Acer Switch 7 Black Edition. (Image Source: Acer)
Microsoft’s Surface Pro may be one of the best 2-in-1 notebooks out there, and the one that kickstarted the deluge of convertibles from various brands, but Acer is hoping it’s given you reason to consider something else.
At IFA 2017, the company unveiled a range of new notebooks, including the new Switch 7 Black Edition, a hybrid device that bristles with considerable power.
It is Acer’s first 2-in-1 laptop to have a discrete GPU – an NVIDIA GeForce MX150 with 2GB of GDDR5 memory – and it will come kitted out with Intel’s latest 8th-generation Core i7 processors.
The display is a 13.5-inch IPS touch panel with a crisp 2,256 x 1,504-pixel resolution, which will work with a stylus powered by Wacom’s electromagnetic resonance (EMR) technology. The stylus features up to 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity and tilt support for shading as well, so it’s certainly up to snuff on paper.
It weighs 1.15kg, quite a bit heavier than the Surface Pro, but that’s probably a result of having the discrete GPU and a large battery.
The fanless Dual LiquidLoop cooling system keeps everything cool and quiet, and it’s a key part of how Acer keeps the weight and dimensions down.
In addition, it’ll come with a plethora of the latest I/O connectors, including a speedy Thunderbolt 3 port.
One interesting feature is the optical under-glass fingerprint sensor on the bezel with Power-on Authentication (POA), so you can boot up and log into the PC with just a single touch.
The kickstand is also automatic and can be deployed or retracted with one hand. To use the stand, you just press the bottom of the display down on a hard surface to activate a pressure button, much like on the Dell Latitude 5285 2-in-1 convertible.
On top of that, Acer announced updated Swift 5 and Spin 5 laptops, both of which will also be powered by the new Intel processors.
Acer Swift 5. (Image Source: Acer)
The Swift 5 weighs less than a kilogram and was designed as an ultra-portable machine with a light magnesium-lithium alloy construction on the top and bottom covers.
Acer Spin 5. (Image Source: Acer)
The heftier Spin 5 is available in 13- and 15-inch models, and its 360-degree hinge lets you use it in a variety of modes or even as a tablet. It packs up to 16GB of DDR4 memory and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 GPU (on the 15-inch version), so it’s a good fit for those who require extra power for things like photo or video editing.
Acer says the Switch 7 Black Edition and Swift 5 will arrive in Singapore in December, while the 13-inch Spin 5 will be available earlier in September.
We’ll update when we have news on local pricing.
Source: Acer
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