Acer Swift Go 14 AI review: Practical smarts, solid performance

Rating: 3.5/5
Windows AI PCs are gaining popularity due to a combination of powerful processors and enhanced user-facing AI experiences with features like Windows Copilot. All these offer improved productivity through automation, enhanced security and better battery life, keeping pace with the growing software support for AI capabilities. These factors are driving adoption across various user segments, offering a more intelligent and efficient computing experience.
The Acer Swift Go 14 is a laptop that promises long battery life and a lightweight design, all while embracing the new wave of AI-powered Windows machines.

Priced at 89,999 in India, it packs a Snapdragon X Plus processor, a vibrant 14.5-inch display, and a sleek aluminium chassis. We have been using the Swift Go 14 for some time now and here’s our experience with it:

At first look, Acer Swift Go 14 AI looks nice with a sleek aluminium chassis. Opening the lid, which has a smooth touch and feel, exposes the display and keyboard, maintaining the same premium aesthetic.

The 14.5-inch screen is surrounded by thin bezels, with a small reverse notch on top housing the 1080p webcam with a privacy shutter—a practical addition for security-conscious users.
The keyboard layout is spacious, and the key travel feels decent for typing. However, the touchpad stands out with an LED ‘AI’ branding in the top right corner, subtly indicating when AI features are active. The touchpad is large and responsive, though its positioning feels slightly off-centre.

Port selection on the Swift Go 14 AI is also practical, featuring two USB Type-C ones on the left and two USB Type-A ports on both sides, along with another 3.5mm one on the right, ensuring compatibility with various accessories.
Despite its lightweight build (around 1.3kg), the laptop feels sturdy, with no noticeable flex on the keyboard deck or lid. The venting system is neatly tucked below the hinge, maintaining an overall clean look without excessive design elements.

While the Acer Swift Go 14 AI doesn’t scream flashy, it delivers a modern, minimalist design that blends well in both work and casual environments.

Coming to the display, it's sharp and colours pop out, making content consumption enjoyable. The 14.5-inch QHD+ (2560 x 1600) IPS panel delivers vibrant visuals with a 120Hz refresh rate, ensuring smooth scrolling and a fluid viewing experience.

We watched Marvel movies like Venom: The Last Dance and Deadpool and Wolverine and it was a satisfying experience. The action scenes looked crisp and immersive on the display.
Watching high-resolution content feels immersive, thanks to rich colour reproduction and good contrast levels. The wide aspect ratio offers ample screen space, making multitasking easier.
Brightness levels are decent, though, in direct sunlight, we noticed some occasional reflections. The display is also gentle on the eyes and doesn’t make them strain even during long work sessions.

Whether browsing the web, streaming videos, or working on documents, the display remains sharp and detailed.
Overall, the Acer Swift Go 14 AI’s display strikes a balance between sharpness, colour accuracy, and smooth performance, making it well-suited for productivity and entertainment.

Now let's talk about what matters the most, performance. The Swift Go 14 AI can handle everyday tasks like web browsing, document editing, and video streaming with ease, thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus processor. The ARM-based chipset is optimised for efficiency, ensuring smooth multitasking without significant slowdowns.
For those who need a laptop for office work, online meetings, or even casual content creation, the Swift Go 14 AI performs reliably. AI-powered features like Acer PurifiedView enhance video calls by offering auto-framing, background blur, and eye contact correction.
The Snapdragon chipset’s neural processing unit (NPU) also supports on-device AI features, making tasks like real-time translations and AI-assisted content creation faster and more efficient.

The Co-Pilot button while doing research as well as features like Recall when we couldn’t remember where we had saved an important file along with other AI features like real-time subtitles during video calls worked fine for us.
However, gaming and running heavy-duty apps like video editing or 3D rendering may not be the Swift Go 14 AI’s strong suit, as ARM-based Windows laptops still have some app compatibility limitations.
We tried playing some Xbox Cloud Gaming titles like Call of Duty Warzone and Assassin’s Creed Mirage. The laptop wasn’t able to handle over 30 fps at 1080p.
Considering it is targeted more towards students and office workers, this isn’t a deal breaker. The laptop is capable enough for basic photo editing and casual gaming and delivers a decent experience. The Adreno GPU supports smooth visuals, though it’s best suited for lighter workloads.
On the software side, the laptop ships with Windows 11 Home and includes Microsoft’s Copilot+ AI features. These enable AI-assisted search, real-time captions, and background noise reduction.
Acer has also included its AcerSense app, which allows users to monitor performance, battery life, and system health. There is some pre-installed bloatware, but most of it can be removed for a cleaner experience.
The 1440p webcam ensures sharp video quality for meetings, with well-balanced contrast even in different lighting conditions. AI-powered enhancements further refine the video output, making it a good option for remote work or online classes.

Audio performance is decent for casual use, with bottom-firing speakers offering clear sound, though the bass could be stronger. For music lovers or movie watchers, headphones are recommended to get a better experience.
Overall, the Acer Swift Go 14 AI delivers smooth, AI-enhanced performance for work and entertainment, making it a good companion for students and professionals alike.

The Snapdragon X Plus chipset gives a big boost to the laptop's battery performance, making the Acer Swift Go 14 AI a reliable choice for those who need all-day usage. The ARM-based architecture is designed for efficiency, ensuring that power consumption is optimised, even during multitasking.
On a typical workday involving web browsing, document editing, video calls, and some media streaming, the Swift Go 14 AI lasted beyond a full day on a single charge.
Even with moderate brightness levels and AI features running, the battery holds up well, making it ideal for students, professionals, and frequent travellers who don’t want to be tied to a charger.
The laptop also supports fast charging, allowing users to quickly top up the battery when needed. This is especially useful for those with busy schedules or tight deadlines.

To sum up, the Acer Swift Go 14 AI proves to be a solid choice for those seeking a reliable and efficient laptop. With its sleek design, sharp display, and strong battery performance, it caters well to both students and professionals who need a laptop for everyday tasks, content consumption and productivity.
The laptop is equipped with helpful AI features that enhance video calls and offer a smooth experience for most work scenarios. While it's not geared for intense gaming or heavy GPU tasks, it excels in basic and mid-level workloads and is a great option for those prioritising portability and battery life.
If you're looking for a laptop that offers efficiency, portability, and smart features under a lakh rupees, the Acer Swift Go 14 AI is worth considering. It combines style, functionality, and the latest in AI technology, all while delivering reliable performance.