It is uncommon that I am truly blown away by a brand new laptop computer, however Acer’s new Swift Air 16 is nearly unbelievable. It is a full-sized 16-inch laptop computer that in some way weighs lower than a 13-inch MacBook Air, and appears completely improbable whereas doing so.
Acer launches a ridiculously light-weight 16-inch laptop computer
Gavin Phillips / MakeUseOfThis ultra-lightweight laptop computer is an actual feat of engineering. It weighs lower than 1kg (2.18lbs), but nonetheless manages to pack in a 16-inch show, one thing hardly ever seen.
But it surely’s not that Acer has lower corners with the Swift Air 16. The laptop computer’s body is manufactured from a brilliant light-weight magnesium-aluminum alloy, which retains the load down however may even shield the laptop computer throughout every day use.
The Swift Air 16 makes use of AMD’s Ryzen AI 300-Collection CPUs, with three totally different configurations out there: the AI 5 330, AI 5 340, and AI 7 350. Every comes outfitted with built-in graphics, however you will not be cranking out the newest Name of Obligation; these are for productiveness, and a few light-weight gaming is a bonus.
Gavin Phillips / MakeUseOfBy extension, using AMD’s AI-enabled chips means the Swift Air 16 is a Copilot+ laptop computer. Meaning you should use among the built-in AI options in Home windows, such because the Recall preview, Click on to Do preview, and AI-powered Home windows Search. Copilot also needs to run nicely on the machine if that is your go-to chatbot.
There are additionally decisions to be made in the case of the Swift Air 16 display screen. The display screen additionally impacts the laptop computer’s closing weight. So, the 16-inch WUXGA IPS 60Hz display screen weighs 0.99kg, however when you go for the upper high quality WQXGA+ AMOLED 120Hz display screen, the load creeps as much as 1.1kg (2.43lbs). Both method, it is nonetheless extremely light-weight.
And when it comes to reminiscence and storage, the Swift Air 16 is accessible with as much as 32GB RAM and as much as a 1TB M.2 PCIe Gen4 SSD.
The keyboard is clean and straightforward to kind on, and I discovered the trackpad responsive. There are additionally ample ports across the machine, with two USB-C, a USB 3.2 Kind-A, and HDMI 1.4 help.
This mixture of options and its ultra-lightweight design gained the Acer Swift Air 16 a coveted spot on our greatest of IFA 2025 checklist.
It has a smaller battery than I used to be anticipating
My solely actual concern with the Swift Air 16 is the battery. Acer opted a comparatively small 50Wh Li-ion cell, which for contemporary laptops (and particularly ones this dimension) is on the small-side. Acer’s Swift Air 16 press release claims battery lifetime of as much as 13 hours “based mostly on video playback take a look at outcomes,” however did not reveal what standards these checks used.
I might nicely be mistaken, although. A small body of reference comes from the Acer Swift 16 AI, launched earlier in 2025, which has a 70Wh battery. In PC Mag’s battery test, the Swift 16 AI lasted for greater than 20 hours of steady video playback, making it simply probably the greatest in the marketplace.
So whereas the brand new Acer Swift Air 16 has a smaller battery, Acer clearly is aware of a factor or two about battery effectivity. And, realistically, the possibilities of you being away from any supply of energy for 13 hours are slim. You may even discover charging factors on most long-haul flights, and most of the people carry a backup battery after they’re occurring a protracted journey.
How can a 16-inch laptop computer weigh so little?
Having picked up and had a play with the Acer Swift Air 16 at IFA 2025, it truly is remarkably mild for a laptop computer of this dimension (and in equity, processing energy). Acer has acknowledged the necessity for bigger gadgets which can be truly transportable.
The Acer Swift Air 16 is launching in November 2025 and can begin at 999 euros. On the time of writing, there isn’t a official US launch date or value.
