Acer bolsters its laptops at CES 2018 with the Acer Swift 7 and Chromebook 11

At CES 2018, Acer showcased three new laptops: the AMD-powered Nitro 5 gaming laptop, the elegant and ultra-lightweight Swift 7 and a revamped Chromebook 11 with a USB Type-C port for those on a tighter budget.

Below, we'll outline each laptop and give you an idea of what to expect, including the laptop's UK release date, price and specifications.

Acer Swift 7 hands-on: The world's thinnest laptop now with 4G LTE

The Swift 7 will be available from February 2018 with prices starting at 1,479. In the US and Europe, prices will start at $1,699 and 1,699 respectively.

Acer Swift 7 specifications

The new Swift 7 has a 14in Full HD touchscreen IPS display, topped with Corning Gorilla Glass and, as with previous Swift laptops, it can be tilted back to a rather extreme angle. It has improved connectivity over the last model, though, with a nano-SIM card slot and support for 4G data speeds.

The laptop also supports eSIM technology, which means you can download and activate a network profile directly to your laptop without having to worry about a physical SIM card. Other connectivity specifications include 802.11ac Wi-Fi with 2x2 MIMO and Bluetooth.

As for performance, the Swift 7 comes equipped with a seventh-generation Intel Core i7 processor, 256GB of PCIe SSD storage and 8GB of LPDDR3 RAM.

Acer Swift 7 design

Acer claims the Swift 7 is the world's thinnest laptop and the numbers certainly make eye-opening reading. Its aluminium chassis measures an astonishing 8.98mm with the lid closed and it's ludicrously light as well. Around the sides of the laptop there are scattered two USB Type-C ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack and a nano-SIM tray, although there are no HDMI or USB Type-A ports.

Unusually, the laptop has a fingerprint sensor and this is located by the left side of the backlit keyboard. It has a pretty big trackpad as well, but with effective palm rejection, you won't need to worry too much about activating it by accident.

Acer Swift 7 early verdict

With an ultra-thin design, 4G capabilities and an Intel Core i7 processor, the Swift 7 is one to look out for. It might be a tad expensive, but if you're looking for a laptop you can sling in a bag without feeling too much of a weight penalty, the Swift 7 could be the laptop for you.

Acer Chromebook 11 hands-on: A Chromebook with a dash of style

Acer Chromebook 11 UK release date and price

The Chromebook 11 will be available from 259 and will come to the UK in March 2018. In the US and Europe, prices start at $249 and 249.

Acer Chromebook 11 specifications

The Chromebook 11 comes in two different variants: one with a touchscreen (CB311-8HT); one without (CB311-8H). Both have 11.6in IPS displays, stereo speakers and a pair of USB-Type C ports.

Elsewhere, there are two USB-Type A ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack and a microSD card reader. For wireless you get a 2x2 MIMO 802.11ac Wi-Fi adapter and Bluetooth 4.2. Powering the laptop is an Intel Celeron processor, 2GB of RAM and 16GB or 32GB of eMMC storage.

Acer Chromebook 11 design

The Chromebook 11 looks fantastic. It has an attractive textured plastic blue shell and a lightweight, compact design. Just like the Swift 7, the Chromebook 11's display can be folded all the way back so it lies completely flat.

Acer Chromebook 11 early verdict

On first impressions, the Chromebook 11 looks to be a solid low-cost laptop. Its conservative specifications keep the price down, its range of connectivity is impressive for a Chromebook, and it looks great.