Regardless of how cynical you feel about AI , it ’s here to remain . Frompocket companionstodoing your Physics homeworkfor you , it ’s truly the era of theAI - ification of everything .
Acer ’s newly released Swift Go 16 is part of the first wafture of AI PCs . It ’s powered by the new Intel Core Ultra micro chip with AI capabilities ; its built - in Intel Arc GPU makes use of AI - accelerated graphics performance ; the keyboard sports a consecrate AICopilot key ; the mics utilise AI noise reduction ; the webcam features AI - enable Temporal Noise Reduction , and a host , more of AI , feature inside that carryout tasks you ’d typically need athird - political party AI modelfor .
The Swift Go 16 retail at $ 900 and sports an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H CPU , 32 GB RAM , and 1 TB SSD . It offers a 16 - inch multi - touch information processing show and Intel Arc graphics . This is the only configuration Acer ’s late budget laptop is currently useable .
Photo:Dua Rashid / Gizmodo
pro
Cons
Acer Swift Go 16 Design
Light, Compact, and Durable
The Swift Go 16 is secure for folks who need productiveness . The laptop prides itself on its thin and wakeful physical body cistron . The fair weight for non - gaming 16 - in laptop computer is ordinarily between 4 to 5 pound . Apple ’s 16 - in MacBook Prois 4.7 lbs , and Lenovo ’s IdeaPad 5i Pro is considered lightweight at 4.1 lbs . At 3.7 lbs , the Swift Go 16 is very gentle to lug around . We praisedLenovo ’s ThinkPad X1 Fold 16 , which measures around an inch thick , for its thick and slim design , but the Swift Go 16 tops that with a 0.7 - inch total heaviness . It ’s impressive that it maintains this form factor while feature a well - made , sturdy build .
Acer Swift Go 16 Keyboard and Trackpad
Huge but Shallow Keyboard With a Dedicated Copilot Key.
As expected from a 16 - inch laptop computer , it also sports a humongous keyboard that handles your numeric keypad needs . There ’s also a full - social occasion row , backlighting , and a consecrated co-pilot keystone to the correct side of the space measure . The key can be triggered to draw up Copilot , the AI associate announce at the end of last year and Microsoft has been touting recently . Upon enable it , it exhibit a few prompts as suggestions on what you could demand it and a field at the bottom to type in questions .
I was n’t too thrilled about the keyboard . It is implausibly shallow and features insufficient change of location to answer with reassuring , acceptable feedback . I barely got through my two - week - retentive examination stop on its keyboard , and I wished I had a dedicated keyboard link up every fourth dimension I was engaged in a committal to writing task on it . The trackpad gave me no glaring number , enough real landed estate , and a house , stable feel .
The Swift Go 16 ’s port selection is excellent for a productivity - focus laptop computer . I was happy to see a Kensington lock slot , which has almost become nonextant on notebook . There ’s also a MicroSD bill of fare reader , a 3.5 millimeter jack , two Type - A interface , two Type - ampere-second ports , and an HDMI slot .
Photo: Dua Rashid / Gizmodo
Acer Swift Go 16 Performance
Tops quite a few competitors.
The Swift Go 16 handle itself quite efficiently in terminus of overall performance . It sports the unexampled Intel Core Ultra H - Series C.P.U. , the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H , to be specific , Intel Arc graphics , 32 GB RAM , and 1 TB SSD . It scored 2342 on the Geekbench 6.0 single - core test and 12956 on multi - core . Those telling digit top theDell XPS 14 , Lenovo ThinkBook X1 Fold , and theLenovo Slim 7i .
Do n’t carry this motorcar to live up to your gaming needs . The Predator series already does that . The Swift Go 16 is strictly a productivity laptop . With ramp up - in Intel Arc graphics on this laptop , it ’s doubtful a gamer would opt for it anyway unless you ’re using cyclosis services like GeForce Now or Xbox Cloud Gaming , which work well , given you have a adequate net connection .
I liked the co-pilot features but would n’t buy this auto only for those . Essentially , the Copilot key trigger a chatbot . However , some of its capabilities extend beyond your typical chatbot . you’re able to use it to exchange your wallpaper , troubleshoot audio issues , or tweak exploiter place setting . I found this part helpful in save me the time and movement it sometimes engage to rummage around in setting trying to find something .
