What you need to know
- Acer has announced its latest Chromebook, the Acer Chromebook Vero 514.
- This is the company's first Chromebook in its "eco-minded Vero line," made of recyclable materials.
- The Chromebook Vero 514 will arrive in October, powered by a 12th Gen Intel chip and a starting price tag of $499.
When you look at the current state of the Chromebook market, there really aren't many options that truly stand out. Acer is looking to change that in more than just a few ways with its announcement of the all-new Chromebook Vero 514.
Acer Green Day just wrapped up, aiming to help push the industry towards releasing more eco-friendly products. This initiative was started in 2021 with the release of the Acer Aspire Vero, which received multiple Red Dot Awards thanks to its "PLANET9" packaging design. The packaging materials were comprised of up to 85% recycled pulp, along with making the switch from plastic to paper for the included power adapter.
Fast forward to now, and Acer is bringing the same eco-friendly mindset to its Chromebook lineup. The Chromebook Vero 514 ditches the "tried and true" combination of aluminum and glass that has been a staple in Acer's Chromebook line for years. Instead, the Vero 514 brings a completely different look and feel using PCR (post-consumer recycled) plastic, along with "ocean-bound plastics" in the chassis, keycaps, and even the speakers.
This redesign even extends to the "OceanGlass touchpad," giving you the look and feel of a traditional trackpad, but one that isn't just a piece of glass slapped into the frame. Additionally, by making all of these changes to the design, the Chromebook Vero 514 is also impact-resistant, meeting the MIL-STD 810H standards. Acer also says its latest device can withstand drops of up to 48-inches without worrying about warranties or insurance plans.
Perhaps what makes the Chromebook Vero 514 even more interesting isn't just the design but also the performance that is being offered. As we would hope for from a late-2022 Chromebook, the Vero 514 is powered by Intel's 12th Gen series of processors, complete with Iris Xe graphics, making it a great option for the Steam Alpha program once it's expanded with support for even more of the best Chromebooks.
The 14-inch FHD anti-glare Corning Gorilla Glass display offers 300 nits of brightness and 100% sRGB color range. The bezels have also been slimmed down to provide an "88% screen-to-body ratio," which we haven't seen in previous Acer Chromebooks. And while the 10-hours of rated battery life might pale in comparison to something like the Chromebook Spin 513 and its MediaTek chipset, Acer makes up for it with fast charging. The company claims you'll be able to regain 50% of the Vero 514's battery life in "just 30 minutes."
Some of the other features you'll find with the Vero 514 include support for Wi-Fi 6E and solid port selection. When this Chromebook launches, it'll include dual USB-C ports, USB-A, and a built-in HDMI port. Acer is also launching an enterprise-focused version, bringing all of the same great sustainability and performance improvements to interested businesses.
The remaining details come down to price and availability. Acer confirmed that the Chromebook Vero 514 will launch in the U.S. with a starting price of $499.99, and the EMEA version will be priced at EUR 599. As for availability, we don't have too much longer to wait, with the Vero 514 set to launch in October here in the U.S. and in other regions beginning in November.
