14 DAY TRIAL // During an event in Taiwan, Acer has unveiled a new Windows 10 14-inch convertible notebook, which is a very recent refresh of a previous 14-inch convertible that used a 5th-gen Intel Core processor.
As Acer needed to update its existing line of Haswell-based laptops, convertibles and notebooks, this new device comes with a "Skylake" refresh, featuring 6th-gen Core processors and a refined design that boasts a NIL technology, brushed-look exterior finish, with diamond-cut edges and a thinner 360-degree hinge.
The device also arrives with an 802.11ac wireless networking with Multi-User MU-MIMO and has a very serious max-speed I/O from one USB 3.1 with Type-C connector, two 3.0 ports, one HDMI connector, card reader and Ethernet port. The screen of the new device is an Active Matrix TFT Color LCD at a 1366 x 768 resolution.
The new Aspire R14 got a Skylake refresh and is a bit lighter
As mentioned above, the notebook will arrive with up to 8GB of RAM, solid state storage, and 802.11ac WiFi with MU-MIMO technology. The new Skylake will not feature DDR4 DIMMs but rather DDR3L SDRAM, which basically brings the same DDR3 frequency but with a much lower voltage and higher latency than what DDR4 can provide.
The new Acer will come with a 4-cell Lithium Polymer 3,560 mAh battery, with a 7.50-hour capacity. Acer says that the new model is 0.73 inches thick and weighs about 4.2 pounds, so in theory, it is a little thinner and lighter than the previous version.
It is interesting to see how Acer will attempt to sell this machine, as it doesn't stand out with practically anything, except for housing a mediocre Core M Skylake under the hood. Since it will most likely work with some Intel HD graphics, the new device is meant for minimal office work and pseudo portability. Folding is probably the other "great" feature it comes with, except the new-gen CPU.
According to Unlockpwd, the new Acer Aspire R14 will be available in North America later in October, and prices will start at $699, and it will sell in Europe and Middle East and Africa for €799 and up.
