Review: Acer Chromebook 715 packs a powerful punch

Acer’s Chromebook 715 is not available in South Africa yet, but here are all the reasons why you should be taking note.

While the device won’t be cheap (compared to other Chromebooks) the somewhat hefty price tag is justified due to its impressive quality and snappy performance. It also has one of the best keyboards on the market.

In addition, the Chromebook 715 is Eskom-proof, meaning it is equipped with a long-lasting battery that will keep you connected for 10 to 12 hours on a single charge.

Acer Chromebook 715: Hands-on review

Chassis

The Chromebook 715 has a matte aluminium chassis that extends to the back of the notebook and is resistant to fingerprint smudges. It’s sleek and stylish, reminiscent of a MacBook.

The lid can open to 180 degrees and the hinges offer solid support all the way through. In fact, the hinges are firm enough that you might struggle to open the device with one hand.

It’s not only a sturdy device, but it looks and feels expensive, you know? It is, without a doubt, one of the best-built and most gorgeous Chromebooks on the market.

Screen

While the chassis is aluminium, the bezel around the screen is made of matte plastic. However, the bezel is thin enough along the sides and the plastic doesn’t take away from the Chromebook’s sleek aesthetic.

The Chromebook 715 is equipped with a large IPS (In-Plane Switching) 15.6-inch HD display with a resolution of 1920 by 1080. It’s perfect for practically anything: From streaming Netflix to working across several apps.

The screen is bright enough to light up a dark room. This review model, the CB715-1W, has a LED (light-emitting diodes) backlit TFT LCD (thin-film-transistor liquid-crystal display) while the CB715-1WT has integrated multi-touch.

The CB715-1WT also comes with a fingerprint reader.

Size and weight

Weighing only 1.8 kilograms, the 366.35 by 248.6 by 17.9-mm Chromebook will make for a decent travel companion. Mind you, this includes a 4-cell battery pack too.

It’s lighter than most Chromebooks and I can’t wait to take it on the road in a post-COVID-19 world.

Ports

On the right side, you’ll find a USB 3.1 Type-C port, along with a microSD slot and Kensington Lock slot. One the left, another USB 3.1 Type-C port, along with a USB 3.1 Type-A and a headset jack.

Yes, that’s correct: Not only does the Chromebook 715 charge with a USB-C, but you can also charge it from both the left and the right side. Being able to charge it from either side is an unexpected convenience that I took full advantage of.

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I would have loved another USB Type-A port, though. I prefer using a laptop riser and my current setup includes a wired Redragon keyboard and mouse. A possible workaround could be using a Bluetooth mouse.

Chrome OS

The Chromebook 715 runs on ChromeOS, and you can download apps from the Play Store. Disclaimer, this was my first time using ChromeOS, and I’m sold. All the processing power without the hassle that comes with Windows.

Google has also integrated a Linux terminal directly in ChromeOS. It’s still in beta, but you can install it via the settings menu. There are still a few kinks, of course but it’s a good start.

Performance

This Acer Chromebook 715 review model is equipped with a powerful Intel Celeron 3867U processor. It was an absolute dream, despite being only equipped with 4GB of RAM. I managed a fair bit of gaming too, without hiccups.

It’s snappy, it’s fast, and it does what you want it to do. At one point during testing, I had 33 tabs running in Chrome without a hitch. Anything more than that would prompt a ‘system unresponsive’ warning.

That said, you would be able to get a Chromebook 715 with 8GB or 16GB RAM and an Intel Core i3, Core i5 or Core i7 if you need it to kick a bit harder.

Webcam

The HD camera has 1280 by 720 resolution and only 720p HD video recording.

The webcam was probably my biggest gripe with the Chromebook 715. It gets the job done but people are relying more and more on video conferencing, especially during the pandemic.

Keyboard

Can we take a second to appreciate that this Chromebook has a full-sized keyboard with a number pad? The keyboard is an absolute dream and having a number pad is heaven.

Moreover, typing on the Chromebook 715’s responsive, tactile keyboard is such a delight. The keys are soft, and there’s a gentle click with each tap, but it’s not too noisy either. It just feels good.

Battery and energy consumption

The 4-cell Li-ion battery pack charges with a USB Type-C AC adapter to give you up to 12 hours on a single charge.

I was reviewing the device during stage 2 load shedding and it powered me through an 8-hour shift with enough battery left to binge a few episodes.

Continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi on lazy Saturday had me going for 10 hours and 27 minutes, and that included plenty of time spent on YouTube. The battery on this alone makes it a worthwhile investment.

Price

Chromebook 715 models range from Core i3 to Core i7, with either 4GB, 8GB or 16GB of RAM. Depending on the model, prices will vary between R7 999 and R18 999

Conclusion

The Acer Chromebook 715 ticks all the boxes, regardless of whether you want it to use it for work or purely for entertainment. The CPU is powerful, the long-lasting battery is a game-changer and the keyboard feels like a dream.

The Chromebook 715 opens 180 degrees, and can thus be used as a standard laptop only. While this is perfect for me, I appreciate that some people would want the option of using a Chromebook as a tablet.

Overall, the Acer Chromebook 715 is a beast of productivity device that will keep you connected for longer. It’s perfect for the productivity-focused user and the Intel Core i3 processor is powerful enough to get the job done.