Qualcomm has only just pulled back the curtain on Snapdragon C, its new wallet-friendly chip lineup aimed at bringing Windows laptops to a low enough price to challenge the combined might of Google’s Chromebooks and the Apple MacBook Neo – but now we’ve got an official first look at a laptop you’ll actually be able to head out and buy, courtesy of Acer.
The Aspire Go 15, revealed ahead of next week’s Computex trade show in Taiwan, will launch later this year with a bunch of different variants. All should be rather appealing price-wise, though exact figures are still unknown right now. Qualcomm was targeting $300 for entry-grade devices, but I’m betting Acer will want a bit more than that once you option 8GB of memory and 512GB of internal storage.
All we know right now is that the new Snapdragon C processor is promising ‘smooth and responsive performance for essential tasks’ and a ‘cool, quiet design’. Exactly what the 52Wh battery is capable of is also an unknown, with Acer and Qualcomm saying to expect ‘long-lasting battery life’ that ‘powers unplugged productivity throughout the day’.
Dimensions and weight are also a mystery, other than the fact it’s rocking a 15in, 1920×1080 resolution display and has room at the sides for two USB Type-C ports, a single USB Type-A, an HDMI 1.4 video output and a 3.5mm audio port. Dual speakers and a 1080p webcam also make the cut.
It’ll ship running Windows 11, but we’re still waiting to hear exactly when. I’m expecting to get my first look at the Aspire Go 15 in the metal at next week’s Computex show.
Acer has also doubled down on its new-found love for Qualcomm with the Swift Spin 14 AI. The 2-in-1 convertible laptop can either be outfitted with Snapdragon X2 Plus or Snapdragon X2 Elite silicon, so will surely command a much higher price than the Aspire Go 15 when it launches later this summer.
The higher-tier CPU can supply up to 80 TOPS of on-device processing power for AI models, while the integrated graphics can support up to three external 4K monitors. The stylus-supporting 14in touchscreen and its 360-degree hinge then make it quite the versatile work machine – as will the long battery life, courtesy of such an efficient chipset. Acer reckons 23 hours of video playback or more than 16 hours of web browsing should be doable per charge.
Versions will be available with up to 32GB of memory and 1TB of SSD storage. Every one gets a 5MP webcam with Windows Hello support, DTS:X audio and WI-Fi 7 wireless connectivity.
The whole thing weighs as little as 1.34kg and is just 15.9mm at its thinnest point. The cobalt blue aluminium chassis has also been given the MIL-STD-810H seal of approval for durability.
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