Acer Spin 3 refreshed with 11th-generation Intel Tiger Lake CPUs, a 2K screen, and more

Intel's Tiger Lake line of laptop processors have been out and about for quite some time now. While most OEMs have refreshed their existing lineups with new CPUs, Acer has taken it a step forward and redesigned its Spin 3 convertible laptop from the ground up. The new Acer Spin 3 will be available for purchase starting January 2021, starting at €999 (US$1,181).

For starters, the new Acer Spin 3 convertible laptop comes with a smaller 13.2-inch with a resolution of 2,560x1,600 pixels (16:10 aspect ratio). The laptop's hinges allow for 360-degree motion; hence, it can double up as a tablet. Acer says that it will tell us the exact CPU models at a later date. Unfortunately, there is no option to add a dedicated GPU. Users have to rely on the integrated Intel Xe graphics to do all the heavy lifting. If the last-generation Acer Spin 3 is anything to go by, memory options will probably max out 16GB. However, we can expect to see a bump in storage capacity, as the notebook is billed to come with two SSDs.

As the Acer Spin 3 is intended to double up as a rudimentary graphics tablet, Acer has thrown in a stylus with 4096 pressure points. Much like its predecessor, it can be docked at next to the laptop's USB port. Input options appear to be the same, with a solitary USB 3.0 Type-A on either side. Two USB Type-C Thunderbolt 4.0 ports make it possible for users to use third-party docks. Lastly, the notebook also comes with an HDMI and a traditional barrel-type charging port. Thankfully, the 3.5mm combo jack is still around.

Acer claims that the new Acer Spin 3's battery can power the laptop for up to 90 minutes after just 30 seconds of charging. Although the actual battery capacity and wattage aren't mentioned, we can expect it to be better than its antecedent's 3-cell Li-ion battery. Unlike many of its competitors' offerings, the Acer Spin 3's side-mounted power button does not double up as a fingerprint scanner. The functionality is made possible via a dedicated sensor on the trackpad.