Review: Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714

Google's Chrome operating system is officially on the AI bandwagon, and Chromebook manufacturers marked the occasion with a new batch of laptops. One of the latest is the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714, which aims for a premium laptop experience without a premium (by laptop standards) price. But at $699, it’s still well above the budget niche that Chromebooks have traditionally occupied.

The Chromebook Plus Spin 714 is an update to Acer’s previous non-Plus Spin 714 (which is still available) and inherits a lot from its predecessor. The overall look and feel of the laptop are the same, which is a good thing. The biggest difference with the Chromebook Plus Spin 714 (CP714-1H-54UB) model Acer provided for this review is the upgrade to the newer Intel Core Ultra 5 115U processor, which is just as zippy as the Core i5-1335U chip found in the previous generation.

You get 8 GB of RAM to handle your tasks, and storage is backed by a 256-GB NVMe solid-state drive, which is fast enough that you’ll never have to worry about the laptop slowing down when shuttling files around. Altogether, this makes for a combination of hardware that easily handles the lightweight ChromeOS operating system—though you may find the storage a little claustrophobic if you work with a lot of photos and videos.

Where this hardware shines is with the new artificial intelligence tools built into ChromeOS. The Chromebook Plus Spin 714 easily handled Google Photos’ Magic Editor, allowing me to erase, resize, and move objects in photos within seconds. The same goes for the new generative AI features for wallpaper and video call backgrounds. Just enter a prompt with some prebaked parameters and ChromeOS creates a high-resolution image for you to use in either situation. I don't know how useful the video backgrounds are beyond the initial novelty, but I can see myself frequently using the wallpaper generator.

None of these features operate super quickly on this Spin 714, but you only have to wait a handful of seconds; it's not painful. We’re still a ways off from instant gratification with AI processing, especially in a $699 laptop, but I never felt like the Chromebook Plus Spin 714 was struggling to keep up.

In terms of styling, this Acer looks nicer than its price suggests, with the sleek aluminum exterior and gold accents adding an air of luxury to the overall presentation. It's well-built, and the display's hinges are notably stiff (in a good way). Acer’s attention to detail with the keyboard deck stands out too. The keys sit in a slight recess to put them at the same height as the surrounding chassis, preventing them from touching the display and leaving prints when the lid is closed. It’s a nice touch that eliminates one of the biggest downsides of a glossy touch display.

As for the keyboard itself, it’s pleasant to type on for hours and hours. The keys have a nice bit of travel and feel snappy with each press. They’re also backlit, so you won’t find yourself struggling to touch-type in the dark. The trackpad is a little smaller than I would like, but it's responsive.

The 14-inch IPS display is a highlight because it's surprisingly vivid. It’s a 16:10 panel, which means it’s a little taller than the standard 16:9 displays you’ll find on a lot of other laptops. As someone who writes all day and works a lot with Google Sheets and Docs, I appreciate the added vertical space.

As the Spin in its name suggests, the screen can also be rotated to be used in tablet or tent mode. It’s a great option to have, and the hinges solidly hold the display in place, but the Chromebook Plus Spin 714 is simply too bulky to comfortably use as a pseudo-tablet. At 3.21 pounds and thicker than your average tablet, it’s too cumbersome to hold for long periods.

Otherwise, the display looks great, with colors that pop and a crisp 1,920 X 1,200-pixel resolution. Watching my usual mix of YouTube marathons and Netflix, I was impressed by how vibrant most content looked and just how bright it could get. Aside from the occasional glare due to the glossy finish, you’re in for a treat with this display.

I only wish I felt as good about the sound that this machine puts out. This has been a problem with this line of Chromebooks for a while, but the speakers are very lackluster, with a hollow, tinny sound. It’s disappointing because the display sets this up to be a great media consumption laptop, only to have the speakers let it down. Plan on carrying around a good set of earbuds or headphones if you want to listen to music or watch movies on the go.

Connectivity options are solid, with two Thunderbolt 4–capable USB-C ports, an HDMI port, one USB-A port, and a headphone jack. I would have liked to see a microSD card slot here, but it won’t be a deal-breaker for most. On the bright side, the 1,440p webcam looks excellent, even in relatively low-light situations.

Battery life has been relatively good, regularly getting me through an eight-hour workday with a bit of life to spare. Acer advertises up to 10 hours of battery life, so nearing that in real-world usage is a good sign. Just don’t expect the kind of multiday battery life that’s becoming commonplace with Microsoft’s new Copilot+ PC initiative.

Overall, the Chromebook Plus Spin 714 is an impressive package for $699. Its premium feel, great display, and excellent typing experience combine to make it one of the best Chromebooks you can buy today. Combined with internals that can competently handle anything from 20 browser tabs to the current slate of AI capabilities in ChromeOS, you have a well-rounded machine that'll satisfy students and professionals alike.