I thought 16-inch laptops were excessive for work travel, but this model is a big exception

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The Acer Aspire 16 AI is presently connected merchantability for $699.
• It's a reliable, lightweight workhorse with a marathon artillery that's perfect for agelong days.
• However, its hardware has show limitations.

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Acer's latest Aspire 16 AI is simply a humble laptop. It isn't flashy oregon over-the-top, it doesn't location high-end hardware oregon an OLED screen. Instead, it focuses connected being a reliable enactment instrumentality with a midrange terms tag. Considering however costly things are nowadays, we request much laptops similar this present much than ever earlier -- particularly if you're a assemblage student.

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For students, the Aspire 16 is simply a reliable instrumentality with capable artillery powerfulness to get done the day. Instead of bells and whistles, it delivers coagulated show and a slim signifier origin that's casual to commute with. 

Sleek design

The Acer Aspire 16 AI opts for a applicable design, measuring 14 x 9.85 x 0.63 inches and weighing 3.42 pounds, it's sleek, sliding easy into astir backpacks. Build prime is solid, and its value is evenly distributed, passing the "one-finger test" without a hint of wobble.

I besides admit the spacious touchpad, which measures 5.9 x 3.5 inches, providing plentifulness of country for comfy navigation. You tin determination from 1 broadside of the surface to the different without needing to assistance your digit off. Too often, fund laptops chopped corners by equipping cramped touchpads. 

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Typing connected the Aspire 16 felt mostly satisfying. The main acceptable of keys is evenly spaced retired and offers a decent magnitude of question distance, making it casual to benignant quickly. That said, the keys person a somewhat mushy feel; it's not the astir crispy keyboard. Plus, the up and down arrow keys, arsenic good arsenic the fig pad, are undersized. They're perfectly functional, though you whitethorn accidentally bump keys. 

Above the keyboard sits a 16-inch LCD touchscreen that delivers a coagulated all-around viewing experience. The sheet covers the full sRGB gamut, truthful though colors don't popular with the vibrance of an OLED, they're not dull, either. What the Aspire 16's show lacks successful wow factor, it makes up for successful different areas. With a solution of 1,920 x 1,200 pixels and a 120Hz refresh rate, it delivers crisp visuals.

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A refresh complaint that precocious is typically recovered connected gaming laptops. Although you won't beryllium capable to tally high-end gaming connected this laptop owed to its hardware limitations, you volition admit however creaseless everything feels. I experienced this firsthand during investigating erstwhile I ran a nighttime driving livestream connected YouTube. The built-in speakers aren't peculiarly impressive, but they bash connection a respectable magnitude of measurement and clarity.

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET

On the downside, I encountered immoderate ocular quirks, specified arsenic colour banding. This is wherever colour gradients interruption into disposable pieces alternatively of blending seamlessly, but it is simply a uncommon occurrence.

A existent standout diagnostic is its 1440p webcam. For concern radical and students alike, this is simply a large win. Most different laptops successful this class opt for 1080p -- oregon adjacent 720p cameras. The higher solution produces a clean, crisp representation with natural-looking colors arsenic good arsenic nary of the graininess you'd brushwood signaling implicit a low-quality webcam. Combined with speedy connectivity standards similar Wi-Fi 7, the Aspire 16 AI is well-equipped for online and offline work.

Featherweight performance

Inside the Acer Aspire 16, the AI is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon X chipset paired with 16GB of RAM, a configuration that prioritizes vigor efficiency. During testing, the instrumentality lasted conscionable 17 hours connected a azygous charge. That's beauteous impressive. Acer states that the Aspire 16 tin agelong that runtime to arsenic overmuch arsenic 28 hours nether the close conditions. Either way, this marathon artillery makes the exemplary a beardown enactment for radical who don't privation to perpetually scope for the charger.

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET

When it comes to mundane performance, Acer's instrumentality did well. It supported implicit 50 Chrome tabs, consisting of high-res livestreams, a Netflix movie, quality articles, and more, without flinching. This level of multitasking demonstrates that the Aspire 16 is versatile capable for students seeking a machine that tin easy power betwixt homework and streaming, oregon for professionals managing aggregate apps.

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That said, determination are immoderate trade-offs. First, the Snapdragon X is simply a Windows connected ARM chip, meaning not each app is afloat supported. Most programs are fine, with a fewer exceptions, similar the benchmarking app Cinebench 24. Compatibility issues are rarer these days, but you tin tally into them. 

Also, due to the fact that the Snapdragon X is simply a mid-tier chipset, the Aspire 16 is mightiness person immoderate occupation keeping up with highly demanding workloads. Here's however it compares to akin computers successful benchmarking comparative to price. 

Honestly, the show spread isn't massive, and for astir people, the quality is negligible, but it inactive exists. What tips the standard successful Acer's favour is value. While the rivals execute better, they're much costly -- doubly arsenic overmuch successful the lawsuit of the Dell 16 Plus. The Aspire 16 offers a comparable acquisition astatine a much affordable terms point. For radical connected a budget, the laptop's affordability makes it an charismatic enactment contempt immoderate limitations it whitethorn have.

ZDNET's buying advice

Right now, you tin acquisition the Acer Aspire 16 AI from the company's authoritative website for $799 (less done immoderate retailers). Acer developed this laptop chiefly for tech-savvy students who necessitate a versatile instrumentality to assistance with schoolwork and person a long-lasting battery. I hold with Acer connected their prime of halfway audience, and deliberation this laptop suits them well.  

If you're looking for a much premium alternative, I urge the Dell 16 Plus. It's precise akin successful presumption of size and people audience, but Dell's exemplary is amended suited for demanding tasks, features a much premium build, and a nicer 2.5K touchscreen (although it's doubly the price).