Yep. First, the 2019 Swift 7 isn’t nearly as rigid as you might like, especially considering its use of magnesium-lithium and magnesium-aluminum alloys. The display is quite bendy, there’s significant keyboard flex, and the bottom of the chassis doesn’t feel as stiff as it should. This is a departure from the previous version, which was among the most solid we’ve tested. It’s well behind the competition in this area.
The Swift 7’s keyboard layout is funky and hard to get used to.
We’re not saying it won’t hold up to the usual productivity worker’s abuse — it’s by no means the flimsiest we’ve tested. However, it doesn’t feel as robust as some other premium laptops in this price range (the IdeaPad S940 being one example). It probably will last just fine, thanks to the strength of the materials used, but it simply doesn’t evoke the same kind of confidence as more solid laptops.
Aesthetically, the Swift 7 is a sharp machine. We reviewed the white version (a black model is also available), and it’s sleek, modern, and understated. It’s easily the equal of other premium laptops like the ZenBook S13, IdeaPad S940, and XPS 13. We’ll also note that the surface stays fingerprint-free thanks to the coating Asus uses to help resist scratches.
Another compromise is that connectivity is limited. There are two USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 ports with Thunderbolt 3 support, and that’s it except for a 3.5mm combo audio jack. Power is provided by USB-C, which is welcome, and wireless connectivity is provided by an Intel combo gigabit 802.11ac 2X2 MU-MIMO Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0 adapter. Like Asus does with its ZenBooks, Acer throws in a USB-C hub providing a USB-A 3.1, USB-C, and full-size HDMI port.
A FUNKY KEYBOARD, BUT A REAL TOUCHPAD
In terms of its feel, the Swift 7’s keyboard isn’t bad for such a thin laptop. It has more travel than you’d expect – just slightly more, by touch, than the MacBook’s butterfly keyboard – and it’s quite snappy and precise. If you hate shallow keyboards, then you probably won’t like this one, but if you can live with a little less depth, then you’ll get used to it in no time. It’s also backlit, which is expected in a premium laptop, but unfortunately, there are no levels of brightness. On or off.
Where the keyboard really disappoints is in its layout, which carries over from the previous version. Simply put, it’s funky, mainly because it doesn’t have a row of dedicated function/feature keys at the top. Those keys are thus scattered around the keyboard in odd, almost random places, and it takes way too much time to figure out how to do something simple like toggle the backlight. Maybe it’s a first-world problem and others would pick it up pretty quickly, but it’s quite jarring at first.
Acer Swift 7 review
Mark Coppock/Digital Trends
One massive improvement from the 2018 Swift 7 is that the new version now has a real touchpad. The old version had just a flat surface without buttons or haptic feedback, making it difficult and uncomfortable to use. The new version, though, has a wide touchpad with a glass surface and functional buttons. It’s a dramatic improvement over the previous model, especially since it includes Microsoft Precision support for great Windows 10 multitouch gestures.
As we mentioned already, the Swift 7 has very small bezels, roughly as small as the IdeaPad S940 and the ZenBook S13. Unlike those laptops, though, the Swift 7 doesn’t have a reverse notch to house the webcam. So, Acer stuck it in a pop-up mechanism above the keyboard, and it’s just as you might imagine – great for privacy because you can simply close it to remain invisible, but it has the same unflattering up-the-nose angle as all such cameras. You probably won’t like it if you rely on the built-in webcam for video conferencing.
Finally, the Swift 7 has a very responsive fingerprint reader built into the power button, located to the upper-left of the keyboard. It works very well with Windows 10 Hello to login without a password – it was quick and accurate in all of our testing.
THE AVERAGE DISPLAY DOESN’T STAND OUT
There’s only one display option with the Swift 7, a Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) touch panel. Acer had to pull some engineering rabbits out of a hat to fit a touchscreen into such a thin display, but they managed. Did they manage to equip a good display as well?