Although proceedings don’t technically start until September 2, IFA 2016 is already underway, with companies making announcements and introducing new products.
And today, Acer has kicked things off by introducing a slew of new laptops, which includes the first curved screen notebook and an ultra thin offering that measures less than 1cm thick.
Related: Acer Spin 7 hands-on
Swift range – Lightweight and portable
The new slim and lightweight Swift range is made up of the flagship Swift 7, supported by the Swift 5, Swift 3, and the more budget-friendly Swift 1.
At just 0.39 inches (9.98 mm) in height and with a weight of 1.1 kg, the Swift 7 is one of the most portable offerings available, and boasts a durable all-aluminum uni-body with Corning Gorilla Glass on its 13.3-inch Full HD IPS display.
The top-end Swift also features a 7th Generation Intel Core i5 processor, 256GB SSD and up to 8GB of RAM – plus, there’s two USB 3.1 Type-C ports.
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When it comes to the Swift 5, Acer has provided a similarly slim laptop at just 0.57 inches (14.58 mm), which weighs only 1.36 kg and comes with a 14-inch Full HD IPS display.
The Swift 3, at 0.7 inches (17.95 mm) and 1.5 kg, and Swift 1, at 0.7 inches (17.9 mm) and 1.6 kg, are also svelte devices, although not quite as slim and lightweight as the Swift 5 and 7.
Acer has packed the entire range with either 6th or 7th generation Intel processors, except the Swift 1, which comes with either an Intel Pentium or Celeron chip.
Predator 21 X – The world’s first curved notebook is a gaming beast
Alongside the Swift range, Acer unveiled the first curved notebook in the form of the Predator 21 X, which features a curved 21-inch IPS display with a 2,560 x 1,080 resolution.
And with 7th Generation Intel Core processors, five cooling fans and dual NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 GPUs in SLI, there’s no doubt this is a fully-fledged gaming laptop.
Related: Acer Swift 7 hands-on
On top of all that, the new flagship Predator laptop packs in eye-tracking technology, which Acer says allows for “new interactions like aiming, identifying enemies and taking cover simply by gazing at objects on the screen”.
Backing up the visual capabilities, SoundPound 4.2+ (4 speakers and 2 subwoofers) and 3-way audio and Dolby Audio should ensure a suitably premium sound experience, too.
Elsewhere, the Predator 21 X has a full-sized mechanical keyboard featuring Cherry MX switches, with customizable RGB backlight settings for each individual key.
There’s also a novel numeric keypad design that allows it to be flipped over and turned into a Precision Touchpad.
Spin range – Hybrids for all occasions
And, if you thought that was enough to be getting on with, prepare yourself for further laptop news. Acer also used its IFA event to unveil a new Spin series of hybrids, made up of the Spin 7, Spin 5, Spin 3, and Spin 1
The new range runs Windows 10, and comes with 360-degree hinges, along with Continuum, that enables each device to be used as either a notebook or tablet.
Naturally, the Spin 7 is the top-end offering, while the Spin 5 and Spin 3 have been designed to offer solid performance combined with Full HD IPS displays and speedy solid state drives. Acer says the Spin 1 is “ideal for students or as a second computer”.
“The new 7th Generation Intel Core Processors are perfectly suited for the Acer Spin series, prime examples of why the 2 in 1 category continues to grow at a rapid rate” said Chris Walker, Vice President of the Client Computing Group and General Manager of Mobility Client Platforms, Intel Corp.
“Our leading 14nm+ process technology enables 7th Generation Intel Core to maximize performance while being extremely power efficient to help enable these thin and light 2 in 1 designs.”
Release dates and pricing
While US and European pricing has been announced, we’re yet to hear about specific UK pricing, so we’ve estimated the below costs based on the European prices.
Expect to see the Swift 7 launch in Europe this October for €1,299 (about £1,326 including VAT), and in North America for $999. The Swift 5 will launch in Europe and the US this November for €749 (about £764 including VAT) and $749 respectively.
Acer will release the Swift 3 in Europe and the US this October for €499 (about £508 incuding VAT) and $499 respectively, while the Swift 1 will be available in North America in November with prices starting at $249 and in Europe this October with prices starting at €349 (about £355 including VAT).
When it comes to the Spin range, the Spin 7 will be available in North America and Europe in October with prices starting at $1,199 and €1,299 (about £1,326 including VAT) respectively.
The Spin 5 will be available in North America in October with prices starting at $599, and in Europe this September with prices starting at €599 (about £612 including VAT).
North America will get the Spin 3 this October with prices starting at $499, while Europe gets the laptop slightly earlier in September with prices starting at €599 (about £612 including VAT).
And finally, the Spin 1 will be available in North America in December with prices starting at $249, and in Europe this November for €299 (about £304 including VAT).
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What do you think of Acer’s new devices? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
