When it comes to the best laptops there’s no shortage of choice, that’s for sure. It takes something special to really stand out these days - but that’s exactly what it sounds like Acer has delivered in its new Swift X 16 laptop, as unveiled at the company’s ‘Next At Acer’ annual conference.
The one thing that I think the Swift X 16 really takes and runs with is its screen: this is a 16:10 widescreen aspect ratio OLED panel, so it should deliver really rich and inky black levels thanks to that technology, but it’s also insanely pixel-packed, with a 3.2K resolution (that’s 3200 by 2000 pixels) across that 16-inch diagonal.
The Swift X 16’s screen really pumps out the brightness too: it’s rated at 500 nits, which while it’s not going to challenge the best TVs out there, is a strong specification for a HDR-capable panel (that’s high dynamic range, if you’re unfamiliar). There’s also 100% support for the DCI-P3 colour gamut, which is an important badge for creators who want an accurate and wide colour palette.
I’ve handled a lot of laptops over the years and while Acer isn’t always the most reliable in terms of build quality in my book, the Swift X 16 promises some positives. It’s thin and light, measuring just 17.9mm and weighing 1.9kgs - which, for a 16-incher, is a fair accomplishment. Especially when you consider what’s inside.
Although I’ve not yet seen and used a Swift X 16 to put it through its paces, it’s clear this laptop is aimed at content creators. The inclusion of AMD Ryzen’s 9 processor, 16GB RAM, and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 discrete GPU is enough to tell you that.
I’m really fond of AMD’s recent output, too, as I’ve typically found battery life to be superior compared to Intel’s most recent Core i outfits. The cell inside this laptop is 76Wh, which is shy of the biggest-possible 99.9Wh, but will importantly keep the weight down to sub-2kg - and I like this portability factor.
The appealing specs don’t stop there either: Wi-Fi 6E is supported, so if you’re using one of the best routers today then you’ll get super-speedy connectivity; there’s a microSD card slot (I’d prefer a full-size SD one, but this is fairly uncommon these days - the reserve of the MacBook Pro 16 for example); a Full HD webcam for ample video-calling resolution; and even DTS:X Ultra Audio from the two front-facing speakers.
All in all, I think Acer’s Swift X 16 will be a super AMD-powered laptop option with an OLED screen that could blow your mind. And with prices starting from $1,249 and 1,566EUR (I’m assuming around £1,499 by virtue of that) it’s actually sensibly priced when you consider just how much the best MacBooks for content creators can set you back. Colour me impressed.
