When it comes to laptops, we all have our own unique set of preferences. Some prioritize performance above all else, while others seek portability and style.
The Acer Swift Go 16, a newcomer in the 16-inch laptop category, aims to strike a balance between these factors. In this comprehensive review, we will dissect every aspect of the Acer Swift Go 16, from its design and chassis to its performance and battery life.
Additionally, I will compare it to two strong contenders in its class, the LG Gram 16 and Lenovo Yoga 9i, to see where it stands in the competitive arena.
Specs at Glance
CPU: Intel Core i5-1335U / Core i7-13700H | GPU: Intel Iris Xe Graphics | RAM: 8GB / 16GB DDR5 | Display: 14” 2880×1800 120Hz OLED/ 1,920 x 1,200p 60Hz IPS | Storage: 512GB / 1TB SSD | Battery: 65Wh | OS: Windows 11
Design and Chassis: A Blend of Sturdiness and Elegance
The Acer Swift Go 16 arrives with a sturdy metal build that’s surprisingly light for a 16-inch laptop. At just 3.64 pounds (1.65 kg) and 0.59 inches thick, it strikes a good balance between portability and screen real estate. The minimal flex in the chassis is reassuring, making it feel robust in hand.
Though the Acer Swift Go 16 may feel like just another bland looking laptop with nothing much going on , the silver gray color makes it look minimal. I also appreciate the minimal Acer logo. I am tired of the big badge logos done by HP and Dell and I have to appreciate Acer for thier minimal approach.
Though the Swift Go 16 is nowhere near as light as the LG Gram 16 which weighs around 2.84 pounds (1.29 kg), it’s at least not a fingerprint smudge magnet. Still, it’s lightweight laptop, and I can easily handle it in one hand with ease.
Despite being a 16 inch, it doesn’t take as much space as you might think. I feel like the thinner bezels and 16:10 aspect ratio for the display allowed Acer to fit a much bigger display in a relatively smaller chassis. Which makes it look similar to it’t other 16 inch peers like the Macbook 16 and XPS 16.
Overall, the Acer Swift Go 16 positions itself as a reliable, lightweight option with a sturdy build, but honestly, I would go with the LG Gram 16 every time just because of its light weightness.
I/O Ports
The Swift Go 16 has dual USB C Thunderbolt ports, HDMI 2.1 ports, Dual USB 3.2 Type-A ports, an audio combo jack, and a microSD card slot. Would have liked if Acer included a full-sized card slot, as you would have to carry a dongle if you work with a full-size card on the regular.
As for the rest of the I/O Ports, they are pretty much on par with what the competition has to offer. Considering it’s thin and light, I don’t have any complaints here.
Keyboard and Touchpad: A Mixed Bag of Comfort and Quirks
Keyboard
The Acer Swift Go 16’s keyboard falls into the category of ‘usable but not exceptional.’ It features slightly wiggly, convex keycaps that might not be everyone’s cup of tea. The narrow keycaps and small cursor arrows can take some getting used to.
Also if you are someone who types with significant force, you will probably feel the flex when you tap on the keyboard. The keyboard flex used to bother me initally but I got used it. But I feel like other’s won’t necessarily enjoy the mushy feel of the keyboard deck.
The backlighting is basic, and there’s a numeric keypad included, a plus for those who frequently crunch numbers, though I found it a bit cramped. But am glad that Asus didn’t shrunk the main keyboard’s keys to accommodate it. The fingerprint sensor is located on the power button.
I honestly prefer the much snappier feedback of the HP ENVY 16 as it’s keyboard has shorter travel and just allows you to type faster. If you’re a writer or spend a lot of time typing, the HP Envy 16 is the laptop I suggest you get.
But if you rarely type extensively, the Swift Go 16 keyboard would get you by just fine.
Touchpad
Moving to the touchpad, the Acer Swift Go 16 provides a spacious surface that is good with palm rejection. However, it registers taps as left clicks and requires a two-finger tap or full press near the right edge for right clicks. The windows gestures like pinch, zoom etc works as you might expect so there’s no issue here.
Overall, the Acer Swift Go 16 presents a mixed bag. It’s functional but not exceptional. If you plan to use an external mouse with the Swift Go 16, then you should be fine, but if you prefer to mainly interact with the laptop via the touchpad, then I suggest just getting the Lenovo Yoga 9i with its much better touchpad.
