Acer Chromebook Spin 713 review: The classic workhorse

Sometimes you simply need a single machine that (nearly) does it all. Whether it’s for work or play, the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 is the Millennium Falcon of Chromebooks. It may not look like much, but it’s got it where it counts.

We put it through its paces in the Android Authority Acer Chromebook Spin 713 review.

See also: Best Chromebooks

What is the Acer Chromebook Spin 713?

The Chromebook Spin 713 is a premium, convertible laptop that covers the gamut of potential uses. The spin form factor means the machine can serve as a laptop or a slate, and everything in between. I found the hinge to be strong and sturdy. It holds the Spin 713 at whichever angle you choose.

Acer gave the Spin 713 an aluminum chassis that it says meets mil-std 810G for durability. This means it can handle drops (1.22m), humidity and moisture, vibration, and temperature extremes. In other words, it can take some abuse. I used it for an afternoon outdoors in the heat and it held its own.

As the name implies, this is a 13-inch Chromebook. Acer kept the size (265 x 207 x 14.8mm) and weight (1.37kg) in check. The aluminum means it has some heft to it, although it isn’t too, too heavy.

It isn’t much to look at. The conservative dress makes it a perfect corporate machine, but consumers may find it a bit bland. I like the metallic coloring, though some variety would have been nice. The polished chamfered edges on the top half are a nice touch.

A solid complement of ports provides plenty of flexibility. The left edge houses a USB-C and a USB-A port, as well as a microSD card reader and headphone/mic jack. Along the right you’ll find a second USB-C port, as well as the power button, volume toggle, and HDMI port.

In all, the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 has a balanced selection of features, build quality, and usability.

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How’s the screen?

A single screen option is available for the Spin 713. It measures 13.5 inches across the diagonal with a 3:2 aspect ratio. Acer claims this provides 18% more viewable space than a comparably sized 16:9 screen. The CineCrystal display features LED backlighting and a rich resolution of 2,256 by 1,504 pixels. The touch screen is covered by antimicrobial Corning Gorilla Glass and has viewing angles of up to 170 degrees.

It’s quite good. We didn’t perform any objective testing of the display, but my eyes know a good screen when they see one. I’m thankful for the better-than-full-HD resolution, which is sharp and clear. High definition video content was particularly crisp. Web pages looked clean and colors were bright and true. Further, the wide viewing angles are important when using the Spin 713 as a slate.

My one complaint is the glossy glass, which is easily marred by fingerprints if you are the touchy-feely type.

More reading: Best touchscreen Chromebooks

What about the keyboard?

I really like the keyboard. It’s a full-sized set of keys complete with media controls and more. I found the keys themselves to be punchy thanks to balanced travel. There’s not too much push necessary, but there’s still plenty for feedback. The spacing between the keys is natural and I had no trouble typing at speed.

A couple of things I appreciate. First, it’s backlit. This is a tremendously important feature to me. The backlight provides the right amount of light to ensure you can see the keys in the dark without them blinding you. Second, the arrow buttons. Arrow buttons on laptop keyboards are often tiny, squished things that are hard to tap accurately. Acer gave the keys just enough size and shape so they are easy to locate. What’s more, a wedge shape between the up and down arrow keys lets you tell which is which by feel. Last, the standard Chrome OS media controls are a cinch to work with.

Acer gave the Spin 713 a reasonably good-sized trackpad and covered it with quality glass. I wish it were a hair larger, but I can’t complain too much. The trackpad was responsive and felt silky smooth under my fleshy fingers.

Will it make .5 past light speed?

Acer says the Spin 713 was co-built with Intel so it is certified to meet Intel Engineered for Mobile Performance, formerly called Project Athena. This means it meets some base level of performance and will continue to do so over its lifetime.

There are five different 10th Gen Intel processor and memory configurations for the Acer Chromebook Spin 713, ranging from affordable Core i3 to pricey Core i7 as far as pricing is concerned. Acer supplied us with the lower-end model that’s available at Best Buy, which has an 10th Gen Intel Core i5-10210U with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.

I threw everything I could at the Spin 713 and it comfortably ran through everything without issue. It managed to rate 985/3052 for single- and multi-core scores, respectively, in Geekbench 5. That puts it on par with other $700 Chromebooks and well ahead of what you’ll find in the $300 to $500 space.

Chrome OS 83 ran like the dickens on this machine. Google’s lightweight operating system never felt bogged down or slow. The app tray, in particular, was fluid and quick in its animations.

As for the battery, well that’s a bright spot to be sure. The 48KWh cell inside is rated for 10 hours and it consistently delivered. With speedy performance and long battery life, the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 easily covers the basics.

Wi-Fi 6 is on board, which means your connection to Wi-Fi 6 hotspots will be faster and more secure. The Spin 713 ran swiftly on my home’s Wi-Fi 5 network, so I can only imagine that Wi-Fi 6 performance will be exemplary.

See also: Best budget Chromebooks

What I like about the Spin 713

• Build quality. That mil-std rating goes a long way. With the ability to survive multiple drops, you’ve got a machine that can handle some roughhousing.
• Display. It’s large, pixel-rich, and super bright.
• Keyboard. The keys have a nearly perfect amount of travel.
• Performance. Even the low-end model has the spunk needed to keep up.

What I dislike about the Spin 713

• Weight. It may be only a hair over 3 pounds, but it feels much heavier.
• Speakers. Wow, they’re pretty bad. They focus on mids and leave lows and highs fighting in the mix.
• Ports. I would have liked another USB-A port and SD instead of microSD
• Bezels. The bezels don’t look too bad when the device is used as a laptop, but the lower bezel stands out as super chunky when the Spin 713 is used as a slate.

Acer Chromebook Spin 713 specs

Acer Chromebook Spin 713 review: Should you buy it?

The Acer Chromebook Spin 713 puts function over form and is all the better for it. You can’t call it a trendsetter by any means, but the stellar performance more than makes up for the mediocre stylings. The Spin 713 delivers a rugged chassis, a fine keyboard, a pleasing display, and enough oomph and battery life to keep most users satisfied. The $629 starting price is fair considering what you get.

If you’re in the market for an affordable machine that keeps up with the best Chromebooks we’ve tested, you can do a lot worse than the Spin 713.