A
Antonio G. Di Benedetto
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There are laptops out there with power adapters heavier than this entire 16-inch laptop.
Acer is announcing a new Swift Air 16 at IFA 2025, and itβs an absolute featherweight of a 16-inch laptop. Weighing in at 2.18 pounds / 0.99kg with an IPS display or 2.43 pounds / 1.1kg with its optional OLED, the Swift Air is lighter than even a 13-inch MacBook Air. It also packs more ports than the MacBook, and will start at a lower price of β¬999 when it launches in November. (North American availability and pricing is still TBD.)
It kind of boggles my mind that the Swift Air 16 fits this much screen into such a light package, as itβs even lighter than the LG Gram β a laptop defined by its lightness. But the reality checks start coming in once you notice some of the Swiftβs specs, like its thickness of 0.63 inches / 15.9mm (0.65 inches / 16.5mm for the OLED version). By contrast, the 13- and 15-inch MacBook Airs are just 0.44 inches and 0.45 inches, respectively.
Also, while the Swift Airβs AMD Ryzen AI 300-series chip options will be more than competent for everyday productivity tasks, Iβve seen firsthand that Appleβs M4 chip outperforms them while maintaining better battery life. The Swift Airβs starting config will come with a Ryzen AI 5 330 chip, and the top-end version uses the Ryzen AI 7 350. I tested the latter chip in the latest Framework Laptop 13 and itβs very capable, even for a touch of light gaming.
![[TrendyMediaToday.com] Acerβs 16-inch Air weighs even less than a 13-inch MacBook Air {file_size} {filename}](https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/Swift-Air-16-SFA16-61M_all-modes.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100 "[TrendyMediaToday.com] Acerβs 16-inch Air weighs even less than a 13-inch MacBook Air {file_size} {filename}")
But the parts of the Swift Air 16 that give me the biggest pause are its HDMI spec and battery size. Itβs got a decent port selection with two USB-C, one USB-A 3.2, and a 3.5mm audio jack, but its video-out port is HDMI 1.4. Thatβs very outdated for 2025, when you expect just about any $1,000-plus laptop to drive an external monitor at 4K / 60Hz or greater. HDMI 1.4 can only do 4K at a sub-par 24 or 30Hz.
And while the Swiftβs starting IPS display has a respectable 1920 x 1200 resolution at 60Hz and the optional OLED sports a 2880 x 1800 resolution with 120Hz refresh, the laptopβs battery is only 50Wh. Thatβs a smaller capacity than the 13-inch MacBook Air, and much smaller than the 75Wh battery in the Acer Swift 14 AI I tested earlier this year. That 14-inch Swift cousin has great battery life for a machine sporting AMDβs more power hungry chips, and the large battery was a big reason why. Acerβs own promotional materials rate the Swift 14 AI at βup to 27 hours battery lifeβ in a video playback test. The Swift Air 16βs rated battery life in similar video playback tests? Just 13 hours β less than half. Ouch.
Oh, and did you notice the Swift Airβs gapless keyboard?
![[TrendyMediaToday.com] Acerβs 16-inch Air weighs even less than a 13-inch MacBook Air {file_size} {filename}](https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/Swift-Air-16-SFA16-61M_angles-2.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,1.6616314199396,100,96.676737160121 "[TrendyMediaToday.com] Acerβs 16-inch Air weighs even less than a 13-inch MacBook Air {file_size} {filename}")
Iβve already poked plenty of holes in the hull of the Swift Air 16 before itβs even taken its maiden voyage. But Iβm still interested to see it shove off, and Iβm hoping itβll land on our shores here in the US. Despite my concerns, itβs an intriguing machine. And Iβm all for a company taking some chances. But naming your laptop βAirβ is going to draw the inevitable comparisons.
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