Acer Swift Edge 16 (2023) review: thin, light, large

Editor's Note

• Original review date: September 2023
• Launch price: $1,299.99 / £1,300.00 (about AU$3,215)
• The Acer Swift Edge 16 (2023) is still available as of September 2024

Update – September 2024: The Acer Swift Edge 16 has a new model on the market, featuring upgraded AMD Ryzen 8040-series processors with AI capabilities, so the Acer Swift Edge 16 model reviewed here is slightly outdated.

That doesn't mean it isn't a great device, as the AMD Ryzen 7040-series processors in the 2023 model are very capable chips, and now with the release of the new 2024 models, you can likely get the Acer Swift Edge 16 2023 models for less as the holiday season approaches.

That said, if we're looking at the original launch price for this device, you can get a newer model for the same price, so only look into this model if you can get it for a lot less than the original selling price, because newer models are likely to give you a much better value for the money otherwise.

Original review follows.

John Loeffler

Acer Swift Edge 16 (2023): One-minute review

With the Acer Swift Edge 16 (2023), the company has managed to do two things incredibly well. The slim design of this laptop is peak portability even though it’s a 16-inch laptop. And, the OLED display is as accurate as it is gorgeous, and that’s not taking its HDR capabilities into account.

By mastering that portability along with offering a fantastic screen, the Acer Swift Edge 16 (2023) covers a lot of the same ground as the best Ultrabooks. After all, they’re more than just status symbols. This could be among the best Windows laptops – though perhaps just shy of the best laptops list – in general, if those are the most important factors for you.

It’s not going to tackle video projects, 3D design, or intensive gaming, but the power on this machine is certainly capable of day-to-day productivity and light editing work. Plus, it has a very good webcam, making this ideal for video conferencing.

There are a few minor cons, mainly its somewhat cramped keyboard and, more pressingly, its price. The Acer Swift Edge 16 (2023) is not cheap, probably due to its two most impressive features. However, if you want an OLED-equipped laptop, you’re going to have to pay for it, so you might as well get one with a large, color-accurate panel on a thin and light chassis.

Acer Swift Edge 16 (2023): Price & availability

• How much does it cost?  $1,299.99 / £1,300.00 (about AU$3,215)
• When is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? Available in the US and UK 

While no version of the Acer Swift Edge 16 has yet to hit Australia, the 2023 model reviewed here is available in a single configuration in both the US and UK. Going for $1,299.99 / £1,300.00 (about AU$3,215), it sports an AMD Ryzen 7 7840U, AMD Radeon shared graphics, 16GB of RAM, 1TB SSD. Probably the biggest upgrade over previous generations outside of a newer CPU is a panel capable of producing a 120Hz refresh rate as opposed to 60Hz.

Considering that you’re essentially paying for a light, thin laptop with a large 16-inch WQUXGA OLED panel, the price is not outrageous though it is expensive. After all, something like the Acer Zenbook S 13 OLED also comes with a sharp OLED screen but is much smaller, yet it's just a bit more than the Swift Edge 16 at $1,399.99 / £1,499.99 / AU$2,099. That said, it does come with 32GB of RAM.

• Price score: 4 / 5

Acer Swift Edge 16 (2023): Specs

While there are several versions of the Acer Swift Edge 16 available to purchase, there's only one 2023 model. The way to differentiate it from the older generations is by looking for the AMD Ryzen 7 7840U CPU. The other noticeable upgrade is that that panel now has a 120Hz refresh rate instead of a 60Hz one. It's also ever so slightly thicker with a max thickness of 0.60mm instead of 0.55mm.

Though there's only one configuration available currently for the Acer Swift Edge 16 (2023), the line supports up to 32GB RAM and 2TB of storage. This could indicate a more powerful model down the line.

Acer Swift Edge 16 (2023): Design

• Thin and light despite its larger footprint
• Sharp OLED panel
• Full if cramped keyboard

One of the most exciting factors of the Acer Swift Edge 16 (2023) is its svelte shape despite its large footprint. Frankly, it’s surprising that it’s only 0.60 inches thick yet accommodates a 16-inch screen. And, its weight, partly thanks to its thin aluminum alloy chassis, reinforces this laptop’s portability. Its weight of 2.73 lb (1.24kg)  is less than the Apple MacBook Air 15-inch. That laptop, which Apple has positioned to also offer a larger screen without sacrificing portability, weighs 3.3 lbs (1.51kg).

The second most impressive part of the Acer Swift Edge 16 (2023) is its gorgeous OLED panel. It not only has a sharp 3840 x 2000p 3.2K resolution and a 16:10 aspect ratio for extra real estate but has incredibly accurate colors with a Delta E of 0.27 as well as 196.6 sRGB and 139.2 DCI-P3 color coverage. The panel also has a pretty good HDR, specifically VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500. Lastly, the panel doesn’t suffer too badly from glare as it’s plenty visible even when used outside in the sun.

