The speakers are also embarrassing and being on the sides of the keyboard, they shoot far from you in tablet / tent mode. But even when they are oriented towards you, they seem muddy and muffled. You can always get around the poor speakers with external headphones or speakers, but it is a burn on this laptop elsewhere.

The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 is not the new king or the Queen of Chromebooks, but it is a Duke or the respectable duchess. These new arms -based chromebooks establish this fair balance of good performance and a long service life of the battery, and I do not see many reasons to sacrifice one or both with a model based on Intel, unless you are really sensitive to prices.

If I bought a high-end chromebook myself at the moment, I would choose the Lenovo Chromebook plus 14 for $ 50 more. I like 2 in 1 convertibles like Acer because they allow me to take out the keyboard occasionally to watch things, but I don’t mind sticking a shell factor in exchange for an OLED screen, good speakers and a fingerprint sensor. If the Delta price was higher, I could rethink things. And it’s probably just a matter of time. Acer laptops are often on sale and Kelly Odle, media relations to Acer, told me that this $ 699 laptop would probably get regular discounts as low as $ 599.99 at Best Buy. I can always recommend the Spin 514 at its full price to someone who Really wants a convertible chrome. It is a very good 2 in 1 which will be more widely convincing if and when it is put on sale.

Photography by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge