Acer’s Swift 14 AI, aside from this summer’s Microsoft Surface models, was the first Copilot Plus laptop I saw introduced. However, it wasn’t until early fall that I managed to get my hands on one for testing. It was worth the wait. This is a sturdy, well-built lightweight device, almost in the ultralight class at 1.32 kg, combining several good features in a reasonably priced package.
It is not extremely thin in design, as it prioritizes stability over being lightweight. With slightly sharp edges around the body, it isn’t the easiest laptop to carry around. In return, you get minimal flex and reassuring rigidity in the chassis. The only parts not made of aluminum are the inside of the screen lid, which has a matte black plastic edge, and the keyboard buttons and touchpad.
The keyboard is a bit firm with shallow key travel, but I’m picky. Overall, it’s well-constructed and pleasant to type on. It has adjustable backlighting, but it never gets particularly bright. There’s a fingerprint reader embedded in the power button located in one corner, and you can also opt for facial recognition thanks to the IR support in the webcam. The webcam panel slightly protrudes, giving the screen lid a handy extension that makes it easier to open.
You Look Good, But Sound Worse
The webcam is unusually good, offering 1440p resolution, a crisp image with smooth refresh rates, excellent color and light handling, and minimal noise. Thanks to Copilot Plus, you get Windows Studio effects for enhancing the camera, as well as a couple of AI image enhancement features called Purified View from Acer. Unfortunately, the built-in microphone isn’t as impressive, producing harsh and tinny sound, so investing in a headset may be worthwhile. Just make sure to double-check that its drivers and control software support Windows for Arm, as this isn’t guaranteed.
The version of Swift 14 AI available in Sweden runs on a Snapdragon X Plus processor, featuring ten cores instead of the Snapdragon X Elite’s twelve. Other than that, there’s no apparent difference between the two. They share the same cores, clock frequency, graphics chip, and NPU, though the X Elite offers higher performance for some multi-threaded CPU operations.
Most tasks I perform on it, such as web browsing, office work, and even photo editing, are handled with the same snappy response as devices powered by Snapdragon X Elite. There are occasional instances, like video export or file compression, where I notice a slight slowdown, but most of the time, performance is comparable. This is an excellent platform for smooth creative work.
And for the most part, it’s entirely or nearly fanless. More memory would have been nice, though. You get 16 GB of non-expandable DDR5 RAM, whereas some competitors offer 32 GB. However, Swift 14 AI compensates with a very fast SSD, enhancing performance in certain situations. The fast WiFi 7 connection is also a welcome feature.
Smart Power Saving
While many competing laptops feature OLED screens, Acer has opted for an IPS panel in this device. It is of high quality, with a sharp image thanks to the 1600p resolution, good contrast, excellent viewing angles, a 120 Hz refresh rate, and decent brightness. However, it cannot match the vivid colors and 100% contrast of laptops like the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x or Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Edge. This screen is more suited for everyday use, offering a pleasant smoothness, good light control, and several technologies that help reduce power consumption.
The Swift 14 AI has a built-in presence sensor that, along with the webcam, monitors your activity, dimming the screen when you look away or locking the laptop if you leave. This feature can be disabled but is enabled by default. Unfortunately, the maximum brightness is relatively modest, so you may struggle to use the laptop in direct sunlight. A good matte screen surface helps reduce most reflections but cannot perform miracles.
This brings us to what the Acer Swift 14 AI excels at: its large 75-watt battery. With the power-efficient Snapdragon processor and smart, energy-efficient display, it’s one of the longest-lasting laptops I’ve ever tested. Being able to run the laptop for an entire day of light tasks without needing to charge it is impressive. Even with higher brightness and mixed office work, including light photo editing, video streaming, and even short gaming sessions, the battery lasts a full 9-to-5 workday.
You can confidently take this laptop with you and leave the charger at home. Besides, with all lightweight laptops now featuring USB-C, you can simply plug in a phone charger for a quick power boost if necessary.
Enough Ports
You get two USB 4 Type-C ports and two USB 3 Type-A ports. With the charger in one USB 4 port and perhaps a display connected via the DisplayPort interface in the other, you still have two USB-A ports left. That’s usually sufficient. If your external display doesn’t have USB-C, you’ll also find a USB-C to HDMI adapter included.
The built-in speakers produce fine, rich, and detailed sound. It’s supposedly boosted by DTS, though I didn’t notice any significant difference when changing settings in the pre-installed DTS Audio Processing app. Regardless, the sound is good, so I’m not complaining.
As an AI laptop, it doesn’t offer much beyond access to Copilot Plus features. You get a couple of extra webcam effects, but that’s a software feature, and third-party Windows programs utilizing the NPU are a growing number.
Who knows what future Windows updates might bring? It’s reassuring to have a platform that supports them. And the few features available today, like the Co-creator in Microsoft Paint, are at least fun to experiment with. Acer also includes an LED indicator in the touchpad that lights up when the NPU is in use, showing you that you’re getting your money’s worth—more of a gimmick than anything practical, but still a bit fun.
Specifications
- Product name: Acer Swift 14 AI (NX.KZXED.002)
- Tested: September 2024
- Manufacturer: Acer
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus X1P-64-100, 10 Oryon cores, 3.42 GHz
- Graphics: Adreno X1-85, 1250 MHz
- NPU: Hexagon, 45 tops
- Memory: 16 GB LPDDR5x
- Storage: 1 TB SSD
- Display: 14-inch matte IPS, 2560×1600 resolution, 120 Hz
- Webcam: 1440p with IR
- Ports: 2x USB-C 4, 2x USB-A 3 Gen 1, headset jack
- Wireless: WiFi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
- Operating system: Windows 11 Home
- Extras: Backlit keyboard, facial recognition, fingerprint reader, USB-C to HDMI adapter
- Noise level: 0–36 dBa
- Battery: 75 Wh, 6 hours 10 minutes (high load, full brightness) up to 26 hours (low load, low brightness)
- Size: 32.26 x 22.6 x 1.49 cm
- Weight: 1.32 kg