Less impressive is the keyboard and trackpad. They’re certainly not bad by any means but they’re far from the best I’ve used. Acer managed to fit a full-sized keyboard on the laptop complete with a numpad. While a nice feature for those who want that full layout, it does push the keys to the left making for a less comfortable typing experience. The keycaps are flat so they don’t quite fit the fingertips the way some do. Some people might like the keyboard, but I would have preferred a 75% layout that’s more centered on the chassis.

The trackpad works well for the most part but is a little bit too sensitive, meaning that I sometimes experience it dragging something across the screen when I didn’t intentionally double-click. It’s also oriented a bit to the left, which aligns well with the keyboard but is not to my preference.

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Lastly, the port selection is pretty good for an Ultrabook with two USB-C ports with 65-watt power delivery and alt DisplayPort mode along with two USB-A ports, a micro SD card reader, a HDMI 2.1 port, and a 3.5mm combo-jack. The only minor complaint is that the USB-C ports are both on the left side of the chassis. Considering these ports are the only way to charge, it would have been great to have one on each side.

• Design score: 4.5 / 5

Acer Swift Edge 16 (2023): Performance

• Solid performance with productivity work
• Great looking 1440p webcam

When it comes to power, the Acer Swift Edge 16 (2023) relies heavily on its AMD CPU. There’s no discrete graphics card and there’s a good but not great 16GB of RAM on hand. That means that heavy video editing projects and demanding games are out of the question.

However, there’s more than enough power to handle just about any regular day-to-day work as well as casual gaming and light photo editing, especially considering how great the screen looks.

To test the Acer Swift Edge 16’s limits, I had 20 tabs open at once including multiple video streaming sites playing movies and shows. Even with all that open in Google Chrome, a known RAM hog, I could seamlessly switch tabs without any lag. I also was able to do some casual gaming, though as soon as I booted up a more demanding game – Battlefield 2042 on the lowest settings in this case – the laptop was not able to keep up. At least it didn’t get too hot while under a heavy load.

As is to be expected with a very thin laptop not made by Apple (who have somehow cracked the code), the speakers were not all that impressive. While not bad, the audio was thin without much in the way of bass.

At least the webcam is a point in the Acer Swift Edge 16’s favor. It offers up to a 1440p at 30 fps resolution. On top of that, it’s able to auto-zoom, which keeps my face centered in the image when I move my head around. It also has an eye contact feature that adjusts where the eyes are pointing so that it looks like you’re looking at the camera instead of the screen. To complete the video conferencing package, the mic has background noise cancellation.

• Performance score: 4.5 / 5

Acer Swift Edge 16 (2023): Battery life

• Underwhelming battery life
• Okay fast charging

The Acer Swift Edge 16 (2023)’s battery life is nothing special when compared to other laptops at large. But, considering that its rivals are other high-end Ultrabooks, its seven-hour and 18-minute results in our battery benchmark are fairly underwhelming. For comparison, the Acer Zenbook S 13 OLED gets a little over 12 hours of testing. And, while that laptop has a smaller screen, it’s still powering a high-resolution OLED screen with HDR. And, it's the OLED screen on the Acer Swift Edge 16 that is most likely the biggest culprit for the lackluster battery life.

Since its battery life is just okay and this laptop recharges via a USB-C port, it’s not surprising that it has fast charging. However, it’s not as fast as I would expect. Ten minutes of charging offers about a 15% boost in battery. That’s not bad, but it’s not all that impressive either.

• Battery score: 3.5 / 5

Should you buy the Acer Swift Edge 16 (2023)?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Acer Swift Edge 16 (2023): Also consider

If our Acer Swift Edge 16 (2023) review has you considering other options, here are two laptops to consider... 

Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED (2023)
The Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED is a striking Ultrabook with a beautiful display and plenty of power for everyday use. Plus, it uses recycled and recyclable parts, making this an eco-friendly option for those wanting a very portable laptop.

Read our full Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED (2023) review

Acer Aspire Vero 15 (2023)
If you want a Windows machine that won’t break the bank yet provides the kind of performance to handle day-to-day activity, consider the Acer Aspire Vero 15. It might look a little dated, but it’s more than enough for most people. Plus, it’s among the most eco-friendly options out there.

Read our full Acer Aspire Vero 15 (2023) review

How I tested the Acer Swift Edge 16 (2023)

• Tested for a couple weeks
• Used it as my main laptop for stretches at a time
• Tested the various features

I used the Acer Swift Edge 16 for a couple weeks, using it for my day-to-day productivity to see how I liked using it. I got a feel for not only its gorgeous OLED screen but the keyboard and touchpad. I also tried to push it to its limits by opening up over 20 tabs with some of them streaming video to see if I could slow it down.

Having spent some time using this laptop, I got an idea of the best use cases for it, namely for people who are interested in Ultrabooks for their thin and light design but want a larger screen.

I’ve spent the last few years reviewing tech gear of all sorts so I’ve gotten a feel for what to look for and how to put a piece of kit through its paces to see whether it’s worth the recommendation.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed August 2023