The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 from Acer was one of the best ones on the market in 2021, and it looks like the Chromebook Spin 714 might do the same. The premium two-in-one doesn’t change much from its predecessor in terms of what it can do, but Acer did make some changes to keep it competitive and likely a top choice for Chromebook power users.
Acer switched from a 13.5-inch touchscreen with 2,256×1,504 pixels and a 3:2 aspect ratio to a 14-inch display with 2,560×1,600 pixels and 100% sRGB color gamut coverage for the 714. The switch still gives you more vertical space to work than a 16:9 widescreen, but it’s not as tall, so it feels more balanced and fits more easily into a backpack.
Acer Chromebook Spin 714 Specifications And Details
| Display | 14-inch, 1,920×1,200 touch display |
| Memory | 8GB LPDDR4X |
| Connection | Thunderbolt 4 USB-C (x2), USB-A, HDMI 2.0 out, 3.5mm combo audio jack |
| OS | ChromeOS/Android 11 |
| Storage | 256GB NVMe PCIe SSD |
| Networking | Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5.2 |
A New and Modern Display
Even though the screen has changed a lot, the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 design is mostly the same. The steel-grey aluminum chassis has a clean, businesslike appearance and feels solid. This Chromebook performed as well as its predecessor did on the MIL-STD 810H tests for shock and vibration. It weighs 3.2 pounds and is 0.67 inches thick, which is the same as the old Chromebook Spin 713. The new 14-inch, 16:10 screen makes the system wider than the 713 it replaced. The Spin 714 is 12.7 inches wide and 8.9 inches deep, while the Spin 713 was 11.8 inches wide and 9.3 inches deep. Even though it’s heavier than expected, the Chromebook is still small and easy to carry.
- But again, the biggest difference between the Spin 713 and the 714 is the display.
- The nearly square, extra-tall 3:2 panel has been replaced with a 14-inch 16:10 panel.
- The 16:10 aspect ratio seems to be a good compromise between the 3:2 ratio for work and the 16:9 ratio for fun.
- On the 14-inch, 16:10 display, there is enough vertical space so that windows don’t feel so crowded that you have to scroll all the time.
- Movies and TV shows also fit better on it than on the 3:2 panel, which is square.
- It’s a great way to combine work and play, and it makes the Spin 714 a versatile machine that can do everything.
That’s even before you think about the fact that it can be used as both a laptop and a tablet.
Price and Availability
As tested, the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 costs about $700 (£620), which is close to the price of the entry-level Google Pixelbook Go. However, the 714 has a quad-core Intel Core i5 processor, while the Go only has a dual-core chip. There is a quad-core Pixelbook, but its prices start with an “8” on both sides of the Atlantic. It is not yet available in Australia.
The Go might feel more like a high-end device, but there’s no denying that an extra pair of CPU cores makes it faster. At this price, you can get some pretty good Windows laptops, of course. You’re almost at the level of entry-level Ultrabooks. That would make more sense for a horse that can do everything. In this case, the Acer Chromebook 714’s 128GB of eMMC storage instead of M.2 storage is its biggest flaw. But if you don’t need to run Windows apps and are fully invested in the Google ecosystem, those are ultimately moot points.
Design
The Acer Chromebook Spin 714’s design feature that stands out the most is its strength. This thing feels as safe as a fortress. The all-metal chassis is very stiff, and the only thing that moves slightly is the keyboard. The keys on the keyboard themselves are also hard to press. It’s not a bad keyboard, but it’s not as smooth to use and doesn’t feel as solid as we’d like. The trackpad is another small but annoying flaw. It’s a good size, and the Corning Gorilla Glass finish makes it feel smooth. But it has a little rattle and movement that isn’t caused by the clicking, which makes it feel a little cheap.
Anyway, the good thing about what is mostly a tough, all-metal laptop is that it should last a long time. The problem is that it’s heavy. At 1.8 cm, it’s not too thick. But because it is so strong, it weighs 1.6 kg. The 45-watt charger makes it very portable, but this is not a featherweight laptop. It feels much bigger and bulkier than a normal 13-inch Ultrabook or something like a MacBook Air.
FAQs
How long do batteries last?
The Acer Chromebook Spin 714’s battery life is without a doubt one of its strengths. In our 720p video test, it kept going for more than 13 hours. Okay, working or surfing the web all day will drain the battery faster. But in this case, this laptop can last for more than 10 hours, which means it can be used all day.
What kind of SSD does the Spin 714 have?
The Acer Chromebook Spin 714’s 256 GB SSD is enough storage for how I use a Chromebook. You might keep a lot of files on your device, so the fact that it doesn’t have a memory card slot could be a problem. I’ve seen better keyboards, but this one is pretty good.
Should I get the switch screen or the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 widescreen?
The switch still gives you more vertical space to work than a 16:9 widescreen, but it’s not as tall, so it feels more balanced and fits more easily into a backpack. For a tablet, the Spin 714 is pretty thick.