Product test
Acer Aspire 5 tested: Successful all-round notebook
by Jan Johannsen
Acer Swift 1 tested: And the battery lasts and lasts and lasts
10.12.2019
Translation: machine translated
Is battery life more important to you than computing power? Then the Acer Swift 1 could be the right notebook for you. Find out how long the notebook lasts and at what speed in the test.
Don't worry, even if the Swift 1 isn't a performance monster, its energy-saving chipset offers enough power to surf the internet, write emails and use office applications and simple games.
The technical data at a glance:
- Chip set: Intel Pentium Silver N5000
- Graphics chip: Intel UHD Graphics 605
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Storage: 512 GB SDD
- Display: 14-inch full HD display (IPS, anti-glare)
- Battery: Lithium-ion, 54 Wh
- Keyboard with backlight
- Windows 10 Home
Flat aluminium housing and many USB ports
The Acer Swift 1's flawlessly crafted aluminium casing is elegant and sleek. When folded, the notebook is just 1.49 centimetres thick and weighs 1.4 kilograms without the charger. This makes it neither the thinnest nor the lightest notebook, but with these values it is still ideal for carrying around in a rucksack or laptop bag every day.
Despite the thin design, you can expect many connections. There is an SD card slot, a 3.5 mm audio connection and a USB 2.0 connection on the right-hand side. This is slower for data transfer than the two USB 3.0 ports - recognisable by the blue components inside - and the USB-C port on the left-hand side. There is also an HDMI port for connecting external screens.
Full HD display
With its display size of 14 inches, the Acer Swift 1 is a very average notebook. However, this is not a disadvantage, but a good compromise between the largest possible screen and a small chassis. Sure, the edges could be even narrower, but then you would have to pay more. Only the bottom edge is quite wide, but without it, the keyboard and touchpad would shrink even further.
The Full HD resolution with 1920×1080 pixels ensures a sharp image. The anti-glare IPS display contributes its article to good recognisability. The colours look natural and are pleasing to the eye.
Keyboard and touchpad
You can type very comfortably on the Acer Swift 1. I find the palm rest pleasantly large. The individual keys on the backlit keyboard have a short stroke and clear, crisp pressure points. However, there was not enough space for a number pad. Instead, there is a fingerprint sensor that can be used to unlock the laptop quickly and reliably.
The touchpad is large enough to move the cursor across the entire screen without lifting your finger. The finger or fingers - after all, there are control gestures with several fingers - glide unhindered over the touchpad, which has clear pressure points in the lower area.
Stereosound
Two speakers on the underside of the Swift 1 provide stereo sound. This is decent for a notebook, but the expectations of the mini speakers in the flat laptops are not particularly high. The laptop does not need a fan and could therefore also be placed on soft surfaces - cushions, sofa, duvet - but then the speakers are covered and you won't hear anything, or only very muffled sound.
The battery lasts forever
You can extend the battery life even further by adjusting the settings. Whether up to the promised 17 hours, I don't know. But even so, the battery life is impressively long and a big argument in favour of the Swift 1. Only a few notebooks can keep up.
Performance
Conclusion: Marathon instead of sprint
Jan Johannsen
Senior Editor
Jan.Johannsen@galaxus.deWhen I was but a young student, I'd sit in my friend's living room with all my classmates and play on his SuperNES. Since then I've had the opportunity to test out all the newest technology for you. I've done reviews at Curved, Computer Bild and Netzwelt, and have now arrived at Galaxus.de.
