Acer is one of those contemporary laptop manufacturers that seem to have a finger on the pulse of the modern audience. Every launch brings to the table a product that fits right into hectic, demanding lifestyles, and the new Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-85LZ continues the tradition.
This extremely lightweight laptop weighs only 3.53lbs and has a handy, dual-torque hinge that lets you spin it the way you want it. Spin away to glory to experience four different modes of usage. Chances are you will find something after your own heart whether you need to sit back and play multimedia content, share your screen with colleagues and peers, or slip into a full-desktop, workstation-like avatar. This flexible 13.3” laptop also boasts of an Intel i7 processor that ensures all your work gets done with superb speed and efficiency. This recent Acer launch comes with a price tag of $899.99.
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Processing Like a Charm
Driving this little powerhouse is an eight-generation Intel i7-8550U processor running at a base frequency of 1.80GHz. The processor has four cores. It is an up-to-date processing configuration and one that will serve you excellently for all your daily computing tasks. The CPU is also well-suited to multitasking and demanding tasks like image editing. The laptop comes with 8GB RAM (DDR4) and 256GB of high-speed SSD storage. (You can also use the inbuilt card reader. It supports both SD and SDXC memory cards.) Note that the Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-85LZ runs Windows 10 Home, an operating system that has developed a sound reputation for productivity.
Perhaps the best part about the processing setup is the battery life. The Lithium Polymer battery (4670mAh, triple cell) delivers ultra-long backup and lasts for over 13 hours! This guarantees worry-free unplugged usage for the majority of your day and then some more.
The World of Display & Sound
With this purchase, you get a 13.3” full High-Definition screen that uses the Acer Color Intelligence technology to render your imagery on screen. As a result, the colors are bright and vivid whether you’re browsing through photographs or playing back your favorite video content. Even though this computer uses Intel UHD Graphics 620 with shared memory (which is a lot less dazzling than a dedicated graphics card), you still see a pleasing brightness and accuracy during use. The screen resolution is 1920 x 1080 which is optimal for most purposes. The aspect ratio is 16:9.
The screen is touch-based (10-point), so you can comfortably use the Acer Active Stylus. The stylus is precise and smooth, making it easy for you to draw, take notes, or sketch. While this is especially useful for creative and design professionals, few of us have ever been without a desire to doodle! Additionally, the screen also supports In-Plane Switching which means you can comfortably view it from various angles without facing any distortion or pixelation.
If you talk about sound, things are quite promising. The Acer TrueHarmony technology and Dolby Audio Premium make the acoustic system topnotch. You have two front-facing speakers that let you experience fantastic sound in all the four modes of operation. In fact, the audio channels are auto-reversible which ensures that the output gets reversed when you flip the display. Quite intuitive, really! The excellent sound support wonderfully complements the display by giving you a complete studio-like experience.
Design & Build
We already discussed that this is a fairly lightweight machine weighing only a slight notch over 3lbs. But it is also greatly sleek with a thickness of only 0.6”. The overall dimensions are 12.8” in width and 8.9” in depth. The sleek body makes it easy to carry the Acer Spin 5 in your backpack without feeling weighed down.
When you use this laptop, you are likely to find its various facets attuned to a mobile lifestyle. For instance, the keyboard is fully backlit to let you work in conditions of low or poor lighting. The purchase comes with a one-year limited warranty so you can use it without the fear of damage.
Wireless Connectivity, Device Support & Personal Assistants
It is difficult to imagine that wireless connectivity wasn’t always a part of personal laptops, isn’t it? Fortunately, the Spin 5 doesn’t compromise on anything here—it supports Gigabit Wi-Fi connectivity (IEEE 802.11ac) that gives you a strong and interruption-free signal. This technology has been tested to be almost five times faster than the earlier 802.11n. Of course, the actual results will also depend on the strength of the network.
Further boosting accessibility is this laptop’s support for Cortana and Alexa–personal digital assistants that understand process voice commands and make life a lot easier. With Alexa, you can even use your laptop to control the devices in a smart home. The commands work from as far as 4m, so you are guaranteed hands-free convenience from afar.
You can connect your devices or peripherals to this laptop using the two USB 3.1 ports. There are also two USB 3.0 ports, one USB 2.0 port, and an HDMI port. The HDMI lets you connect to an external display. Bonus: You also get a fingerprint reader for additional security.
Closing Note
At first sight, the 360° hinge seems to be the hallmark feature of the Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-85LZ. It lends a high degree of convenience and portability to the laptop and offers optimized settings for entertainment and display purposes. However, when you delve deeper, it becomes evident that the Acer Spin 5 has several surprises up its sleeve. Its support for both Cortana and Alexa make it a breeze to use.
You can fire day-to-day commands and see them completed without even taking the trouble to press any keys. An efficient processor from the latest generation, a remarkable display, and a rock-solid auditory system elevate this laptop from only a portable computing wonder to a multipurpose partner that understands its audience.