By Numerous somewhat different versions of what appears to be almost the same system have been released by Acer before. Next to the Acer Swift 16 AI, that is where the Acer Swift Go 16 fits in. They weigh almost the same, are nearly comparable in price, have the same display specifications, and are both made of aluminum.
That cost? Reasonably priced. The remarkable Acer Swift Go 16 costs $1,149 and has a high-power Intel Core Ultra 9 285H processor with 32GB of RAM, whereas most of its peers are choosing lower-power CPUs. Regretfully, the Acer Swift Go 16 has a significantly shorter battery life, but isn’t really any more capable for daily computing. It might be a good choice for the thrifty consumer if all you’re looking for is a great display and respectable speed, but there are better all-around solutions available.
Specification and Features
- Number of model: SFG16-73-92RC
- CPU: 285H Intel Core Ultra 9
- 32GB of LPDDR5X-7467 memory
- GPU and graphics: Intel Arc 140T
- Display: 16-inch Glossy 2880×1800 OLED
- Storage: Micron 2500 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD
- Webcam: IR + 1440p
- Connectivity: 1 microSD card reader, 1 HDMI 2.1, 1 3.5mm combo audio, 2 Thunderbolt 4/USB-C with Power Delivery and DisplayPort Alternate Mode, and 2 USB-A 5Gbps
- Networking: Bluetooth 5.4, Wi-Fi 7.
- Biometrics: facial recognition, fingerprints, and Windows Hello
- 75 watt-hour battery capacity; dimensions: 14.03 x 9.88 x 0.66 inches
- Weight (measured): 3.3 pounds
- As-tested MSRP: $1,149 ($1,149 basic)
The Acer Swift Go 16 costs $1,149 and was only available in the aforementioned configuration at the time of publishing. However, Micro Center is the only store that seems to sell this model, and it costs $1,199 there.
Design and build quality
Almost all of Acer’s other productivity laptops look different from the Acer Swift Go 16. Compared to the several Acer models I’ve already reviewed, it opts for a darker gray color scheme. Acer seems to be changing its design philosophy. The Acer Swift 16 AI and this model have almost the same appearance, and earlier this year, I noticed a similar shift toward darker patterns with the Acer Aspire Go 15. The laptop features gleaming metal embellishments here and there. With a few small style lines etched into it, the lid is reminiscent of the designs found on the lids of Asus’s ZenBooks, for instance, albeit Acer’s is a little duller.
At least that gray is aluminum. Even though the laptop is a little flexy due to its size and slimmer construction, this gives it a more upscale feel. Even in that case, the contour seems a little careless. It features sharp angles in some places and curves in others. When the laptop is on a table, the display’s lift-up hinges allow for more airflow underneath, but when it’s on a lap, this causes an uncomfortable pressure point. When the hinge is pushed to a new position, it wiggles for a little moment but opens smoothly and quickly. For what it’s worth, it can also fold flat. However, the screen isn’t a touchscreen.
With a maximum thickness of 0.66 inches before accounting for the rubber feet that keep it stable on tables, Acer has made the Acer Swift Go 16 quite slim. Additionally, it weighs only 3.3 pounds, which is good for a 16-inch device. The keyboard deck’s little bend is forgiven by its weight and slimness.
The Acer Swift Go 16 has a tiny grille on the underside for air intake and a grille above the keyboard for heat exhaustion, albeit less than half of the grille is really doing anything. The remainder is made of heat-fin-shaped plastic and is hunky punk. The display will send that exhaust upward after it runs straight into the thin bezel beneath it. Even though this machine doesn’t have a lot of power, the fact that hot exhaust is blowing nearly straight onto the screen is concerning.
The webcam and a real camera shutter are located in a little additional bezel above the screen. Although it makes it easier to open the laptop, this little extra lip makes me more likely to touch the webcam’s cover. Despite the Acer Swift Go 16’s compactness, the speakers are mounted on either side of the system’s bottom. When using the laptop on your lap, the location can make it quite easy to muff the speakers.
