The Acer Aspire R 15 is a 2-in-1 laptop that offers a unique design, powerful performance, and a long battery life. This laptop is a great option for users who need a device that can handle both work and play. In this in-depth review, we will delve into the Aspire R 15's specifications, performance, battery life, design, and other crucial aspects, comparing it with its competitors to provide you with a well-rounded understanding. We will also examine its strengths and weaknesses, ultimately helping you decide if this laptop is the right choice for you.
Design and Build Quality
The Acer Aspire R 15 stands out for its innovative design, featuring a 360-degree hinge that allows it to transform from a traditional laptop to a tablet. The hinge is sturdy and smooth, making it easy to transition between modes. The laptop's lid is made of aluminum and has a brushed finish, giving it a premium look and feel. It is lightweight and portable, weighing only 4.8 pounds, making it easy to carry around.
The hinge design is a major highlight, enabling the Aspire R 15 to transform into various modes:
- Laptop Mode: The traditional laptop mode is perfect for productivity tasks, with a comfortable typing experience.
- Tablet Mode: This mode allows for touch-based interaction and is ideal for drawing, note-taking, or consuming multimedia content.
- Tent Mode: This mode is perfect for watching movies or presentations.
- Stand Mode: Ideal for presentations or video conferencing.
The design has a few drawbacks though:
- Limited screen real estate: The screen size is only 15.6 inches, which may feel restrictive for some users who prefer larger displays.
- Relatively thick: While it is portable, its thickness compared to other ultra-thin laptops might be a concern for some.
Overall, the Aspire R 15 boasts a well-designed and sturdy build quality. Its versatility in modes and premium look make it a great option for users who need a laptop for various tasks.
Display
The Acer Aspire R 15 features a 15.6-inch full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS display with a matte finish. The screen is bright and vibrant, delivering excellent color accuracy and viewing angles. The matte finish helps reduce glare and reflections, making it easier to use outdoors.
The display's performance is impressive:
- Sharp visuals: The 1080p resolution provides crisp and detailed images.
- Wide viewing angles: Images remain clear even when viewed from the sides.
- Excellent color accuracy: The IPS panel ensures accurate color reproduction.
- Matte finish: Reduces glare and reflections for comfortable viewing.
However, the display has a few limitations:
- Average brightness: The display is not as bright as some other laptops, which may be a problem when working in bright environments.
- No touchscreen: The laptop does not have a touchscreen, which might be a drawback for users who prefer touch-based interaction.
**The Acer Aspire R 15's display offers a good balance of quality and features, making it suitable for a range of tasks. ** However, the lack of a touchscreen and average brightness may be deal breakers for some users.
Keyboard and Touchpad
The Acer Aspire R 15 has a comfortable and responsive keyboard with good key travel and a tactile feedback. The keys are well-spaced, allowing for accurate typing. The backlit keyboard is helpful for typing in low-light conditions.
The keyboard is a major strength of the Aspire R 15:
- Comfortable typing experience: The well-spaced keys with good key travel ensure accurate typing.
- Backlit keys: Helpful for typing in dimly lit environments.
- Responsive: The keyboard is responsive, making typing fast and efficient.
However, the touchpad is not as impressive:
- Small size: The touchpad is relatively small, which may make it challenging for users with large hands.
- Inconsistent tracking: The touchpad can sometimes lag or jump, making it frustrating to use.
Despite the touchpad's shortcomings, the Aspire R 15's keyboard offers a great typing experience. The backlit keys are a valuable addition, making it a strong contender for productivity tasks.
Performance
The Acer Aspire R 15 is powered by a variety of processors, ranging from Intel Core i3 to Core i7. We will focus on the Core i5-8250U model, which offers a good balance of performance and power efficiency. The laptop also comes with up to 16GB of DDR4 RAM and a 256GB SSD.
The Aspire R 15's performance is impressive:
- Fast boot times: The SSD ensures quick boot times and application launch.
- Smooth multitasking: The 8GB RAM allows for smooth multitasking, allowing you to run multiple applications without any noticeable lag.
- Powerful processor: The Core i5-8250U processor provides adequate performance for everyday tasks, including web browsing, document editing, and light gaming.
The Aspire R 15's performance is not without its limitations:
- Gaming: The integrated graphics card is not suitable for demanding games.
- Limited upgradeability: The RAM and storage are soldered to the motherboard, limiting upgrade options.
The Acer Aspire R 15 offers a solid performance for everyday tasks, but it struggles with demanding applications like high-end games. The lack of upgradeability might be a concern for some users.
Battery Life
The Acer Aspire R 15 features a 4-cell Li-ion battery that delivers an impressive battery life. With the Core i5-8250U model, the laptop can last up to 9 hours on a single charge, depending on usage patterns.
