Acer Chromebook Spin 314 (2024) review

The Acer Chromebook Spin 314 is a slightly above-average, entry-level 2-in-1 device with budget internals. It's not the cheapest Chromebook on the market, but with a wimpy processor and a lackluster display, it sure feels like it.

The Chromebook Spin 314 is fine for surfing the web, using Android apps, and streaming. You won't have a problem writing on a Google Doc or watching YouTube. In its tablet mode, you can use Android apps in their original portrait orientation. Tablet mode is also great when you want to read comics, draw, or use touch to navigate.

One of the best things about this device is its battery life. It lasts a full work day and can be fully charged from zero in around one hour. Whether you're working on a project all day or binge-watching a show, you can rest easy knowing this 2-in-1 won’t suddenly run out of power. With more ports than some high-end laptops, you can easily connect to an external monitor via HDMI or attach a storage device in any of the three USB ports.

Despite some highlights, the Acer Chromebook Spin 314 falls short of being one of the best Chromebooks or best 2-in-1 laptops. From the weak specs, outdated keyboard and disappointing display, there are too many things about this notebook that feel cheap. While it is a budget, entry-level machine, it does little to impress and stand out from better Chromebooks.

Find out more in my full review of the Acer Chromebook Spin 314.

Acer Chromebook Spin 314 review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A budget-friendly, entry-level 2-in-1 Chromebook.
• Who is for? Those who want a 2-in-1 laptop and are on a tight budget.
• What does it cost? The Acer Chromebook Spin 314 we reviewed costs $499 on Amazon. A version with less memory and storage is also available for $429.
• What do we like? We like having a 2-in-1 device at this price point. It's great for entertainment.
• What don't we like? With an underpowered processor, the device is limited to web surfing and light gaming via Google Play apps.

Acer Chromebook Spin 314 review: The ups

The Acer Chromebook Spin 314 lets you take full advantage of the Google Play Store’s slew of apps. The all-day battery life and generous port selection are also noteworthy features.

2-in-1 functionality

This 2-in-1 Chromebook is a lot better than I expected. While the laptop has a flimsy build, the hinges move smoothly when you open and close the device. Rotating from laptop to tablet mode is easy. There’s even an external power button and volume rocker near the ports, eliminating the need to convert back to laptop mode when powering off the device or adjusting music volume.

With a 14-inch screen, converting this device to a tablet is a choice. Whether I was watching YouTube or reading comics, I couldn't stop thinking about how ridiculous it all looked. I mean, can you imagine reading Invincible on a monitor-sized device at a coffee shop? Surely, someone will crack a joke.

Despite the size, the 2-in-1 functionality works well thanks to the inclusion of Android apps on Chromebook devices. Instead of a glorified web browser, the Chromebook can now do a lot more, and it's even more functional because of the tablet conversion.

This allows you to fully utilize Android apps designed for touch controls. While it's still possible to use Android apps in laptop mode, sizing can be weird, and using the mouse and keyboard can feel less intuitive, depending on the app.

Just enough battery for a full day

The Acer Chromebook Spin 314 has good battery life. If you're mainly using the web browser for work, entertainment, and general web surfing, the battery should last you all day. In our lab testing, it endured for a little over ten hours on average, which is just enough to get you through the workday.

When I used the laptop, the battery life was much shorter because I had to crank up the brightness of the display for reasons I'll get into later. I also mostly used the Chromebook to watch YouTube and read comics, causing the battery to last closer to six hours than nine. That's not bad if you're planning to use this laptop for entertainment instead of solely for work.

What makes the shorter battery life more palatable is the fast charge time. You can charge this device from nearly depleted to full in about an hour.

More ports than some high-end laptops

Budget laptops often skimp on build quality and port selection. This one doesn't do the latter. You have a full HDMI port here, not a mini or micro HDMI. If the single display isn't working for you, you can easily hook up to another display to watch a film or have multiple windows for productivity.

In addition to HDMI, this Chromebook has two USB-A ports and a single USB-C port that doubles as a power supply and data port. Since this isn't a laptop I would use for editing video or photos, I don't see how much use these ports would get, but having a variety of ports is never bad.

