Potentially the best chromebook out there in terms of performance, the Acer Chromebook Spin 13 offers you an Intel Core processor and more than sufficient RAM to breeze through the chrome os with no lag at all. It makes the most out of any android app, and with its 2-in-1 design makes using the laptop in tent or tablet mode easier than ever. And although paired with a slightly expensive price tag, the Acer Chromebook Spin 13 lives up to be one of the most premium chromebooks out there, standing on par with, if not surpassing the Google Pixelbook.
Why We Like It – Acer Chromebook Spin 13
Powered by Intel core processors, the Acer Chromebook Spin 13 allows you to use the chrome os to its fullest extent, boosting your productivity past its limits. It packs in a pretty good battery life (for other chromebooks with good battery life, take a look at our Acer Chromebook R11 Convertible Review), more than enough RAM and a display that is both unique and vibrant with its 3:2 aspect ratio. And so, with an amazing touch display, an included pen and powerful specs, the Acer Chromebook Spin 13 stands out to be one of the best premium chromebooks out there. If you’re looking for a starter laptop, it might be easier to start with our PeeWee power 2.0 tough but underpowered kids laptop review.
- Amazing power
- Unique and great display
- Included Pen
- Slightly expensive
Performance
The base model starting off with the 8th Gen Intel Core i3-8130U, 4GB of RAM, the Intel UHD Graphics 620, the Acer Chromebook Spin 13 offers a much greater performance than most chromebooks out there (see our Acer Chromebook Spin 15 Cp315 Review). But, compared with other similarly performing chromebooks like the Asus Chromebook Flip C302, the base model of the Acer Chromebook Spin 13 tends to be on the expensive side of chromebooks. However, with just a slight increase in price you can get yourself 8GB of RAM paired with the i3 processor and a 64GB SSD which makes the chromebook perfect for simple and taxing tasks both, allowing the chrome os to reach its full extent. This is more than enough to allow you to multitask and open multiple tabs and android apps without any noticeable lag. Sure you can just upgrade to the Intel Core i5-8250u processor and 16GB of RAM but in reality the chrome operating system can’t really take advantage of the core i5 processor, making it just an unnecessary dent on your pocket.
Moreover, the Acer Chromebook Spin 13 comes with a 13.5Inch IPS display with the unique but great 3:2 aspect ratio and a resolution of 2256 x 1504. While the 3:2 aspect ratio makes web browsing and document editing much more easier with the extra vertical space, the 2256 x 1504 resolution allows you to view anything you want on google chrome or movies with a full HD vibrant picture quality while minimizing any extra pixels, saving both your viewing experience and the battery life. Speaking of its battery life, the Acer Chromebook Spin 13 offers upto 8 hours of video streaming surpassing the Samsung Chromebook Plus V2 but slightly falling behind the Asus Chromebook Flip C302. It still is more than enough to get you through a day of work and a little off duty web browsing.
Moving onto its keyboard and touchpad, we have good key travel and also a backlight making typing easier and fast while the gorilla glass touchpad gives the chromebook the premium feel it deserves. While the touchpad itself is pretty responsive, you also get a pen that allows you to take notes or sketch with no noticeable lag. On the plus side, the pen can be stored in silo in front of the chromebook unlike the Google Pixelbook, preventing you from losing the pen or damaging it by keeping it elsewhere.
Finally, the Acer Chromebook Spin 13 comes with downward facing speakers that provide a decent audio output, but do lack in bass. However, as a reminder do keep in mind that the audio is best heard when using the chromebook in stand or tent mode.
Design
Measuring to be 0.7 by 9.7 by 12.2 Inches and weighing around 3.3 pounds the Acer Chromebook Spin 13 is a moderately lightweight device. It does weigh heavier than the Google Pixelbook but it’s still light enough to make it travel friendly. As for the 2-in-1 design of the Spin 13, it has the 360 degree hinge which allows you to easily switch to tablet, tent, and stand modes but is also sturdy enough to not wobble when using the pen. But as like many other chromebooks with 360 degree hinges, the Acer Chromebook Spin 13 is uncomfortable to use in tablet mode as you’ll most likely be constantly pressing the keyboard. Even though the presses aren’t registered in the system, they do feel uncomfortable. And so for a chromebook that offers a better tablet experience, the HP Chromebook X2 is a great option with its detachable screen, allowing you to enjoy google play games and other apps more easily.
When it comes to aesthetics the Acer Chromebook Spin 13 doesn’t necessarily stand out with its plain and solid build, but with a backlit keyboard and the solid aluminum casing, it’s a great pick for business and school users. On the other hand, it has a decent amount of port availability with 2 USB Type-C ports, a USB-A port, a MicroSD card slot and a 3.5mm headphone socket. It certainly isn’t much, but while the SD card slot allows you to expand the memory beyond whichever option you get and the temporary 100GB cloud storage, the USB-A port allows you to connect devices with minimal dongles and the USB-C ports make charging much more easier and flexible.
As for the display, while the 13.5 Inch screen size is larger than that of most chromebooks, with thin bezels you get an edge to edge screen experience.
Value
While the base model of the Acer Chromebook Spin 13 isn’t a great pick for the price, the middle models offer a better performance than chromebooks with Intel celeron processors and catch upto the starting models of the Google Pixelbook which are much more expensive. And so, coming at a middle price between the Google Pixelbook and much cheaper chromebooks, the Acer Chromebook Spin 13 offers one of the best performances for an acceptable price, making it a great device with a great price.
Acer Chromebook Spin 13 Wrap Up
While the Acer Chromebook Spin 13 isn’t as budget friendly as chromebooks like the Asus Chromebook Flip C302, it offers a better performance than them with its Intel Core processors and more than sufficient RAM. And while it doesn’t have as powerful specs as the Google Pixelbook it performs on par with the Pixelbook allowing the chrome os to reach its fullest extent, while pricing lower than the Pixelbook. And so, offering you the premium chromebook experience with its performance, included stylus and an impressive battery life, the Acer Chromebook Spin 13 is the best chromebook for both performance and price.
