Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 Convertible Laptop Review:

Specific Model Configuration:

 This specific laptop model features an 11th generation Intel Quad-Core i7 processor. Additionally, it comes with a 1-terabyte PCIe Gen4 SSD and 16 GB of DDR4 RAM. The laptop is also equipped with Intel Iris Xe graphics. Notably, it is EVA certified, which means it incorporates several cutting-edge technology features, including Wi-Fi 6 connectivity, Thunderbolt 4 ports, USB-C charging, and efficient battery performance. Acer has truly packed this laptop with impressive specifications.

Build:

 The laptop weighs 1.42 kilograms, which is slightly heavier compared to offerings from other competitive brands in the same class. Its thinness measures 18.9 millimeters. The laptop boasts a three-level backlit keyboard and features a display held by a 360-degree hinge, allowing it to transform into a tablet or writing pad. This versatility pairs well with the included stylus. Despite being thicker than some other laptops in its range, the laptop’s premium metal finish and manageable weight make it easy to handle and carry in a bag during travel.

Ports:

 The laptop boasts an impressive array of ports on both sides:

Left side: DC charging port, two USB 3.2 Type-C ports (with Thunderbolt 4 support), HDMI port, USB 3 reverse charging port, and a micro SD card reader.

Right side: Laptop lock, headphone/mic jack, another USB 3 port, power button, and the stylus (placed in the charging dock). At the back of the laptop, you’ll find a heat exhaust vent—essential for dissipating heat during operation. Additionally, two stereo speaker grilles enhance the audio experience.

Power:

 In terms of power, this laptop includes a 65-watt charger that supports USB-C charging—an excellent addition by Acer. The advertised battery life is 15 hours, but real-world tests conducted by PCMag showed that in power-saving mode and airplane mode, the laptop delivered a solid 12 hours of battery life while playing a 720p video—a respectable performance. Depending on usage intensity, you can estimate roughly 10 hours of battery life.

Keyboard:

 The laptop features a three-level backlit keyboard. While there is noticeable key movement, I would have preferred slightly more feedback from the keys. Given its 13-inch size, the keyboard feels somewhat crowded due to the placement of page up/down keys near the cursor keys. Additionally, pressing the function key is necessary to trigger any of the function command keys at the top row. Notably, this keyboard includes several function keys for brightness control, entertainment settings, sound adjustments, touchpad toggling, and my personal favorite—the screen on/off button. This particular model was purchased in Canada and includes French wordings on some keys. Overall, it functions adequately for everyday use.

Touchpad & Fingerprint Reader: 

Alright, let’s discuss the touchpad on this laptop. In my opinion, it’s nothing special based on my usage so far. It’s a pretty generic Windows laptop touchpad with a standard overall experience. The clicks feel heavy, similar to most CSV laptops, which is a bit odd and doesn’t give a premium feel. However, it does offer the option for multiple gestures, including up to four-finger gestures. These gestures can be useful for quick tasks like switching workspaces. Now, the cool thing Acer has added to the top left corner of this touchpad is a fingerprint reader. This reader allows for biometric logins using Windows Hello. I’ve played around with it, and it quickly captures fingerprints, resulting in a smooth and fast login experience—an excellent alternative to entering your PIN or password.

Display: 

The display on this laptop is decent. It features a 13.3-inch IPS LCD display configured in Wide Quad Extended Graphics Array (WQXGA) mode, which translates to a resolution of 2560 x 1600 and an aspect ratio of 16:10. The screen is multi-touch and equipped with a 360-degree hinge, allowing it to rotate completely and lie flat next to the bottom of the laptop. This versatility makes it usable as a tablet for note-taking, gaming, or video watching. While the screen colors are fairly clear, the overall brightness isn’t exceptional—using it outdoors on a sunny day might be challenging.

Stylus Pen:

 One standout feature of this laptop is its stylus. The Acer Active Stylus provides a precise and power-efficient pen writing experience. It’s rare to find a two-in-one laptop in this price range that includes a stylus. The stylus pen measures about 5 inches long and supports 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity with excellent palm rejection. Whether you’re making swift strokes or detailed scribbles, the stylus keeps up without interference from other parts of your hand touching the screen. Additionally, the stylus pen has a programmable button for various functions. What’s even more impressive is that Acer has integrated the charging dock right where the stylus is inserted into the laptop. They claim that this dock can charge the pen for 90 minutes with just a 15-second charge—quite remarkable!

Speakers: 

Unfortunately, the speakers on this laptop aren’t great. The speaker grille is placed above the keyboard and between the two hinges for the display. While the sound is satisfactory for a laptop in this price range, it lacks bass and can feel somewhat shallow at times—definitely below average expectations.

Webcam: 

The webcam camera could have been better. It’s a 720p camera located on the top bezel of the display. From my testing so far, shots appear somewhat noisy. Surprisingly, this camera can’t be used for Windows face unlock—a limitation that seems out of place for a laptop of this caliber. Thankfully, the fingerprint sensor on the touchpad compensates for this lack of face unlock functionality.

Software: 

This laptop comes pre-installed with Windows 11 Home Edition; however, Acer has added quite a bit of bloatware that you’ll need to remove for a smoother experience. While uninstalling those apps might be slightly annoying, it’s worth doing to optimize your usage. 

Recommendation:

 Alright, let’s examine the pros and cons of this laptop.

pros section:

You have a great 11th-generation Intel Core i7 processor.

The 1-terabyte SSD is impressive.

With 16 GB of RAM, multitasking should be a breeze.

The display is okay, and the fact that it can be turned into a tablet is a plus.

Additionally, there are several standard ports on this laptop.

Cons section:

It’s a bit heavier compared to other laptops in this form factor.

Both the webcam and the speakers fall short of expectations.

Overall, I recommend this laptop for anyone in the market for a 13-inch device. It’s versatile—suitable for work, entertainment, and even student use. The ability to switch between laptop and tablet modes makes it a practical choice.

If you want to buy this laptop, please visit the link below:

https://amzn.to/3SbxIV4