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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Swift Edge 16 offers a larger storage capacity and more RAM than the Apple MacBook Air 15, which may be more suitable for intensive multitasking and data-heavy tasks, along with a high refresh rate OLED screen that enhances visuals for entertainment and creative work. However, the MacBook Air 15 has a battery that lasts significantly longer, making it a better choice for users who need to work on the go without frequent charging. The MacBook Air also provides a high-quality build and superior keyboard. If portability and battery life are your primary concerns, the MacBook Air 15 is the better option, whereas for better performance in tasks that require more memory and storage, such as engineering and 3D work, the Acer Swift Edge 16 might be more suitable. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Acer Swift Edge 16
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good overall display quality
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)
- Very good for software development
- Best in class overall build quality
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.8
7.8
16.0in
SIZE
15.3in
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1864
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
383.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
501.0 nits
The Acer Swift Edge 16 has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Air 15 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 has a better screen for content creation.
The Acer Swift Edge 16 offers a high-resolution screen with good brightness, making visuals crisp and vivid for general use and detailed tasks like engineering and design, due to its adherence to wide color gamuts ensuring color accuracy. The Apple MacBook Air 15 provides a retina-level display with great brightness and color representation that satisfies general use and the precision requirements of engineering and design professionals. However, both laptops fall short for gaming and 3D due to their lower refresh rates, which can't match the smoothness and fluidity required for these high-paced activities where fast screen updates are crucial.
Battery
7.0 Hours
15.0 Hours
The Acer Swift Edge 16 has 7 hours of battery life. The Apple MacBook Air 15 has 15 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Build Quality
7.2
10.0
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the Acer Swift Edge 16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$820
$1,299
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Swift Edge 16 has a price of $820 and the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) costs $1,299.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
7.9
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1864
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
383.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
501.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
15.0 Hours
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
8.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.9/10
The Acer Swift Edge 16 and Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) are both good for general use.
The Acer Swift Edge 16 is valued for general use due to its powerful AMD Ryzen 7 CPU, ample RAM, and high-resolution OLED screen, which together provide a smooth experience and excellent screen quality, though its portability and battery life are not as robust as some ultraportables. The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023), with the efficient Apple M2 chip, offers a tradeoff of less RAM for longer battery life and better portability, along with a high-quality retina display, making it an equally compelling choice for general use with the added benefit of a strong ecosystem integration for Apple users.
Gaming and AI
6.7
6.5
4.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1864
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
10.0/10
The Acer Swift Edge 16 and Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Acer Swift Edge 16 is better suited for gaming and 3D because it has a high-refresh-rate OLED display and a capable AMD Radeon GPU, factors crucial for smooth visuals in fast-paced games and 3D rendering, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023), despite its efficient Apple M2 GPU and high-resolution IPS display, has a lower refresh rate and, importantly, many popular games are not compatible with MacOS, limiting its gaming potential.
Engineering and Design
8.1
7.6
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.7/10
4.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Swift Edge 16 to be very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is good.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
8.1
8.0
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.7/10
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1864
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift Edge 16 and Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) are both very good for content creation.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.9
8.1
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1864
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) to be very good for software development, while the Acer Swift Edge 16 is good.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Portability
Very Good
Very Good
16.0in
SIZE
15.3in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.3 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.4in
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and Acer Swift Edge 16 both have very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Acer Swift Edge 16 and the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 | Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$820 | $1,299 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | June 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 9.7'' x 0.51'' | 13.4'' x 9.4'' x 0.45'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.73 lbs | 3.3 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.08" | 13.4" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.68" | 9.35" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7840U | Apple M2 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 15 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 54 Wh | 66.6 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 15.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | OLED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3200 x 2000 | 2880 x 1864 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 383 nits | 501 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 10/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.9/10 | 9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 10/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 10/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 10/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 3 | |
Shopping
Acer Swift Edge 16
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Matthew S. Smith | October 2023
"The Acer Swift Edge 16 is a solid super thin-and-light that pairs a large, gorgeous 16-inch display with portable design that rivals the weight of LG’s superlight Gram 16. Remarkably, Acer achieves this at a lower price point without sacrificing performance. Boring design and disappointing battery life hold the laptop back from stardom, but its rivals frequently suffer in these areas, too. That makes the Swift Edge 16 an alluring value pick."
Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | June 2023
"The Apple MacBook Air 15 is boringly good. The new MacBook Air 15 is a very good, but also boring device, because apart from the larger screen and the higher price, there are no differences compared to the smaller MacBook Air M2 from last year. No new processor, no additional ports, just the usual basic hardware - but the overall package is extremely good and it simply works. Above all, the lack of fans is an aspect that should not be underestimated in everyday use. In our opinion, the Air could be a lot better, but Apple goes easy on itself here."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift Edge 16 or the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)
About Acer
Acer is a prominent Taiwanese electronics brand which makes a wide range of laptops, with multiple product lines catering to personal use, gaming, and business use. They are renowned for having exceptional value for money, as they frequently offer good specifications at a lower price than other manufacturers.
About Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the laptop team
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CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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