Photo: Dua Rashid / Gizmodo
It was also helpful in situations where I knew where to go , but asking a chatbot to do it for me was much quicker . For example , I said , “ reverse Bluetooth on ” to it , and it complied . I followed that with “ reverse it off ” and interpret the context . Its power to have some computer memory and understand setting also impressed me . I was also able to understand and ignore all of my typos .
Responses were accurate , but some of them had unusually longsighted loading clock time . I once call for it what the majuscule of Greece is , and it took 17 sec to answer that . Image generation command you to sign in to your Microsoft account , and Copilot takes around 8 second just to tell you that . Once you ’re sign in , it ’s another 10ish seconds for the image to come up . The initial 8 second can probably be brush off because you ’ll have to be signed in to jaw with Copilot anyway . Microsoft block your approach to it when you reach your chat terminus ad quem , which would fall out as soon as you tally five prompts . But again , I encounter the chatbot faster in cause things done for me ( in preferences , etc . ) than looking thing up .
Acer Swift Go 16 Display
It’s not OLED, but it’s not bad.
The 16 - column inch display is a WUXGA ( 1920 x 1200 ) IPS venire with a 60Hz refresh charge per unit . The absence of a premium OLED screenland and a higher 120Hz refresh charge per unit means it ’s not the most suitable for enjoying your acute titles . It also accepts touch comment , but I did n’t habituate that ; navigating via the screen on this grievous machine was n’t hard-nosed . The 350 - nit video display perform perfectly well on my office desk , illuminated by an enormous window . I set it to 40 % during my entire testing period , which was more than sufficient . I had a decent clock time watching YouTube and Netflix on the Swift Go 16 , but I do n’t expect it to put up the kind of contrast and vibrance OLED do . The blacks could have been dark and the Patrick Victor Martindale White whiter , but overall , there was fair uncloudedness , richness , and point , which is always a win for a non - OLED .
Acer Swift Go 16 Camera and Mic
Pretty Standard Webcam
The 1440p QHD webcam claims to disport AI - enabled TNR or Temporal Noise Reduction . I did n’t feel a detectable dispute in visual noise . I equate it to the Lenovo Slim 7i ’s camera without any AI intervention , and they performed quite likewise . The webcam is n’t hapless tone ; it does n’t be up to its fancy AI - steep hype .
The mic also uses AI stochasticity reduction . fit in to my friend , the Al Faran of my towboat devotee right next to me was significantly quiet . I ’m shy if an forward-looking AI algorithm was behind this , but I should n’t handle as long as I ’m content with the results .
Acer Swift Go 16 Battery Life
Half-as-advertised
I would n’t have been as underwhelmed about the battery animation on the Swift Go 16 if Acer had n’t excessively hyped it and made it one of the USPs of the machine . I get around 10 hours out of it , which I would typically be quenched with on a big , buirdly automobile like this that I ’d probably expend on my desk anyway . But with a promised 20 - hour life and numerous promises about the laptop being an on - the - go companion , the vast difference between what was promise and what was offered was almost shameful .
The 10 60 minutes medium how long the laptop lasted every time I used it on a full care in my almost two - week testing stop . The most hideous thing is that the electric battery scores do n’t admit excessively battery - enfeeble apps . I used it principally for writing on Google Docs , a lot of web browse , Gmail , Slack , and very small Photoshop . If you work remotely and favour to WFH from a new coffee shop every other day , you might get rile by receive to check for socket availability or stuff around a charger everywhere towards the remnant of your shift .
Verdict
Score: 3/5
At $ 900 , the Swift Go 16 offers precisely what ’s await from it . It tender efficient public presentation , a skillful - looking presentation , a lot of ports , and an fantabulous form factor . The barrage lifespan is nowhere near what ’s promised , but if you ignore the overambitious claims , 10 hour is not tough for a 16 - inch machine . You might also have to ignore some to a fault enthusiastic AI marketing . Currently , “ AI PCs ” are n’t bid anything out of this world that can be take entirely separate . It ’s best to go for this machine as something that provide a match of cool AI features rather than “ an AI motorcar . ” There is n’t anything else that the Swift Go 16 promised but failed to deliver .
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Photo: Dua Rashid / Gizmodo
Photo: Dua Rashid / Gizmodo