I used the 3.5mm audio port the most during my testing. I hooked up my Truthear X Crinacle Zero in-ear monitor, which sounded fine. While the laptop doesn't have built-in EQ software, such as Dolby Advanced Audio or Creative's Sound Blaster Control Panel, the port has enough juice to power my IEM, at least.

Acer Chromebook Spin 314 review: The downs

You can't expect a budget Chromebook to perform like a high-end device. Surfing the web and watching YouTube is smooth, but if you want to play games like Zenless Zone Zero or edit video using the Android version of Davinci Resolve, you'll be disappointed. Additionally, the build quality makes this device feel cheap.

Underwhelming performance

The Spin 314 contains an Intel i3-N305 CPU with integrated Intel UHD graphics. Jargon aside, this is a laptop that's about as powerful as a tablet or phone from a few years ago. In terms of performance, this chip is about on par with Apple's A13 Bionic chip, which is featured in the iPhone 11 and the 9th Gen iPad.

In our lab tests, the Spin 314 turned in disappointing single- and multi-core scores. It didn't fare well in the Wildlife Extreme 3D graphics benchmark. Sure, other Chromebooks we've tested didn't do much better, but that's little consolation.

If all you plan to do is browse the internet, stream your favorite shows and movies, read comics, or play the occasional game, the laptop should provide a stable experience. But if you're thinking of downloading Steam on this laptop and playing games like you would on the best gaming laptops, I'd think again.

Tablet-made apps for photo editing and video editing are also largely out of the question, especially with only 8 GB of RAM to play with. You might be able to get away with creating a short clip on Capcut using FHD video, but I wouldn't.

Outdated keyboard

The keyboard on this Chromebook doesn't feel bad to type on. It's a bit stiffer than I would like, but I still enjoy the tactility, and it's also relatively quiet. Acer managed to cram in the numbers row and function keys to manage volume, brightness, and even screen recording.

My main issue is with the cheap keycaps, which are dye-sublimated. This means the letters and symbols on the keyboard are essentially stuck on. You can very clearly see the outline of the symbols.

While this looks very cheap, that's not the only reason many hate sublimated keycaps; it's that the symbols rub off over time. Sure, the keycaps look good now. In a few years, though, the symbols on those keys may be blurred or completely gone.

My other issue with the keyboard is the lack of backlit keys. This is an essential laptop keyboard feature these days. I like to write at night, and though the light from the display is often enough, I rely on the backlit keys, especially when I dim the screen at night to preserve my vision.

Backlit keys might have solved my other issue since Acer would’ve had to use shine-through keycaps that utilize the double-shot process. This process uses two types of plastic in a mold to create keys with characters that never fade, unlike the keys on this device.

Inaccurate and reflective display

The Acer Chromebook Spin 314 has a touch display that comes in handy when using the device in tablet mode. The touch display also works well when using the device as a laptop.

While I'm happy with the touch display, I can't say the same for its color reproduction.

For color reproduction (sRGB and DCI-P3), the target is 100%. But as you can see in our testing data, this Chromebook falls well below that. Yes, it's Delta-E (color accuracy) is fairly standard for a laptop, but the poor color reproduction effectively negates that. With hues like this, it's no wonder YouTube videos and games look flat. And if you want to use a photo editing app like Lightroom, don’t bother.

My other issue with the display is the reflectiveness. It's some of the worst I've ever seen on a laptop display. Cranking up the display to 100% isn’t worth it because the average brightness of this display is slightly below 300 nits.

That's not the worst brightness. However, this display needs a maximum brightness of 400-600 nits or more to overcome the reflectiveness. I advise you not to use this laptop when the display is facing anything bright, like a window or a lightbulb.

Acer Chromebook Spin 314 Verdict

The Acer Chromebook Spin 314 gets some things right. It delivers all-day performance and charges quickly. With the ability to turn into a tablet, it’s also great for playing mobile games and watching streaming shows. It also offers a good port selection.

Despite its virtues, this laptop costs too much for what it offers. The so-so processor and cheap display dampen the experience. For over $100 less, you can get the Acer Chromebook Spin 714. Or, if you don't care about the 2-in-1 feature, the Acer Chromebook 516 GE is a great option that costs roughly the same.

Although Chromebooks have a reputation for being budget machines, the Spin 314 is, ultimately, a little too budget for my taste. I recommend buying another Chromebook; after all, other, much better Chromebooks offer 2-in-1 functionality.