MacBook Neo vs. Acer Swift Air 14: which budget laptop wins

Acer’s Swift Air 14 arrived at Computex as a colorful, affordable rival to Apple’s MacBook Neo, and the two now face off across price, performance and features. The Neo undercut the market with a $499 student price ($599 general), while Acer’s Swift Air starts at $699 and offers more RAM and upgradeable storage.

On battery life and I/O the Swift Air 14 takes the lead. It packs a 70 Whr cell versus the Neo’s 36.5 Whr, with Acer claiming up to 19 hours on its video test and 50% charge in 30 minutes. The Swift Air also includes two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, a USB-A port and a 3.5mm jack; the Neo’s port selection is notably more limited.

The MacBook Neo excels for screen and camera. Its 13-inch Liquid Retina panel is brighter (500 nits) and sharper (2408 x 1506) than the Swift Air’s 14-inch 1920 x 1200, and the Neo’s 1080p FaceTime HD camera delivers a stronger video-call experience compared with the Swift Air’s FHD IR camera.

macbook neo, swift air, acer, battery life, thunderbolt 4, liquid retina, facetime hd, price, upgradeable storage, ports