Connectivity
Although it could have done more with its compactness, the Acer Swift Go 16 has respectable connectivity. For fast communications and laptop charging, it has two Thunderbolt 4 ports. Both of these, regrettably, are located on the same side of the system. Each side will include a 5Gbps USB-A port. While the right side has a 3.5mm connector and a microSD card reader, the left side has an HDMI 2.1 port. Although that might seem like a lot, there is space for more because this is a large 16-inch laptop. There is even a large empty area on the right side where another port might have been placed.
There is good wireless connectivity. For quick networking that should remain current for many years to come, the system comes with a Wi-Fi 7 chip. Additionally, it supports Bluetooth LE audio, which is another cutting-edge technology that should enhance the sound quality of compatible headphones and earbuds. Although it has been gradually expanding to Bluetooth headphones and buds, I didn’t have a device ready to utilize it, but my existing earbuds’ Bluetooth link functioned flawlessly.
Software
There aren’t many things that laptops’ pre-installed software does that I think are noteworthy. However, it’s difficult to overlook Acer’s pre-installed Acer Jumpstart software. In essence, it is an engine for app advertising. Within three days, it sent alerts recommending Adobe software, Dragon’s Fortune Slots, and ExpressVPN (the last at least indicating that the PC comes with the service, although a 30-day trial). It’s gratifying to observe without any significant enhancements to the experience. Fortunately, it is also simple to remove without affecting the machine’s functionality because it doesn’t add anything significant.
Performance
Relying on a top-tier Intel Core Ultra 9 285H laptop CPU with 16 cores, the Acer Swift Go 16 is outfitted to be a potent ultrabook. Additionally, Intel’s latest CPUs have been providing exceptional single-core performance. This configuration differs significantly from the Acer Swift 16 AI, which used a less powerful Intel Core Ultra 7 256V, had half as much memory, and was $50 more expensive than the Acer Swift Go 16.
With a higher-tier CPU than the others, the Acer Swift Go 16 also managed to elude the price tags of the $1,659 HP Omnibook X Flip 16, $1,649 Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro, and $1,199 Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16ILL10. However, it does not have a touchscreen, something that all three of these devices have.
Battery life
Although I would often anticipate that a system with great performance would lose some ground in terms of efficiency, I wasn’t prepared for Acer to do as poorly as it did in this instance. In our battery test, the Acer Swift Go 16 just couldn’t compete with the others.
In our 4K movie playback test, with the system in Airplane Mode and the display set to 250–260 nits, it barely made it past 10 hours. That would have been fine a few years ago, but the Acer Swift Go 16 hasn’t kept up with the advancements in thin and light PCs over the last few years. In our test, all of its rivals provided more than 17 hours, while Samsung exceeded 23 hours, more than tripling the Acer Swift Go 16’s lifespan. Without some leniency, like as a reduced brightness setting, it can inevitably struggle to reach 8 hours of runtime in practical use.
Conclusion
The Acer Swift Go 16 is a large, gorgeous display encasing a lot of meh. With its stunning contrast, vibrant color, and steady refresh rate, the 16-inch OLED panel is unbeatable. However, it is just let down by the rest of the system. The laptop’s construction lacks originality and quality. While it is competitively light, it does not significantly lead the group. Although Acer seems to be allergic to changing its keycaps, the keyboard and trackpad still provide a passable user experience. Furthermore, the speakers don’t enhance the display.
In terms of CPU performance, the Acer Swift Go 16 improves, but its thermals prevent it from maintaining the same advantage over even certain lower-power PCs as it should. Additionally, the high-power CPU has a significant negative impact on battery life; in our test, the Acer Swift Go 16 barely made it through 10 hours.
The Acer Swift Go 16 is at least reasonably priced if you don’t mind spending a lot of time without power outlets and want to focus on the performance of the CPU and display. However, due to its significantly longer battery life, the older Acer Swift 16 AI proved to be a more capable on-the-go device, and the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro is a good substitute.
