799 grams light or particularly easy to repair: Acer's new notebooks
Acer's two new notebooks have very different strengths: The Acer Swift Blade 14 draws attention with its low weight. With the Vero 16, Acer focuses on ease of repair, which also facilitates upgrades.
At IFA 2026 in Berlin, Acer introduced two new notebooks. The Swift Blade 14 needs only its weight of 799 grams to attract interest. With the Vero 16, on the other hand, the manufacturer focuses on an easily removable back panel. However, that is not the only thing that makes the laptop easy to repair.
Acer Swift Blade 14: thin and light
With the Swift Blade 14, Acer saves weight wherever possible. The chassis, for example, is made of a magnesium-aluminum alloy and carbon fibers. Among other things, this ensures that the notebook weighs only 799 grams.
The notebook will be available with a choice of a 14-inch OLED or IPS display. The aspect ratio is always 16:10. When closed, the Blade 14 is only 12.9 millimeters thick (13.5 mm with the OLED display).
The configuration options range from the Intel Core 3 304 to the Core 7 350. The RAM is always 12 gigabytes, and the installed SSD offers up to one terabyte of storage space. The battery has a capacity of 50 watt-hours (Wh). Power is supplied via one of the three USB-C ports. As with all Acer notebooks, Windows is pre-installed on the Swift Blade 14.
Acer plans to sell the Swift Blade 16 starting in December 2026 and will announce prices later.
Acer Vero 16: repair and upgrade
At 1.56 kilograms, the Acer Vero is almost twice as heavy as the Blade 14. Nevertheless, it still feels light in the hand. Its unique selling point: the back panel can be removed without tools. I only need to slide a hinge to the side to gain access to important components.
However, I do need a screwdriver to replace the 71 Wh battery or the SSD. The ports on the right and left of the chassis, which is made of 50 percent recycled aluminum, are also fastened with screws. In addition, the display hinge is designed to be replaceable.
With the Vero 16, Acer is primarily targeting corporate customers who have staff available to repair damaged notebooks. Savvy home users are less of a focus, but could also benefit from the fact that the notebook can be fitted with a new battery or a new data storage drive if necessary.
The Vero 16 is not an entry-level notebook, but rather features a lot of computing power depending on the configuration. Acer offers it with various chipsets from the Intel Core Ultra 5 322 to the Core Ultra X9 388H. The RAM, with up to 32 gigabytes, seems almost modest by comparison. The same applies to the SSD, which holds up to 512 gigabytes but, as mentioned, can be upgraded.
There are two different OLED panels to choose from for the display. These differ in resolution and brightness. The more affordable version is available with or without a touch function.
The Vero 16 is scheduled to be available from December 2026. Acer intends to announce prices for the various configurations shortly before the start of sales.
As a primary school pupil, I used to sit in a friend's living room with many of my classmates to play the Super NES. Now I get my hands on the latest technology and test it for you. In recent years at Curved, Computer Bild and Netzwelt, now at Digitec and Galaxus.
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