What you need to know
- Acer announced new Chromebooks and a new Chromebox today.
- The Acer Chromebook Spin 513 and Acer Chromebook Enterprise Spin 513 go on sale in the first quarter of 2021.
- Both versions of the Spin 513 are powered by the Snapdragon 7c compute platform, the first model to launch with a Snapdragon chipset, which gives the option for LTE and improves efficiency for better battery life.
- While ports are a bit sparse, this 13.3-inch 2-in-1 touchscreen Chromebook is available with up to 8GB of RAM and up to 128GB of internal storage.
Acer's fall announcement today showed us the new Acer Chromebox CXI4 as well as its next Chromebook series, the Acer Chromebook Spin 513 and Acer Chromebook Enterprise Spin 513. This new model is a middle ground between the awesome Acer Chromebook Spin 713 and the recently redesigned Acer Chromebook Spin 311: it features beefier configuration options and an Enterprise version like the 713, but it's got the same streamlined design and minimal ports like the 311.
The biggest news with these new models is the processing platform that's powering it: the Snapdragon 7c. This is the first Chromebook to launch with a Snapdragon, something that has been a long shot prospect, and while this isn't as well-known a platform as the 800-series or 600-series, the 7c is designed specifically for laptops with a few goals in mind. Chief among them are efficiency — which helps the Spin 513 achieve 14-hour battery life — and LTE support.
We haven't had a decent LTE Chromebook since the Samsung Chromebook Plus V2, which came out all the way back in 2018, so the Spin 513 is a welcome new option. A 13.3-inch 2-in-1 touchscreen Chromebook that isn't limited to Wi-Fi — or tethering, which burns through your phone's battery — is welcome for those who tend to work in out of the way places.
LTE is optional, but Acer confirmed that you can get it on both the regular and the Enterprise versions of the Spin 513, and that it will be a physical SIM, not eSIM. That means that you'll be able to easily tell an LTE 513 from a non-LTE because there's going to be an extra slot on it, especially given how few ports are on this puppy.
On the left side, you have one USB-C port, one USB-A port, and a 3.5mm audio combo jack. On the right, you have a second USB-C port, the volume rocker and the power button, inside which is the system/charging status LED. Like the Acer Chromebook Spin 311, the Spin 513 lacks a microSD slot, which means that the internal storage you get matters.
To that end, the Spin 513 is available with up to 128GB of storage — which is welcome news — and up to 8GB of RAM, which you absolutely, totally, without a doubt should opt for when you buy the Chromebook early next year.
The Acer Chromebook Spin 513 will go on sale in the EU in January starting at €429 and February for North America starting at $400. For the included Chrome Enterprise Upgrade, the Acer Chromebook Enterprise Spin 513 will arrive in the EU in February starting at €699 and March in North America starting at $700.
The beauty is a beast in the power department.
If you're someone who loves a 3:2 screen and a big, beefy processor to power it, this Project Athena Chromebook is for you. It's got a bigger price tag than the 513, but it's got more ports and more power to justify the upgrade.
