What you need to know
- Four new Chromebooks debuted at Next @ Acer, with one going on sale today.
- The Acer Chromebook Spin 713 uses last year's great design and adds in Thunderbolt 4 and Intel Evo platform certification for $700.
- Acer's first 17.3-inch Chromebook, the Acer Chromebook 317, arrives next month for $380.
- Updated models for the Acer Chromebook 314 and Acer Chromebook 514 arrive later this summer.
Summer is approaching, and with it comes a new crop of capable Chromebooks, including a refresh of the Acer Chromebook Spin 713, one of the best Chromebooks on the market today. The new Acer Chromebook Spin 713 — model number CP713-3W — is mostly the same as last year's CP713-2W, except for two very important upgrades: it's powered by the 11th Gen Intel Core series of processors, and the USB-C ports have been upgraded to Thunderbolt 4. I'm not totally thrilled that they're on the same side, Macbook-style, but this does mean they should work with Mac-designed docking stations, at least in theory.
There are a few more small upgrades: the audio here is DTS Audio this time — an alternative audio technology to Dolby encoded at a higher bitrate — and while the battery is still only rated top last 10 hours, you can get four hours of battery back in just a 30-minute charge. The new models start at $700, just $70 more than the current 10th Gen powered model, and Best Buy is selling a configuration with the Core i5, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage at that $700 price point today. There will also be an Enterprise version coming soon, but the consumer version being available right now is making it very hard for me to avoid running to Best Buy.
| Model | Acer Chromebook Spin 713 | Acer Chromebook 514 |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 13.5-inch 2256 x 1504 IPS3:2 touchscreen | 14-inch 1920 x 1080 IPSOptional touchscreen |
| Processor | 11th Gen Intel Core i311th Gen Intel Core i511th Gen Intel Core i7 | 11th Gen Intel Pentium Gold 750511th Gen Intel Core i311th Gen Intel Core i511th Gen Intel Core i7 |
| Memory | Up to 16GB | Up to 8GB |
| Storage | Up to 256GB NVMe SSD | Up to 256GB NVMe SSD |
| Audio | DTS AudioStereo speakers with Smart AmplifierCombo audio jack | Row 4 - Cell 2 |
| Ports | 2x Thunderbolt 4 Type-C1x USB-AHDMImicroSD slot | 2x Thunderbolt 4 Type-C1x USB-AHDMImicroSD slot |
| Battery | Up to 10 hours | Up to 10 hours |
| Features | First Evo-verified ChromebookAluminum chassisOptional fingerprint sensorBacklit keyboard | Optional fingerprint sensorBacklit keyboard |
| Availability | Today | August |
| Price | From $700 | From $600 |
The new Acer Chromebook 514 also is getting both consumer and Enterprise models, but we'll have to wait for August to buy them. I actually have the Acer Chromebook 514 right now (I'll be reviewing it soon), also powered by 11th Gen Intel Core processors — there's also a Pentium option listed, but please skip that — and sporting two Thunderbolt 4 ports on the left side. I'm still putting it through its paces, but the power on my Core i5 model has been more than adequate for my multi-window, all-the-tabs research, and writing. The Thunderbolt 4 ports have been a bit weird with the Anker USB-C docking station I've tried with it so far, but this is a pre-production unit, and I need to test it with a Thunderbolt 4 dock this weekend.
Source: Ara Wagoner / Android Central and Acer
Rounding out the new Chromebooks, we have two new entries in the 300 series, an updated Acer Chromebook 314 and a new 17.3-inch Acer Chromebook 317. It's only got Celeron or Pentium processor options — I really wished they'd given us at least an i3 model since Acer's toting this big-screen option as being design for "multi-tasking masters." At least you can get 8GB of RAM, and it's got the full keyboard with a number pad for those who put in a lot of prices and figures (like me!) that's flanked by up-facing stereo speakers.
| Model | Acer Chromebook 317 | Acer Chromebook 314 |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 17.3-inch 1920 x 1080 IPSOptional touchscreen | 14-inch 1366 x 768 IPS14-inch 1920 x 1080 IPSOptional touchscreen |
| Processor | Intel Celeron N4500Intel Celeron N5100Intel Pentium Silver N6000 | MediaTek M8183C |
| Memory | Up to 8GB | Up to 8GB |
| Storage | Up to 128GB eMMC | Up to 64GB eMMC |
| Audio | Dual up-facing speakersAudio combo jack | Two stereo speakersAudio combo jack |
| Ports | 2x USB 3.2 Type-C2x USB-AmicroSD slot | 1x USB Type-C1x USB-A |
| Battery | Up to 10 hours | Up to 15 hours |
| Features | Backlit keyboard with numpad | Compact design and lightweight |
| Availability | June | July |
| Price | From $380 | From $270 |
Starting at $380, the Acer Chromebook 317 will be a price-performer, at least for getting that big screen — spring for the touchscreen model, please — and the Acer Chromebook 314's $270 price tag should compete quite nicely with the HP Chromebook 14 and Lenovo S345 and Chromebook 3 when it debuts in July.
Far and away, the most exciting of these Chromebooks is the new Spin 713, which you can bet your buttons I'm reviewing as soon as physically possible! If you can't wait for my full testing and shakedown, you're certainly getting some impressive specs for that $700 price tag.
The first Thunderbolt 4 Chromebook has arrived.
Acer knows you don't mess with a winning formula, and the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 was already one of the best premium Chromebooks on both performance and value. They've shifted the ports around to make room for Thunderbolt 4, added the new Intel Evo platform verification, and kept the price reasonable.
