New Spin on Acer’s convertible laptops

IT DID not take Acer long at all to introduce three new models, which feature Intel’s latest 8th generation Core i5 and Core i7 processors, to its Spin 5 lineup of convertible laptops.

Launched in October, the new Spin 5 adds the RM3,599 Intel Core i5 model ( right and below), the RM4,399 Intel Core i7 model, and the larger RM4,999 15.6in Core i7 model variants to its range.

This review looked at the Spin 5 (SP513-52N-58QD) equipped with the Intel Core i5-8250U 1.6GHz, Quad-core processor, 8GB of DDR4 memory, 256GB of SSD storage, and Intel UHD Graphics 620 with DDR4 Shared graphics memory.

The design of the new Spin 5 stays mostly the same. It now touts a set of redesigned speakers that will always be facing forward no matter what mode the convertible laptop is in.

I find that the speakers do their job well, making the Spin 5 the device I grab when I want to watch videos or listen to music. Everything sounds clear, distinct and decipherable, even at low volumes.

However, on occasion, the speakers produced a buzzing sound that I could only get rid of after restarting the device.

Paired with the speakers is a Full HD IPS touch-display which is adequate for both work and play. It is also good for sharing with i ts wide-viewing angles.

The only feature missing f rom it i s adaptive brightness. Still, I have watched several TV series, a couple of movies, and dozens of videos on the Spin 5 because it is so enjoyable.

Nevertheless, I don’t recommend putting the l aptop on the l ap for extended periods of time, because it can get somewhat hot while playing media.

For work, the Spin 5 is a competent device. Its keyboard is a mixed bag of comfortably-sized keys, a perfectly-sized touchpad, and a backlight that will not stay on.

The keyboard does have room for i mprovement, but I question the placement of the fingerprint reader. Located at the top left corner of the touchpad, I find the fingerprint reader not as reliable as it should be, and is awkward to use in anything but the standard l aptop mode.

Fold the keyboard, and the fingerprint reader will inevitably end up in an inconvenient location.

The Spin 5 did not give me any performance problems with everyday tasks, and could handle multitasking and multiple browse tabs concurrently as well.

Its battery did not let me down either. Its three-cell, 4,670mAh Li-Polymer battery is rated at 13 hours and could survive a good eight hours of solid media playback.

However, the Spin 5 is not a gaming laptop. It’s a good thing that it does not pretend to be a powerhouse anyway.

Its graphical capabilities are only suited for li ght editing, and nongraphically demanding games, and that is good enough for most people.

In the two weeks I had the Spin 5, I found myself using it more and more each day. In spite of its little quirks, this convertible laptop has a nice balance of price, design, and performance.

It is also compatible with Acer’s stylus, but without a place to store the stylus on the device, I often just leave it in the box so as not to lose it.

The more powerful 15.6in version of the Spin 5 is a tempting proposition, but it may be reaching into areas where the competition is far more aggressive.

At 1.6kg, the Spin 5 has a heft to it. I could only imagine that the 2.2kg of the 15.6in version of the Spin 5 would be a chore to lug around.

The Acer Spin 5 is available now at all authorised Acer retailers. – Azizul Rahman Ismail