Acer unveils raft of fresh laptops and Chromebook devices

Including a 15-inch Intel Core-powered device weighing less than a bag of sugar

New York, 23 May 2018: Acer has announced a raft of new products at its annual Next@Acer event in New York today.

The Taiwanese technology giant's CEO, Jason Chen, took to the stage in the Lincoln Center to unveil a long list of laptop devices, many of which were of the Chromebook variety.

The most notable is the company's new Swift 5 notebook, which claims to be the lightest 15-inch laptop. It boasts a 15.6in full HD (FHD) touchscreen display in a chassis that is so light it weighs less than one kilo.

Acer's CEO explained that this was possible thanks to the Swift 5's ultra-narrow bezels, which measure just 5.87mm, giving it an 87.6 per cent screen-to-body ratio, maximising the viewing experience.

"We've kept the weight under the one kilo mark by using ultra-narrow bezels and a marginally larger chassis," he said.

It also mentioned that it's been constructed with advanced materials including a super light magnesium lithium alloys for the top and bottom cover, and magnesium-aluminum alloys for extra sturdiness on the palm rest area, while also being super light.

The Swift 5 is powered by Windows 10, the latest 8^th gen Intel Core processors, and features the same battery life as the firm's other, fatter 15in laptop devices - promising "a full workday's worth of battery power".

In terms of the display, Acer has integrated its "Color Intelligence™ technology, which adjusts gamma and saturation in real-time while in use, optimising screen colour and brightness without clipping or over saturation. The firm's BluelightShield tech also works alongside, adjusting the screen's blue-light emission over extended periods of use for better viewing over longer hours.

At the New York event, Acer also revealed the "world's most powerful Chromebook" the Spin 13, powered by an Intel 8th generation Core processor, an 100 per cent metal chassis and a Corning Gorilla Glass touchpad.

This was joined by a slightly less powerful device which Acer is calling the first 15in convertible Chromebook device. Called the Spin 15, the new budget-friendly Chromebook 15 model combines a 360-degree hinge design and 15.6in display, all for a super low price, which we haven't been told just yet.

"Acer's new Chromebooks with large 15in Full HD displays are ideal for collaborating on projects for work and school, enjoying streaming media and running the latest apps. Plus, the Acer Chromebook Spin 15 is the company's first to combine a large," said Acer's general manager of commercial and detachable notebooks, IT Products Business, James Lin.

The Chromebook Spin 15's display boasts a 1920x1080 resolution and is touted to deliver sharp visuals while its IPS technology provides wide viewing angles. The display also supports 10-finger touch input for games, complemented by two full-sized "upward-facing speakers" to deliver what the firm says is more robust audio.

Unlike it's more powerful Intel Core-powered brother, the Spin 15 is powered by a choice of a quad-core Intel Pentium N4200 processor, Intel Celeron N3450 processor, or a dual-core Intel Celeron N3350 processor. It comes with 4GB or 8GB LPDDR4 memory and either 32GB or 64GB of on-board eMMC storage.

There's also a Corning Gorilla Glass touchpad for better navigation as well as a long 13-hour battery life, which is said to bring more productivity to users.

In terms of Chromebooks, Acer also announced a standard Chromebook 15 model that pairs a 15in screen with a long 14 hour battery life and the same value pricing, and a tablet edition.

The Taiwanese company said all of the new Chromebooks boast Android app support via Google Play Store.

There's no word on pricing and availability for any of the devices unveiled just yet, as Acer said this will vary by region, but we'll be sure to update the article with these as soon as we know.