Today at CES 2020, Acer has introduced its new inexpensive Spin 3 and Spin 5 convertible laptops that are based on Intel’s Ice Lake processors. The hybrid mobile PCs are slimmer than their predecessors and provide significantly greater graphics performance, especially when it comes to higher-end models. Both machines will ship with optional Acer’s new Active Stylus with Wacom AES technology that offers 4096 pressure levels, which will be welcomed by creative professionals.

Conceptually, the new Acer Spin 3 and Acer Spin 5 share many similarities. Both are based on Intel’s 10th Generation Core 'Ice Lake' processors, both come in tough aluminum chassis to ensure durability, both use IPS displays and LPDDR4X memory to prolong battery life, both have Thunderbolt 3 ports to connect various bandwidth-hungry peripherals (external graphics, advanced storage, etc.), both are equipped with audio subsystem with Acer True Harmony enhancements, and both come with Windows 10 Home, which emphasizes their target audience. Meanwhile, being conceptually similar, these notebooks have a number of important differences that set them far apart.

The Acer Spin 3: Ice Lake on Budget

The Acer Spin 3 model SP314-54N is a convertible laptop with a 14-inch Full-HD display panel is an IPS offering with ‘up to 170° viewing angles'. The PC weighs around 1.5 kilograms and comes in a chassis that is 16.9 mm thick.

The hybrid notebook is powered by Intel’s 10th Gen ‘Ice Lake’ Core i3/i5 processor with Intel UHD ‘G1’ (32 EUs) or Intel Iris Plus ‘G4’ (48 EUs) integrated graphics. This is accompanied by up to 16 GB of LPDDR4X memory as well as a PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD with capacities ranging from 128 GB to 1 TB.

Connectivity wise, the Acer Spin 3 (SP314-54N) laptop has just about everything that one might need these days, including Wi-Fi 6, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, two USB 3.1 Gen 2 connectors, an HDMI output, a microSD card reader, and a 3.5-mm jack for headsets.

Acer says that its upcoming Spin 3 will offer up to 12 hours of uptime on its 48 Wh battery, which is in line with promises of other makers of 13/14-inch machines.

Sales of Acer’s Spin 3 will begin next month in EMEA, where it will cost starting at €649. The product will arrive to North America in April, where prices will start at $699.

The Acer Spin 5: A Sub-$900 Ice Lake with Premium Features

The Acer Spin 5 model SP513-54N hybrid mobile PC is a considerably more advanced system than the Spin 3. First up, the system comes with a slightly smaller 13.5-inch IPS display panel with a 2256×1504 resolution and a 3:2 aspect ratio that is believed to be more comfortable to use for web browsing than a 16:9 aspect ratio of the Spin 3. Secondly, the Spin 5 weighs 1.2 kilograms and comes in a chassis that is 14.9 mm thick, 2 mm thinner when compared to the Spin 3.

Acer decided to equip its Acer Spin 5 (SP513-54N) convertible with Intel’s quad-core Core i5-1035G4 or Core i7-1065G7 processor featuring Iris Plus ‘G4’ and Iris Plus ‘G7’ integrated graphics with 48 EUs and 64 EUs, respectively. The CPU is paired with up to 16 GB of LPDDR4X memory as well as a PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD with capacities up to 1 TB (and to emphasize the premium nature of the device, this system does not offer a 128 GB SSD). The connectivity side of the latest Spin 5 is similar to that of the Spin 3, so it will support Wi-Fi 6 as well as Thunderbolt 3 among other things.

Despite being thinner and lighter than the Spin 3, the Spin 5 comes with a higher-capacity 56 Wh battery that enables up to 15 hours of runtime, according to Acer.

The more advanced Spin 5 convertible will hit EMEA in March carrying price tags from €999. Customers in North America will have to wait for the new Spin 5 till June and pay from $899.

Specifications of Acer's Spin 3 and Spin 5 Convertible Laptops
  Acer Spin 3
SP314-54N
Acer Spin 5
SP513-54N
LCD Diagonal 14-inch IPS 13.5-inch IPS
Resolution Brightness Features 1920×1080
170°/160° viewing angles
2256×1504
170°/160° viewing angles
Color Gamut ? ?
Touch Support Multi-touch Multi-touch
Protective Glass ? ?
Pen Option Acer Active Stylus with Wacom AES (active electrostatic) technology

4096 pressure levels
Two configurable buttons
CPU Intel Core i5-1035G4
(4C/8T, 6 MB cache, 1.1 - 3.7 GHz)

Intel Core i5-1035G1
(4C/8T, 6 MB cache, 1.0 - 3.6 GHz)

Intel Core i3-1005G1
(2C/4T, 4 MB cache, 1.2 - 3.4 GHz)
Intel Core i7-1065G7
(4C/8T, 8 MB cache, 1.3 - 3.9 GHz)

Intel Core i5-1035G4
(4C/8T, 6 MB cache, 1.1 - 3.7 GHz)
Graphics Intel UHD Graphics 'G1' w/ 32 EUs at 900-1050 MHz, 461 - 537 GFLOPS
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 'G4' w/ 48 EUs at 900-1050 MHz, 691 - 806 GFLOPS
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 'G7' w/ 64 EUs at 1050-1100 MHz, 1.07 - 1.1 TFLOPS
RAM up to 16 GB dual-channel LPDDR4X
Storage 128 GB PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD
256 GB PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD
512 GB PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD
1 TB PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD
256 GB PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD
512 GB PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD
1 TB PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD
Wireless Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 2x2 802.11ax 160MHz + Bluetooth 5.0
Cellular
WWAN
?
USB 3.1 2 × USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A
Thunderbolt 2 × TB 3 (for data, charging, DP displays)
Display Output 1 × HDMI 1 × HDMI 2.0
Card Reader 1 × microSD
Cameras Front 720p webcam
Hardware Authentication None Fingerprint reader
Audio 2 far-field microphones, 2 speakers, audio jack
Battery 3-cell 48 Wh battery
up to 12 hours of battery life
65 W charger
4-cell 56 Wh battery
up to 15 hours of battery life
65 W charger
Dimensions Width 325 mm | 12.8 inches 300 mm | 11.81 inches
  Depth 230 mm | 9.06 inches 235 mm | 9.25 inches
  Thickness 16.9 mm | 0.67 inches 14.9 mm | 0.59 inches
Weight 1.5 kilograms | 3.31 pounds 1.2 kilograms | 2.65 pounds
Sensors Accelerometer
Operating System Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 bit
Launch Time EMEA February 2020 March 2020
US April 2020 June 2020
Launch Price EMEA €649 €999
US $699 $899

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Source: Acer

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  • prisonerX - Sunday, January 5, 2020 - link

    TN screens? You've got to be kidding.
  • mobutu - Sunday, January 5, 2020 - link

    "...welcomed by creative professionals"
    "...both use TN displays"

    lol
  • cosmotic - Monday, January 6, 2020 - link

    Ain't none of those product shots actually possible if they are using TN panels. Those side shots would look more like a kaleidoscope.
  • eclecticc - Monday, January 6, 2020 - link

    TN panel seems to be incorrect based on the Acer spec sheets for the Spin 5 posted on other websites. It appears to be using the same Panasonic IPS panel that is in the Surface Laptop 3.
  • wpwoodjr - Tuesday, January 7, 2020 - link

    Spin 5 looks sweet especially that 3:2 panel. 32gb ram would be nice too.

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