The battery life is a major selling point of the Aspire R 15:
- Long battery life: The laptop provides up to 9 hours of battery life on a single charge, perfect for extended work sessions.
- Quick charging: The laptop supports fast charging, allowing for quick top-ups.
However, the battery life can be affected by certain factors:
- Screen brightness: Higher screen brightness consumes more battery.
- Heavy workloads: Running demanding applications like games will drain the battery faster.
The Acer Aspire R 15's long battery life is a significant advantage, making it a practical choice for users who need a laptop for extended periods.
Connectivity
The Acer Aspire R 15 offers a good selection of ports for connectivity.
The laptop includes:
- 2x USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports
- 1x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C port
- 1x HDMI port
- 1x SD card reader
The connectivity options are adequate for most users:
- USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C port: Offers faster data transfer speeds for external devices.
- HDMI port: Allows for connecting to external displays.
- SD card reader: Enables easy transfer of data from SD cards.
However, the Aspire R 15 lacks Thunderbolt 3 support, which might be a drawback for users who require high-speed data transfer or external docking stations.
Sound Quality
The Acer Aspire R 15 features two speakers that deliver decent sound quality. While not the best in class, they are sufficient for casual listening and video conferencing.
The speakers offer:
- Clear audio: The speakers deliver clear audio without significant distortion.
- Adequate volume: The speakers provide sufficient volume for a small room.
However, the speakers lack:
- Bass: The speakers lack bass, which may be a drawback for music lovers.
- Loudness: The speakers are not particularly loud, which might be a problem in noisy environments.
The Aspire R 15's speakers are adequate for everyday use, but users who prioritize sound quality might want to consider investing in external speakers.
Software and Features
The Acer Aspire R 15 comes with Windows 10 Home pre-installed. Acer has also included its own suite of software, including Acer Care Center, Acer Quick Access, and Acer BluelightShield. These applications provide helpful tools for managing the laptop's performance, security, and display settings.
The laptop's software features include:
- Acer Care Center: Provides system information, updates, and diagnostic tools.
- Acer Quick Access: Allows quick access to frequently used applications and settings.
- Acer BluelightShield: Helps reduce eye strain by filtering out harmful blue light.
The Aspire R 15 also supports Cortana, Microsoft's digital assistant. This feature enables voice commands for various tasks, such as setting reminders, searching the web, and controlling smart home devices.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Versatile design: The 360-degree hinge allows for various usage modes.
- Premium build quality: The laptop is well-built and has a premium look and feel.
- Good performance: The Core i5-8250U processor provides adequate performance for everyday tasks.
- Long battery life: The laptop delivers up to 9 hours of battery life on a single charge.
- Comfortable keyboard: The keyboard is well-spaced and responsive.
Cons:
- Limited screen size: The 15.6-inch display may feel restrictive for some users.
- Relatively thick: The laptop is not as thin as some other laptops.
- Average display brightness: The display is not as bright as some other laptops.
- No touchscreen: The laptop does not have a touchscreen.
- Small and inconsistent touchpad: The touchpad can be frustrating to use.
- Limited upgradeability: The RAM and storage are soldered to the motherboard.
- Average sound quality: The speakers lack bass and loudness.
Conclusion
The Acer Aspire R 15 is a versatile 2-in-1 laptop that offers a good balance of performance, battery life, and design. Its 360-degree hinge allows for various usage modes, making it suitable for both productivity and entertainment tasks. While the laptop has some drawbacks, including a limited screen size, average display brightness, and a small and inconsistent touchpad, its strengths make it a solid option for users who need a reliable and portable device.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the difference between the Acer Aspire R 15 and the Acer Aspire R 13?
The Acer Aspire R 15 and R 13 are both 2-in-1 laptops, but they differ in screen size, weight, and battery life. The R 15 has a larger 15.6-inch display and weighs more than the R 13, which has a 13.3-inch display. The R 15 also boasts a longer battery life than the R 13.
2. Is the Acer Aspire R 15 good for gaming?
The Acer Aspire R 15 is not ideal for demanding games due to its integrated graphics card. However, it can handle light games with lower graphics settings.
3. What is the best way to improve the touchpad performance?
Updating the touchpad drivers is recommended to improve its performance. You can also try adjusting the touchpad settings in Windows 10.
4. Can I upgrade the RAM or storage on the Acer Aspire R 15?
No, the RAM and storage are soldered to the motherboard, making them non-upgradeable.
5. Is the Acer Aspire R 15 a good choice for students?
The Acer Aspire R 15 is a good option for students, thanks to its versatility, performance, and long battery life. It is suitable for note-taking, productivity, and multimedia consumption.