Chromebooks are growing in popularity thanks to their lightweight form factor and feature-packed ChromeOS. They’ve found a niche in education and work thanks to their easy to deploy, built-in security features and also their compatibility with Google’s Ecosystem. Acer has been one of the platforms ardent supporters releasing Chromebooks for nearly 5-years now. This year, Acer has streamlined and focused its offerings to cater to a niche that has emerged thanks to the realities we face as we adapt to a new normal.
Acer Chromebook Spin 513 Built to be your Kompanio-n
The Acer Chromebook Spin 513 comes in a sleek and svelte body built of durable aluminium. It runs on MediaTek’s system on chip (SoC) for Chromebooks – the MediaTek Kompanio 1380. The SoC comes with the now ubiquitous big.LITTLE microarchitecture that allows it to strike a balance between raw power and power efficiency. Acer claims that the Spin 513 will be able to withstand a full day capping out at about 10 hours of battery life.
It comes with a 13.5-inch display with a 3:2 aspect ratio and bezels that measure only 7.7mm. The display has a 2256×1504 pixel resolution. Given its Spin moniker, it’s not surprising that the Chromebook is able to convert from laptop to tablet or even display screen (in tent mode). It also comes certified with military specc’d durability with MIL-STD-810H certification. It also comes with DTS Audio for an immersive audio experience, WiFi 6 and a Type-C USB port.
Continuing Earthion with the Acer Chromebook 315 & Chromebook 314
Acer is no stranger to building laptops that have the environment front and centre. While the new Acer Chromebook 315 and 314 may not go the strides that is cousin, the Vero lineup does, the two new Chromebook offerings come with a unique touchpad that helps recycle ocean plastics. OceanGlass is a unique material made of ocean-bound plastic waste that has been recycled to give a glass-like feel. Using this material, Acer’s two new Chromebooks deliver a sleeker, more tactile experience with their touchpads while reducing plastics in our waterways and ecosystem.
Both the Chromebooks run on the latest Intel Pentium and Celeron processors for the best battery life and performance combo. They have support for WiFi 6 and feature a pair of USB Type-C ports for extendibility. Both also boast impressive 10-hour battery life and DTS Audio. The Chromebook 315 comes with additional connectivity options including a micro SD card slot.
On the display side of things, the 315 comes with a larger 15.6-inch display with an FHD resolution. It also features a dedicated Numpad keyboard and an HDR webcam with a wide field-of-view (FOV). The 314 comes with a smaller 14-inch display. Both Chromebooks come with an anti-glare coating making them a little more comfortable to use over long periods of time. They also come with options for multi-touch displays.
Pricing & Availability
The Acer Chromebook Spin 513 will make its way to North America in June 2022 with prices starting at USD$599.99 while the EMEA region will be seeing it in April 2022 priced starting from EUR649.
The Chromebook 315 and 314 will be available in North America in January 2022 and June 2022 respectively. Both will be priced starting from USD$299.99. The EMEA region will be getting them in late 2022 for the 315 and April 2022 for the 314. The 315 will be priced starting at EUR399 while the 314 will be EUR369.