Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714

The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 (CP714-1H) spearheads the next major phase of the Chromebook story to tremendous effect. This upgrade to the previous chart-topping Chromebook Spin 714 sells for $699.99, centered around a new Intel Core Ultra processor and new AI-powered features through Google's Gemini AI platform. The result isn't just a better Chromebook but a redefinition of what a Chromebook even is, as it injects AI capabilities into several of the most popular productivity tools, with many AI features conducted on-device. The result is substantially more powerful and capable than we ever imagined a ChromeOS laptop could be. While these features aren't exclusive to the Plus Spin 714, it is the flagship for the first batch of AI-enhanced Chromebook Plus models, earning our Editors' Choice award for imparting such a glowing first impression.

Configuration: From Good to Great (Eventually)

The new Spin 714 features the same 2-in-1 laptop design we loved in the 2023 Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (reviewed back before the Chromebook Plus family concept debuted) and enhances the hardware in several ways. 

Our review unit is the base model, which comes with an Intel Core Ultra 5 115U processor, 8GB of memory, and a 256GB solid-state drive. This starter version starts at $699.99.

According to Acer's product announcements, higher-end configurations are on the way, with up to 512GB SSDs, 16GB of RAM, and options for other CPUs, including Intel's Core Ultra 5 125U, Core Ultra 7 155U, or Core Ultra 7 165U. You'll even have the option to add a fingerprint reader. But these aren't available yet, so we don't have pricing information on these models now.

Design: Versatile Toughness

When I reviewed the previous Spin 714 model in 2023, I highlighted the metal chassis, the flexible 2-in-1 design, and the durable design, and every one of those details holds true for the Chromebook Plus Spin 714.

The aluminum chassis is well-built, providing stability and toughness that meets MIL-STD 810H standards for durability against drops, shocks, vibrations, and extreme temperatures. It may not join the ranks of proper rugged laptops (it's missing niche features like port covers and sunlight-legible displays), but it will survive the trials of daily life.

(Credit: Brian Westover)

The 2-in-1 design is also excellent, letting you fold the laptop back and around for tent and tablet modes. A layer of Gorilla Glass fends off scratches on the touch screen, and antimicrobial protection is helpful if you want to share the device, whether at home among siblings or in a classroom with 30 students.

Even though 2-in-1 laptops are nothing new, I'm impressed with how substantial this one feels in use, even though it's just a few ounces too heavy to be called an ultraportable laptop. The touch screen also supports pen input for drawing and note-taking, but the active stylus pen is not included with the Spin 714, one of the few oversights of the model.

Using the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714: A Dazzling Display, Comfy Keys, and AI Acceleration

Acer's display looks high-quality for a Chromebook, with a WUXGA (1,920-by-1,200-pixel) resolution that exceeds the full HD standard set for Chromebook Plus models. The IPS panel looks sharp and colorful from any angle, and it looks just as high-quality in landscape and portrait modes as a laptop on a desk or a tablet in hand. Whether looking at AI-generated watercolor pictures or watching a nature documentary with bright-colored parrots in flight, the display always looks pleasing. The visuals are matched by DTS Audio coming from the laptop's stereo speakers.

(Credit: Brian Westover)

You'll also enjoy looking sharp on the Plus Spin 714, thanks to its QHD (2,560-by-1,440) webcam. The image quality is decent to start with (better than the 1080p webcams on even more premium laptops), and it's further enhanced with AI tweaks like noise reduction, an auto-exposure tool that adjusts the image for clearer faces in low-light conditions, and background blurring that's handled by the Intel chip's neural processing unit (NPU), or you can swap out the background entirely for you own image or an AI-generated one. The webcam has a physical shutter that covers the camera lens and turns off the laptop's microphones when not in use.

Then we have the keyboard. As with all Chromebooks, it's a little different from the usual laptop. Here, the Caps Lock key is a dedicated search button, and the function keys are assigned to various Chromebook settings and features, like screen brightness and audio volume, back and refresh browser buttons, and window switching.

(Credit: Brian Westover)

The keyboard itself feels comfortable to type on, with decent springiness to the keys and legible lettering. It's also backlit so that you can type in low light.

Acer's touchpad isn't quite as generous as the full-width spacebar-to-palmrest-edge touchpad seen on more premium laptops, but the surface is large enough for comfortable use. The smooth surface is OceanGlass, Acer's name for a tough glass-like material made from recycled ocean plastics, which feels fast and comfortable to use and should hold up to abuse quite well.

For hardwired connectivity, the Plus Spin 714 is outfitted with a pair of Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports, a full-size HDMI output on the left-hand side, and a USB Type-A port and headphone jack on the right.

(Credit: Brian Westover)

The left and right sides have physical buttons for power and volume, respectively. The Chromebook's Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.1 radios handle wireless connectivity.

(Credit: Brian Westover)

Acer has tweaked the port layout a bit, putting both Thunderbolt 4 ports on the left side of the chassis instead of one on each side. This shouldn't make much difference in daily use.

