At the IFA 2016 expo in Berlin this week, Acer unveiled its new Swift series of ultra-thin and lightweight notebook PCs.
Comprised of four lines, namely the Swift 7, Swift 5, Swift 3 and Swift 1, the new ultra-thin models feature Windows 10 and cater for a range of budgets and lifestyles.
“We are thrilled to announce the new Swift series, a complete ultra-thin laptop line-up with something for everyone,” said Jerry Hou, General Manager, Consumer Notebooks, IT Products Business, Acer Inc. “Front and centre is the flagship Swift 7 with an all-aluminium chassis that’s less than one centimetre thin, while still packing in performance and stamina for all-day productivity.”
Chris Walker, Vice President of the Client Computing Group and General Manager of Mobility Client Platforms, Intel Corp, said: “The new 7th Generation Intel Core processors set a new bar for performance and efficiency enabling amazingly fast, responsive designs that are also incredibly thin and light. Intel and Acer’s strong collaboration is on full display with the new Swift series which delivers great performance in a beautiful package.”
Acer provided the following information:
Swift 7 – Ultra-Slim with All-Day Battery Life
The Swift 7 weighs in at just 2.48 pounds (1.1 kg) and measures a mere 0.39 inches (9.98 mm) thin, making it the world’s first laptop to measure less than 1 cm thin. Its black-and-gold dual tone design brings a touch of elegance to its durable all-aluminium uni-body, while tough Corning Gorilla Glass adds superior scratch resistance to the 13.3-inch Full HD IPS display with a micro-bezel. With up to 9 hours of battery life, it is the perfect notebook for those on the go.
Small and speedy, top-of-the-line performance is delivered through a 7th Generation Intel Core i5 processor, fast 256GB SSD and up to 8GB of memory. The latest wireless technology (2×2 802.11ac with MU-MIMO) delivers reliable and up to three times faster connections, while dual USB 3.1 Type-C ports are included for quick data transfer, connection to an external display, and to charge the notebook. An HD webcam with HDR (High Dynamic Range) imaging support provides clear, bright and detailed images.
Swift 5 – High-End Features without the Weight
Just 0.57 inches (14.58 mm) in height and weighing 3 pounds (1.36 kg), the Swift 5 manages to fit a 14-inch Full HD IPS display into a 13-inch frame, making it the ultimate in portability and usability. Available in Pearl White with gold trimming or Obsidian Black with silver trimming, it cuts an impressive figure combining brushed metal surfaces and diamond cut accents.
7th Generation Intel Core processors coupled with fast SSDs (256 or 512 SATA or PCIe), up to 8GB of memory and the latest wireless technology deliver big results in a small package. Rounding out this strong feature set is up to 13 hours3 of battery life, a backlit keyboard, a reversible USB 3.1 Type-C port and options for a touch display and fingerprint reader.
Swift 3 – Essential Features at a Compelling Price
Just 0.7 inches (17.95 mm) in height and weighing 3.3 pounds (1.5 kg), the Swift 3’s svelte and lightweight design features a sturdy brushed aluminium chassis. It offers up to 12 hours3 of battery life and a collection of indispensable features for great productivity, mobility and security.
The Swift 3 models pair a 14-inch HD or Full HD IPS anti-glare display with 6th or 7th Generation Intel Core processors, fast 512GB SSDs, up to 8GB memory and 2×2 MU-MIMO 802.11ac wireless technology for fast and reliable internet connectivity.
Additional must-have features include a USB 3.1 Type-C port (for fast data transfers, connection to an external display, and to charge the notebook), and an HD webcam with High Dynamic Range. Lastly, the optional backlit keyboard is paired with a large 72mm touchpad, providing ample room to navigate and manoeuvre.
A built-in fingerprint scanner is located at the upper right-hand corner of the palm rest and works in conjunction with Windows Hello for enhanced security. It takes less than one second from scanning a fingertip to accessing the desktop. It can also recognize specific people, linking actions to approved individuals, deterring inappropriate behaviour and helping to eliminate fraudulent activity.
Swift 1 – Light and Budget-Friendly
Lightweight and priced right for a student or others on a budget, the Swift 1 is highly portable and includes the essentials, making them a great value. Just 0.7 inches in height (17.9 mm) and weighing 3.5 pounds (1.6 kgs), the cover features a brushed-metal-like finish that minimizes fingerprints and scratches, while the diamond-cut edges around the power button and touchpad provide nice design touches. With up to 12 hours3 of battery life, they will last a student an entire school day, with a few extra hours to spare for late night studying or web-surfing. The Swift 1 features a 14-inch HD display, an Intel Pentium® or Celeron® processor, 4GB of memory and either 32GB, 64GB or 128GB of eMMC storage.
Availability
The Acer Swift 7, 5 and 3 will be available in South Africa in Q4 2016.