Here’s the thing about Acer’s S13, it competes on the same class of ultrabooks in a space that Apple’s Macbook Air has taken control for so long. You’d know Acer to a brand that’s started to cater to every segment so it’s quite surprising and pleasant to see that they’ve started to set themselves apart with the Aspire S1. How so ? It provides some fairly high end specs with builds starting at $750.
I received the more premium model for review which you can get on retail at $999, depending where you look. For something that’s under AED 4,000 this is a neat, light travel laptop. It directly takes on Asus’s Zenbook and it may very well be the best in its class for its price alone.
Specs ($999 model)
- Windows 10 Home
- Intel Core™ i7-6500U processor Dual-core 2.50 GHz
- 13.3″ Full HD (1920 x 1080) 16:9 IPS
- Intel® HD Graphics 520 with Shared Memory
- 8 GB, LPDDR3
- 512 GB SSD
Now I looked around for this model in particular with vendors in computer plaza telling me that this option wasn’t stocked. If you are looking for a midrange option which I highly recommend you do have a look, here’s the specs.
Specs ($749 model)
- Windows 10 Home
- Intel Core™ i5-6200U processor Dual-core 2.30 GHz
- 13.3″ Full HD (1920 x 1080) 16:9
- Intel® HD Graphics 520 with Shared Memory
- 8 GB, LPDDR3
- 256 GB SSD
Design
Coming in two color variants, black and white, I got the black one, but I will reckon the white model will be more harder to keep clean. The black model does pick up dust given that the top has textured shell that’s good to touch and held easily with grooves. It doesn’t flip completely backwards as I learned. It would have been nice to do that and really enjoy the touchscreen for Windows 10 but I gather that was a design choice that Acer made to not give a flimsy build altogether and I respect that. It’s a slim body that’s lesser in measurement to the Macbook Air and it’s amazingly light at 1.3 kilos.
It looks premium too. You’ll find the embossed Aspire S typeface right below the company’s logo on the hinge.
On the functionality side, there’s two USB 3.0 ports on both sides and a USB-C, HDMI, headphone jack and SD card slot. It’s not charged by USB-C and comes with a very light AC adapter. There’s exhaust vents on the bottom and speakers are near the edge. Now while that matte finish may be looking great at first glance but the bezels don’t nearly feel as secure so I was extra careful with handling it while I was taking it with me. The matte top and aluminium bottom makes the overall design of the laptop look jarring and that’s just me as I like cohesiveness on design all around and this is something I just can’t get myself to agree with.
The keyboard is great and has a great feel on touch. Some of the best I’ve seen from softer presses on other ultrabooks and it’s backlit. There’s light leaks though so you won’t spot the backlight at first glance unless you’re in a dark environment. There’s two levels of brightness to choose from. As you can see the trackpad can attract dirt and dust, however functionality is the same.
Display
This screen is gorgeous. Acer put the S13 with a matte 1080p screen and it’s pretty damn sharp. Expect to enjoy your media on a screen that has great color balance. It also has a blue shield functionality which reduces the blue light emitter to make it easier on the eyes. I’m starting to see a surge of matte screens but a matte touch screen is uncommon and possibly a welcome move if I have to look at it, it’s odd to get used to it but it’s something that could work with a bit of adjustment.
Sound
Outfitted with Dolby speakers, you can tell Acer has really improved on onboard laptop sound, it’s not the best mind you, but it does the job. You can mess with the audio settings with Dolby’s app but the placement of the speakers mean you won’t be playing music when you’re putting this laptop on a couch or lap as that’s going to muffle the sound on any surface that’s not flat.
Performance
No two ways to cut it, this is a business targeted laptop that you can do midrange intensive activities and again you’re not going to be playing graphics intensive games. However, it can handle some light Photoshop and Lightroom. I also managed to take my battery to five hours on a single charge, which isn’t bad but it would have been great to get another hour out of it. It’s the price you pay for having a laptop shave so much from its body weight.
The Verdict ?
The Aspire S 13 suffers from minor design choices that you can overlook if you look at the features that’s been packed. Solid display and great audio overall make this laptop, the ideal travelling companion. It gets a solid thumbs up on pricing and definitely on your must-see list if you’re looking out for a Windows 10 ultrabook.
