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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Acer announced the new Chromebook Plus Spin 514 at IFA in Berlin this week.
- It’s the brand’s first model with a MediaTek Kompanio processor, an ARM-compatible chipset.
- It features a 2-in-1 convertible form factor with a 14-inch, 2800×1800 resolution touchscreen display and up to 17 hours of battery life.
Acer announced a handful of new laptops at IFA this week, but its new Chromebook Plus might be one of the most interesting. The Chromebook Plus Spin 514 is a thin and light device running Google’s ChromeOS and an ARM-compatible MediaTek Kompanio Ultra 910 processor for top-end battery longevity.
Sound familiar? The Lenovo Chromebook Plus came out earlier this summer with the same chip and was one of the most enjoyable Chromebooks I’ve used, with fantastic battery life and an OLED display, it’s clear that brands are testing the waters with how premium consumers are willing to go for a laptop that can’t run Windows or MacOS.
Also: Finally, a 16-inch Windows laptop that I wouldn’t mind putting away my MacBook Pro for
The Acer Spin 514 swaps out the OLED display for a 2.8K WQXGA+ IPS touchscreen with stylus support (sold separately), going the convertible tablet/laptop route instead, while keeping the price point at $699, the top end of what most people would consider practical for a Chromebook.
The internal specs are similar. The Spin 514 features an Arm Immortalis G925 MC11 GPU and comes with a 60Hz or 120Hz refresh rate option, the latter capping out at 300 nits of brightness. For memory, it’s loaded with 16GB of LPDDR5X SDRAM and up to 256GB of UFS 4.0 local storage.
16GB of memory on a Chromebook allows for a smooth user experience across Google’s suite of apps, with swift boot times and responsive multitasking, so it’s reasonable to expect the Spin 514 will perform similarly. Paired with the MediaTek Kompanio, Acer says you can expect up to 17 hours of battery life on one charge.
Also: This Lenovo Chromebook easily replaced my Windows laptop for work – and I can’t go back
Physically, the Spin 514 looks like a typical Acer device, with upward-firing speakers on either end of the keyboard and a typical silver aluminum chassis. The display features Acer’s signature 360-degree design, connecting both halves of the laptop, and the whole thing weighs 2.99 pounds.
Acer’s design aesthetic tends to swing more toward the utilitarian side (not a bad thing), and the Spin 514 fits that bill well. The starting retail price of $699 does demand some comparisons, however, as this price point has become increasingly competitive over the last year. For example, you can get a 13-inch MacBook Air M3 for around the same price on sale.
Also: The best Chromebooks for students in 2025: Expert tested and reviewed
Still, the Spin 514 is an attractive Chromebook with 16GB of RAM and an rather extensive selection of ports — especially for a Chromebook. You get two USB-C ports with up to 10Gbps speed, DisplayPort support and power delivery in each, two USB-A 3.2 ports on the right-hand side, and a headphone jack. There’s also a Kensington lock slot, making it a solid enterprise choice.
The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 will be available in North America in October, starting at $699.