What you need to know
- Acer has announced the Chromebook Spin 714 and Chromebook Tab 510, along with Enterprise editions of both.
- The Chromebook Spin 714 is powered by 12th Gen Intel chips and includes a dockable USI stylus.
- Acer's Chromebook Tab 510 uses the Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 platform, also offers a stylus, and more.
It was only a matter of time, but the wave of 12th Gen Intel-powered Chromebooks is finally starting to come through. In recent weeks, we've seen new options from the likes of HP and Lenovo, and now Acer is joining the fray with its all-new Chromebook Spin 714. But Acer is also taking things a step further as it also has introduced a Chrome OS tablet in the form of the Chromebook Tab 510.
Starting off with the new Spin 714, this Chromebook features a 14-inch touchscreen display and is available with resolutions of WQXGA (2560x1600) or WUXGA (1920x1200). The taller 16:10 aspect ratio is something that we've become big fans of with some of the best Chromebooks, and that trend is likely to continue with the Spin 714.
Intel's 12th Gen processors are at the helm starting with the Core i5, but you can also configure the Spin 714 with a Core i7. These can be paired with up to 16GB of LPDDR4X RAM, along with 512GB of NVMe SSD storage. There's no reason to think that the Spin 714 won't immediately make its way to the list of Chromebooks compatible with Steam, but we'll have to wait and see.
Acer's tried-and-true hinge makes it easy to flip things around and use the Spin 714 as a tablet, which is great as Acer is now including a dockable USI stylus. This has been a complaint with many of the best Chromebooks, as needing to find a home for your stylus has been a pain. But with the Spin 714, it just slides right into the front of the keyboard deck, at the ready for whenever you need it.
As for battery life, Acer claims the Spin 714 will be able to last for up to 10 hours on a single charge, but has another trick up its sleeve. Charge it up for just 30-minutes, and the Spin 714 is said to offer an additional four hours of usage. These quick charge capabilities are often found in the best Android phones, but it's awesome to see them make their way to Chromebooks.
Other features of the new Chromebook Spin 714 include dual Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI port, Wi-Fi 6E support, and an optional fingerprint reader. This is also designed to be one of the more durable Chromebooks out there, as we have the MIL-STD 810H rating thanks in part to the aluminum build.
Moving onto the Chromebook Tab 510, this looks to take on the likes of Lenovo's Chromebook Duet 5. The Tab 510 features a 10.1-inch IPS panel with a 1920 x 1200 resolution. There's a 5MP front-facing camera hidden in the bezel, which should be fine for video calls. But there's also an 8MP rear camera if you're the type that likes to use tablets to take photos.
Just like the Chromebook Spin 714, the Tab 510 also includes a dockable USI stylus, that is housed in the top of the tablet. Acer is also offering an optional Keyboard Folio Case that you can dock the Tab 510 into and take with you if you need to reply to some emails, get some work done, or just want a keyboard to pair with the tablet.
Battery life is rated for up to 11 hours on a single charge, matching up with what we would expect from a Chrome OS tablet. But it seems that there aren't any quick charging features to take advantage of here. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as the Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 chipset is pretty good about harnessing power and sipping juice throughout the day.
Paired with Qualcomm's chip, Acer is offering the Tab 510 with up to 4GB of RAM and 64GB of eMMC storage. You can even go so far as to opt for a version with LTE, so you can stay connected from wherever you are.
By now, you're probably wondering when you'll be able to get your hands on either of Acer's new Chrome OS options. The Chromebook Spin 714 is coming to North America sometime in August and will start at $749. Meanwhile, the Chromebook Tab 510 is coming a month earlier, as it will be available in July, and is priced at just $399. We'll be sure to get our hands on these new devices and see how they stack up against the competition.
