Laptop manufacturers should really stop over-using the term AI to market their products. The recently launched Acer Swift 14 AI, for example, even has an AI activity indicator that glows when performing AI tasks. Luckily, the Swift 14 AI is a lot more than its AI branding. It’s got excellent battery life, a good display, plenty of ports, a sleek design, and decent performance.
The Acer Swift 14 AI has the latest Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processors. Our review unit, which has the Intel Core Ultra 5 226V processor, costs Rs. 89,999, whereas the top-end variant with the Intel Core Ultra 7 256V CPU costs Rs. 104,999. Should this be your next work laptop? Read on to find out.
Acer Swift 14 AI Design
The Swift 14 AI sports a simple design that won’t turn many heads, though some might be curious about the unusual logo on the lid (other than the Acer branding) or the glowing one on the trackpad. It features an aluminium chassis with a matte finish that can pick up fingerprints and smudges but is easy to clean.
The lid is sturdy with barely any flex, and there’s a 180-degree hinge that also feels durable. And for those wondering, yes, you can lift the lid with one finger. The 180-degree hinge also means that you can lay the laptop flat if needed.
The intake ports are on the bottom, whereas you’ll find the exhaust ports are placed at the rear. You’ll also find large rubber feet and dual bottom firing speakers at the bottom. The design incorporates subtle curves but largely follows a flat, angular aesthetic. At its thinnest point, the Swift 14 AI measures just 9.7 mm.
The backlight is adjustable and can be turned off. You also get the Copilot key and an AcerSense key on the keyboard. The power button also doubles as a fingerprint scanner, which worked quite well during my review.
Below the keyboard is an adequately sized touchpad. It supports multi-touch gestures as usual, is protected by Gorilla Glass, and has an ‘Activity indicator’ as Acer calls it. The indicator is located at the top right corner of the touchpad and glows whenever you turn on the laptop, use Copilot or AI apps, or use the NPU.
In terms of audio performance, the Acer Swift 14 AI has dual downward-firing speakers, which are below average. They aren’t loud, nor do they deliver any thump. Acer has also provided DTS:X Ultra Audio support, but that doesn’t do anything to improve the audio performance. The sound on the laptop is a big letdown.
Lastly, the Swift 14 AI’s 65W battery impressed me. The laptop easily lasts a full day of work. When the battery is low, you can quickly charge it using the included 65W USB Type-C charger.
Acer Swift 14 AI Verdict
The Acer Swift 14 AI is a very good work laptop with good build quality, an excellent OLED display, long-lasting battery life, and decent performance across all kinds of apps. The laptop is great value for money, no doubt, but it’s not because of the AI branding or features. Don’t buy the laptop for the AI features, buy it for all the other useful features that it offers. However, if all you need is a good laptop for work or home use, the Swift 14 AI is great.