Speakers and Webcam: Room for Improvement
Speakers
The bottom-firing speakers of the Swift Go 16 left feel underwhelming, to say the least. They lack both volume and bass, and are one of the weakest performers when compared to the competition.
And you can make the speakers sound worse if you put the Swift Go 16 on a soft surface like a bed or a couch. Despite that, they get the job done if I want to listen to a podcast in the background or watch a quick YouTube video.
Webcam
The Swift Go 16 is the best when it comes to a webcam on a laptop. The 1440p camera will have you stand out in zoom meetings with it’s great color reproduction and sharpness. This has to be the best camera I have seen on a Windows laptop.
Display
So you have two options for a display with the Acer Swift Go 16. If you opted for the i7 variant you would get the gorgeous and buttery OLED panel, but if you opt for the i5 variant, you will get the IPS LCD panel.
Starting off with the OLED, it’s a delight to use for not only casual office work but especially for content consumption. I am the type of person to watch content on the TV but the inky blacks and the amazing contrast of the OLED panel would just convince me to watch content on the relatively small 16-inch display.
Apart from this, the 3200 x 2000p OLED display on the Swift Go 16 covers the entirety of sRGB, DCI P3, and Adobe RGB color gamut while also getting comfortably bright around 370 nits. So if am away from my workstation, I can totally see myself doing creative work on it while am on the go.
Very few offer an OLED panel when it comes to the competition, You can get the Galaxy Book 3 Pro with it’s AMOLED 120hz panel, but considering it’s hefty price tag, the Swift Go 16 sounds like a good deal.
As for the basic 1600p IPS LCD panel in the i5 variant, it’s definitely not as colorful as the OLED panel, but it’s still quite good and vibrant and covers the entire sRGB variant which is fine for my occasional color-sensitive work.
What both the IPS and the OLED variant have in common is the 16:10 aspect ratio, which just gives you more screen real estate to work with especially when working on Word documents.
Overall, I love the display in Acer Swift Go 16, and I think if you buy solely for this, you won’t be disappointed.
Performance: Power to Keep You Going
When it comes to performance, the Acer Swift Go 16 comes in two flavors: one with the Intel Core i5-1335U and another with the Core i7-13700H. The Core i7 variant shines in benchmark tests, with Geekbench 5 single-core scores of 1860 and multi-core scores of 11831. Cinebench R23 also paints a promising picture with a single-core score of 1890 and a multi-core score of 14100.
So if you do something that’s quite CPU intensive like code compiling, the Core i7 variant won’t disappoint you.
However, if your workflow includes something GPU intensive like video editing, the LG Gram 16 might seem like a better option for you thanks to its RTX 3050, which delivers a commendable performance. Also, you could also play some games on it after a busy day at work.
But if you are someone like me who mostly works in the browser and occasionally watches YouTube videos on his laptop, then you can easily get away with the i5 variant and save money.
Battery Life: A Struggle for Longevity
Battery life is an area where the Acer Swift Go 16 struggles. The 65 Wh battery dies after lasting around 6 hours. Though I usually stay near a power outlet so this isn’t much of an issue for me, I feel like this is going to be a problem for people who are always on the move. Though the Core i5 IPS variant offers slightly better battery life but still falls short of the competition.
If battery life really matters to you, then I suggest getting the Lenovo Yoga 9i which would last you way over 10 hours on a single charge.
As for those who mostly stay indoors like me, I don’t think the Acer Swift Go 16 battery life should really bother you.
Expandability and Upgradability: Mixed Fortunes
The Acer Swift Go 16 is a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to expandability. The RAM is unfortunately soldered and the only thing you can upgrade here is the SSD.
If you really value upgradable RAM, then the HP ENVY 16 might be a better option for you with its dual RAM slots along with dual M.2 SSD slots.
Conclusion: Is the Acer Swift Go 16 Your Ideal Companion?
The Acer Swift Go 16 holds its ground as a reliable, performance-oriented choice with a sturdy build. Its exceptional webcam is a standout feature for those who prioritize video conferencing. However, its battery life falls short of the competition, and the keyboard and speakers could be improved.
I am expecting Acer to address some of its flaws in the next refresh, and if they did that without changing the price, it might make the Swift Go 16 a compelling option.
