Review: Acer’s Swift 5 is an ultralight on par with popular offerings. | Techy Kings

The Acer Swift 5 ($1,500 MSRP) may not be the ultralight laptop of your dreams, but it’s not bad. You won’t squeeze the most performance out of the Swift, and the touchpad still bothers me after weeks of use. But with benefits like a good selection of ports and a solid keyboard, the laptop is worth a look if you’re looking to save some money. Although there are some compromises, it is a good option with a lower price tag than other similar options.

Colorful design

The price of the Swift 5 is low compared to other 12th gen CPUs, a fact that becomes apparent when you hold it. According to Acer, the chassis is made of 6053 aluminum alloy with a hardness of 75 HV and anodization to combat corrosion (the gold accents are double-anodized). But instead of a luxurious metallic-like finish like the Lenovo Yoga 9i carries, it feels like a lightweight plastic that’s still prone to scratches.

Subtle text helps the design, though, and prevents the laptop from feeling too slippery when in use. The keyboard exhibited subtle flex when I typed forcefully, and that flex became more pronounced when I pressed the keyboard.

Despite those shortcomings, the Swift 5 doesn’t look bad. It comes with forest green gold accents (Acer told me there might be a blue option eventually). The green finish showed off a subtle shimmer finish, and the deep color and brushed finish of the gold sides looked particularly attractive. If you’re sick of grey, silver and black laptops, the Swift 5 offers a refreshing look.

Swift’s jewelry is more about form than function, though. I wish I could push the laptop screen back to align with the keyboard, but that’s not possible. This may not be an issue for some buyers, but it prevented me from using the laptop on the sofa or on my lap with great comfort. Since it’s an ultralight laptop that weighs just 2.65 pounds, more flexibility makes sense.

One area where Acer doesn’t skimp is on port selection, especially when you compare the Swift 5 to most laptops that are USB-C-free these days. The Swift 5 has two Thunderbolt 4 ports on the left side, including one for charging, plus an HDMI 2.1 port and USB-A on the left side. The right side has another USB-A port, headphone jack and Kensington lock.

A little note: There are two lights on the side of the laptop that represent battery and power. I find their colored lights (one is always on) somewhat distracting in dark rooms or when the laptop is plugged into my TV for entertainment.