Acer Swift 16 AI delivers premium OLED display and 18-hour battery for $1,250

Acer’s Swift 16 AI delivers premium features at a competitive $1,250 price point, featuring a vibrant 16-inch OLED display, Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, and exceptional battery life that can last nearly 18 hours. The laptop stands out as a compelling value proposition in the ultraportable market, offering high-end specs and build quality typically found in more expensive devices.

What you should know: The Swift 16 AI combines premium hardware with practical design elements that make it suitable for both work and creative tasks.

• The 16-inch 3K OLED display runs at 120Hz and delivers crisp, vibrant visuals for gaming, video editing, and productivity work.
• Intel’s “Lunar Lake” Core Ultra 7 processor provides solid performance while generating minimal heat during everyday use.
• The laptop weighs in as a true ultraportable despite its 16-inch screen size, with a minimalist matte black design.

Performance highlights: Benchmark testing shows the Swift 16 AI competing closely with similar Intel-powered devices while offering surprising gaming capabilities.

• Cinebench 24 multicore score of 518 and Geekbench 6.2.2 single-core score of 2,743 match the Dell XPS 13 with identical processor.
• Intel Arc GPU handles casual gaming well, though it struggles with maximum texture settings on demanding titles.
• 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 1TB SSD provide adequate performance for most creative workloads, though 4K video rendering may push limits.

Battery and connectivity standout features: The laptop excels in areas crucial for mobile professionals and content creators.

• Nearly 18 hours of video playback during testing, with multi-day usage possible for typical work scenarios.
• Both USB-C ports support Thunderbolt 4, plus HDMI port supporting up to 8K resolution.
• Wi-Fi 7 connectivity and 1440p webcam enhance the work-from-anywhere experience.
• Fast charging reaches nearly 100% in about an hour using the included 65-watt charger.

Notable drawbacks: Despite its strengths, the Swift 16 AI has some limitations typical of its price range.

• Speaker quality is particularly poor, lacking bass and depth even by laptop standards.
• Extremely glossy display creates mirror-like reflections that can make it “borderline unusable” near bright windows.
• Some bloatware comes pre-installed, though this is common across the category.

Why this matters: The Swift 16 AI represents a sweet spot for users seeking premium features without flagship pricing, particularly as OLED displays become increasingly important for creative work and entertainment. With starting prices around $1,200-$1,250, it undercuts many premium ultraportables while delivering comparable performance and superior battery life.