Skip to main content

The Acer Swift Edge is only a half-inch thick, but still includes an HDMI port

Acer today announced the Swift Edge, the world’s lightest 16-inch OLED professional laptop.

The ultraportable weighs a mere 2.6 pounds (1.2 kilograms), housed in an incredibly svelte 0.51-inch (13mm) ultrathin magnesium-aluminum chassis. That makes it’s one of the thinnest Windows laptops you can buy, despite not compromising on port selection.

The Acer Swift Edge shown on a white background.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

In terms of connectivity, on the left side of the machine sit two USB-C ports, one USB 3.2 port, and one HDMI 2.1 output with HDCP support. The second USB 3.2 port and a TRRS audio jack are located on the right edge. All these ports are a surprise for a laptop this thin, especially since competitors like the MacBook Air or Dell XPS 13 stick solely to USB-C.

Power for the Swift Edge will come from an AMD Ryzen 6800U octa-core processor, supplemented by multilayered security features, such as the integrated Microsoft Pluton security processor that provides added protection for sensitive credentials and encryption keys.

This first Swift Edge model being sold in North America will come with 16 GB of LPDDR5 memory and a 1 TB SSD for internal storage.

Front and center on the laptop is a thin-bezel 16-inch 4K (3840 x 2400, 60Hz refresh rate) OLED display with 500 nits max brightness and 100% DCI-P3 color gamut support, as well as a 92% screen-to-body ratio. There’s also VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500 and TÜV Rheinland EyeSafe display certifications for an extended and comfortable viewing experience.

The side profile of the thin Acer Swift Edge.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The webcam on the Swift Edge has a higher resolution than most, running at 1920 x 1080 FHD, supported by two near-field mics for audio.

According to Acer, endurance should be strong with the three-cell, 54 watt-hour battery. The factory rates video playback at 10.5 hours, and 7.5 hours on MobileMark. Fast charging is also available if you want to quickly juice up the Swift Edge.

Rounding out the features is DTS audio through the upward-firing speakers that flank the keyboard.

The Acer Swift Edge (SFA16-41-R7SU) will be available starting today at Costco for $1,500.

Editors' Recommendations

Aaron Leong
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Aaron enjoys all manner of tech - from mobile (phones/smartwear), audio (headphones/earbuds), computing (gaming/Chromebooks)…
Acer’s new Swift X is an ultrathin laptop with the RTX 3050 Ti under the hood
acer launches new swift x and travelmate p6 laptops sfx14 41g 02

The fun, colorful hues on Acer's new slim Swift X laptop make it the perfect Windows alternative to those who were waiting for Apple to redesign its MacBook Air. In addition to beating Apple's rumored colorful MacBook Air redesign with bright tones, the Swift X also plays up its premium design and lightweight form factor.

This slim notebook with its aluminum chassis looks more like a premium ultra-thin laptop than a gaming notebook, but don't be fooled. The Swift X's gaming chops come from Nvidia's GeForce RTX 3000 series mobile GPUs under the hood. Specifically, the Swift X uses Nvidia's newly launched GeForce RTX 3050 Ti laptop graphics card alongside AMD's Ryzen 7 5800U mobile processor.

Read more
Acer Swift 3 13 vs. Asus ZenBook 13 UX333
asus zenbook 13 ux333fa

The sweet spot for a 13-inch laptop is between $500 and $1,000. In that price range, you're getting a notebook with the latest hardware, far more capable than low-spec Windows machines and Chromebooks, but not quite on the level of high-end options like the MacBook Pro. There are two laptops that stand out for this price bracket: The Acer Swift 3 and Asus ZenBook 13 UX333.

We've compared the two spec for spec, covering design, pricing, performance, and more. Asus has a newer ZenBook 13 available, too, which we'll bring in for reference at a few points.
Pricing and availability

Read more
Acer’s new Swift lineup among first laptops to earn new Intel Evo certification
acer swift 3 5 intel evo laptops sf313 53 right facing win10 backlit

Acer's new Swift 5 Ultrabooks are among the first to be verified under Intel's new Evo platform, while the Swift 3 is still pending certification. What was once known as Project Athena, Intel Evo is now the marketing name for laptops that meet key experience targets for responsiveness, instant wake, long-lasting battery life, and fast charge -- and both Acer notebooks deliver on these metrics thanks to a stated battery life of up to 18 hours.
Swift 5
The Swift 5 will be the more premium of the two devices, as this laptop marries a stylish design with performance in an ultrathin package. The Swift 5 is powered by Intel's 11th Gen Core i5 or i7 processors. And thanks to Intel's new Iris Xe integrated graphics, the Swift 5 can be used for creative tasks as well as casual gaming on the go.

Weighing just 2.2 pounds, the Swift 5 is made with premium materials like magnesium-lithium and magnesium-aluminum. When the laptop's lid is open, the hinge allows the backside of the keyboard to be elevated, improving ergonomic and thermal performance, Acer claims. The Swift 5 comes equipped with a 340-nit bright 14-inch FHD display that is capable of covering 100% of the sRGB color space. Thanks to narrow bezels, the modern design boasts a 90% screen-to-body ratio.

Read more