One noticeable change from previous versions of the Spin 714 is the slightly longer name: Chromebook Plus Spin 714. What's with the "Plus?" Last year, Google introduced a new tier within the Chromebook category of laptops, Chromebook Plus. With requirements for specific hardware and added enhancements to ChromeOS, Google and laptop manufacturers made a new, better class of Chrome-powered laptops.

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

That enhancement is ongoing, and the latest Chromebook Plus models will get additional features powered by Google's Gemini AI. These include contextual tools, integrating Gemini AI functions into web apps like Google Docs and Google Photos, and even generative wallpapers so you can whip up custom desktop backgrounds in moments. 

Specific features include "Help Me Write," which uses Gemini to generate text in Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Gmail based on your prompts. Photos get an AI boost with "Magic Editor" in Google Photos, which lets you erase objects and people from backgrounds, adjust the position of objects, and resize photo elements. Plus, there's an HDR effect that can be added to any photos—all run on the Intel Core Ultra chip. Local image search lets you get information about images, again using on-device processing, with no data sent to the cloud.

We've already discussed webcam image enhancements, but video calls will also get another AI improvement with Live Captions. Again, this feature generates subtitles for any video or audio content using on-device AI.

Finally, one of the biggest AI draws of the Chromebook Plus Spin 714 is a perk you get just for buying the device: 12 months of Google One access, which now includes Gemini Advanced and typically costs $19.99 monthly. That gives you Google's equivalent to ChatGPT Plus, with all the extra niceties—a more robust language model, a larger context window with a deeper understanding of information, integration with Google tools, like Docs, Sheets, and YouTube, and generally a smoother, faster experience than the free version of Gemini.

Testing the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714: The New ChromeOS Crusher

To evaluate this new-and-improved Plus Spin 714, we compared it with some of our favorite ChromeOS systems, including the 2023 version of the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 ($699.99 as tested) and other Chromebook Plus models, like the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 ($399 as tested) and the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus ($499.99 as tested). We also included the Framework Laptop Chromebook Edition ($1,106 as tested), which provides comparable Intel Core i5 processing and a customizable design.

Productivity Tests

We test Chromebooks with three overall performance benchmark suites: one ChromeOS, one Android, and one online. The first, Principled Technologies' CrXPRT 2, measures how quickly a system performs everyday tasks in six workloads, such as applying photo effects, graphing a stock portfolio, analyzing DNA sequences, and generating 3D shapes using WebGL.

Our second test, UL's PCMark for Android Work 3.0, performs assorted productivity operations in a smartphone-style window. Finally, Basemark Web 3.0 runs in a browser tab to combine low-level JavaScript calculations with CSS and WebGL content. All three yield numeric scores; higher numbers are better.

The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin's CrXPRT2 results were high for the category but didn't lead this batch of premium Chromebooks. Regardless, it beat all but one of the comparison products in Basemark Web 3.0 and led the pack (by a hair) in PCMark. That makes it one of the more powerful Chromebooks we've seen and the only one so far to pair this level of performance with the new AI capabilities.

We don't usually worry too much about Chromebook performance since most of your productivity work will use cloud-based tools. However, with the Android app supporting on-device AI features, it matters more than ever.

Component and Battery Tests

Two other Android benchmarks focus on the CPU and GPU, respectively. Primate Labs' Geekbench uses all available cores and threads to simulate real-world applications ranging from PDF rendering and speech recognition to machine learning, while GFXBench 5.0 stress-tests both low-level routines like texturing and high-level, game-like image rendering that exercises graphics and compute shaders. Geekbench delivers a numeric score, while GFXBench counts frames per second (fps).

Finally, to test a Chromebook's battery, we loop a 720p video file with screen brightness set at 50%, volume at 100%, and Wi-Fi and keyboard backlighting disabled until the system quits.

Regarding CPU function as measured by Geekbench, the Chromebook Plus Spin 714 didn't quite match the 2023 model, even if it pulled ahead of competitors from Asus and Lenovo. In GFXBench graphics performance, however, the Chromebook Plus Spin 714 led the pack. Again, these figures don't reveal the whole picture: Much of your productivity work is done via cloud services, making the quality of your Wi-Fi connection a more significant concern. However, it is the only option listed with a proper NPU for on-device AI functions.

Finally, in our battery test, the new Plus-enhanced Spin 714 was within a minute of the leading battery life recorded by the 2023 Spin 714, making its endurance pretty much identical. Lasting nearly 15 hours, this Chromebook should easily carry you through a day of work or school, even if you leave the charger at home.

(Credit: Brian Westover)

Verdict: Five Stars for Form and Function

We already loved Acer's Chromebook Spin 714 line, granting it not one but two Editors' Choice awards in the past. But the latest Chromebook Plus version genuinely improves several facets of the Chromebook experience, with a combination of cloud-based Gemini-powered features and a surprisingly robust selection of locally run, on-device capabilities that power up the 2-in-1 Chromebook in handy ways. All of this is on top of an elegant design, excellent port selection, and a display that's both a joy to look at and touch. The fact that Google and Acer add 12 months of Google One and Gemini Advanced with your purchase makes the Editors' Choice-award-winning Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 the best Chromebook we've ever seen and the first five-star Chromebook we've reviewed.