The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 takes ChromeOS upmarket

Gone are the days when Chromebooks were exclusively budget laptops. Now they’re available with just as much muscle as any Windows machine, and have the upscale build quality to match. The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 is the latest to take a claim, combining a 2-in-1 form factor with the latest Intel CPUs and a pleasantly punchy IPS display.

The 14in convertible has no shortage of power on tap, with a choice of 13th-gen Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 CPUs (plus a vPro-enabled i7 for the enterprise edition, which is aimed at the workplace) paired to 8, 16 or 32GB of RAM. Storage starts with a 128GB PCIe gen3 SSD, but can be upgraded to a 256GB, 512GB or 1TB gen4 SSD with double the data transfer speeds if you really want to splash the cash.

A 360-degree hinge lets you use the Chromebook Spin 714 as a laptop or tablet, prop it up for presenting, or sit back in tent mode for hands-free watching. It’s got a 16:10 aspect ratio display and super skinny screen bezels to help keep the dimensions in check, and the panel is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass to cut down on scrapes and scratches. A 1920×1200 resolution will cope just fine with Full HD streaming services, and Acer reckons it delivers 100% of the sRGB colour range. It also plays nicely with the firm’s optional USI stylus, tracking 4096 levels of pressure and recognising tilt angles for natural, pencil-like drawing and note-taking.

It’s Acer’s first Chromebook with a QHD resolution webcam, which should mean you aren’t a blocky mess when jumping on video calls. A built-in physical privacy shutter guarantees no-one can use it to spy on you, too. Other niceties include a fully backlit keyboard, and glass touchpad that’s also protected by Gorilla Glass.

There’s a decent selection of ports at the sides, including twin Thunderbolt 4/USB-C (which also handle power), HDMI video out, a single USB-A, and a 3.5mm headphone port. Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 provide suitably snappy wireless connectivity, too.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 is set to launch first in North America in May, with prices starting from $700. There’s currently no word yet on whether it’ll be headed to other regions later.

Related: What’s the best Chromebook? Chrome OS laptops for work, learning and entertainment tested

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A tech addict from about the age of three (seriously, he's got the VHS tapes to prove it), Tom's been writing about gadgets, games and everything in between for the past decade, with a slight diversion into the world of automotive in between. As Deputy Editor, Tom keeps the website ticking along, jam-packed with the hottest gadget news and reviews. When he's not on the road attending launch events, you can usually find him scouring the web for the latest news, to feed Stuff readers' insatiable appetite for tech.