The new Acer Chrome OS laptops coming our way this new year include the Chromebook 314, the Chromebook 315 and the Chromebook Spin 513. Find out which one is best for your needs.
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Acer Chromebook 314
The Acer Chromebook 314 is a Chrome OS laptop that targets students seeking a budget-friendly laptop. Parents and guardians needn’t be worried about their kids dropping this Chromebook; it’s rated for MIL-STD 810H durability. In other words, it can sustain shocks, drops and extreme temperatures, within reason of course, without being rendered inoperable. Acer claims that the Chromebook 314 is also long lasting in terms of battery runtime. It reportedly offers up to 10 hours of battery life, but this is something we’ll have to test ourselves when it comes to our lab. If it does, indeed, last 10 hours, the Chromebook 314 can last through an entire school day. The 14-inch, 1980 x 1080 pixel display features an anti-glare coating. It has narrow, 8.1 mm bezels, which provides decent screen real estate. Users may also dig the OceanGlass touchpad, which delivers a sleek touch experience, and like its name suggests, contributes to the reduction of ocean-bound waste. The Chromebook 314 comes with a pair of USB Type-C ports, two built-in microphones and a flare-reducing webcam with temporal noise reduction for improved video quality in low-light environments.
Acer Chromebook 315
The Chromebook 315 is the larger cousin of the 314. It, too, features a pair of USB Type-C ports and an OceanGlass touchpad, but unlike the 314, it has a 15.6-inch display. There’s also a touchscreen variant that frees you from the keyboard and lets you interact with the anti-glare panel. Speaking of the keyboard, Acer claims that it’s quite large and leaves room for a dedicated numeric keyboard — a plus for users who love crunching numbers. The Chromebook 315 is ideal for hybrid employees and students who need a reliable webcam for video conferencing. The camera features a wide field-of-view HDR webcam. Like the 314, it has flare-reducing technology and a pair of integrated microphones. The speakers, tuned with DTS Audio, deliver rich sound with deep bass. This is ideal for light gaming, streaming content and video calls. For easy transferring of video and photos, the Chromebook 315 comes with a microSD card reader. Acer didn’t give an estimate for the 315’s battery life, but when it comes to our lab for review, we’ll let you know.
Acer Chromebook Spin 513
The Acer Chromebook Spin 513, like its name indicates, is the most flexible of the trio. It’s a convertible that can transform into numerous postures, including tent mode and tablet mode. Both are ideal for on-the-go users who often don’t have a lot of space to work with. It also features military-grade, MIL-STD-810 durability, so even if you have a few klutzy moments, the Chromebook Spin 513 won’t give up on you. The eight-core MediaTek Kompanio 1380 powers the Chromebook Spin 513, which is sufficient enough to help users stay productive with its exceptional all-day performance and enhanced multitasking muscle. The Spin 513’s 13.5-inch, 2256 x 1504-pixel display has a 3:2 aspect ratio, which offers 18% more verticle screen real estate. As such, users can see more content before needing to scroll. The display’s frame also contributes to the spacious screen, thanks to the slim, 7.7 mm bezels. The Chromebook Spin 513 comes with a USB Type-C port for transferring data, charging devices and connecting peripherals. It’s also equipped with a pair of upward-firing microphones for crystal-clear conference calls. The Chromebook Spin 513 will hit the market in June 2022 with a starting price of $600. The Chromebook 314 has the same launch window, but has an entry price of $300. The Chromebook 315 is expected to hit store shelves this month with a starting price of $300.
