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Acer Chromebook Plus 516: Two-minute review
The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 is a large device with a reasonably strong spec, making it ideal for various productivity and entertainment needs. It might not look terribly auspicious, and the color is a little dour, but it’s surprisingly thin for a Chromebook this size, which helps to make it more sleek.
It’s also a well-made machine, with materials that feel durable yet light. What’s more, the lid hinges allow for easy opening and offer stability at any angle all the way up to 170 degrees.
It also has one of the best Chromebook keyboards in terms of layout, with plenty of keys included, such as a number pad, without compromising spacing. This makes typing easy, and the snappy nature of the individual keys makes them satisfying, too.
The touchpad is equally capable, providing responsive inputs and plenty of accuracy, which, combined with its large size, makes for easy navigation. It also manages to keep out of the way while typing.
Port selection on the Chromebook Plus 516 is quite good, and I was pleased to see the inclusion of two USB-C ports. However, it’s a minor shame both are on the same side, which may limit your options when plugging into an outlet. Still, the two USB-A ports, HDMI port and audio jack are all welcome additions.
In terms of performance, the Chromebook Plus 516 handles most tasks well. It loads apps quickly and multitasks very well. Even mobile gaming on high settings is viable. It also takes Ultra HD content in its stride, streaming it without a hitch for the most part. Viewing such content is made all the more enjoyable thanks to that large, crisp, and vibrant display, which also does an admirable job of keeping reflections at bay.
Unfortunately, the battery life of the Chromebook Plus 516 isn’t particularly impressive relative to its rivals. During our movie playback test, it failed to break past eight hours, a threshold many modern Chromebooks can exceed.
With a starting price of £399.99 (about $540 / AU$830), the Chromebook Plus 516 sits somewhere in the middle of the market. However, it’s good value when you consider its performance, display, and productivity credentials.
Acer Chromebook Plus 516 review: Price and availability
- Starts from £399.99 (about $540 / AU$830)
- Available from August in the UK
- Mid-market pricing
The Chromebook Plus 516 starts from £399.99 (about $540 / AU$830) and is available in the UK from August in one colorway. Multiple storage, CPU, RAM and graphics options are configurable. A backlit keyboard can also be specified, as can a touch screen.
It’s about the same price as the equally capable but slightly smaller Acer Chromebook Plus 514. Like that model, the 516 sits somewhere in the middle of the market, but perhaps represents slightly better value owing to the larger screen size and extra keys.
However, if you still want great performance but at a lower price, the older Acer Chromebook Plus 515 remains a great pick, and its 15.6-inch measurement is still big enough to please those who prefer large displays; there’s a reason we think it’s one of the best student Chromebooks, after all.
If you’re after something cheaper still, we think the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 Chromebook is the best student laptop for those on a budget. Its performance is no match for the mightier Chromebook Plus 516, and it’s also much smaller, but it has the advantage of being a 2-in-1 device, thanks to its 360-degree rotation and touchscreen.
Acer Chromebook Plus 516 review: Specs
These specs pertain to my review unit of the Acer Chromebook Plus 516:
|
Price |
£399.99 (about $540 / AU$830) |
|
CPU |
Intel Core 3 100U (8 threads, 4.7GHz) |
|
Graphics |
Integrated, Intel UHD Graphics |
|
RAM |
8GB LPDDR5 |
|
Screen |
16-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) IPS, 16:10 |
|
Storage |
128GB UFS |
|
Ports |
2x USB-A, 2x USB-C, 1x HDMI, 1x 3.5mm audio |
|
Wireless |
Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3 |
|
Camera |
HD 1080p |
|
Weight |
3.75lbs (1.7kg) |
|
Dimensions |
14.1 x 10 x 0.8 inches (359 x 253 x 19mm) |
Acer Chromebook Plus 516 review: Design
- Smart and well made
- Plenty of keys
- Both USB-C ports on same side
The Chromebook Plus 516 adopts the fairly typical Acer aesthetic, with a sleek but understated appearance. There’s nothing particularly spectacular about its looks, but it’s at least free from too many fussy details.
Despite its large size, it’s pleasingly thin and not quite as heavy as you’d expect it to be. It’s no match for smaller Chromebooks in terms of portability, but all sides are quite flat and smooth, which helps when sliding it into your bag.
The build quality is on par with the best Chromebooks. Certain materials look more premium than others, but all feel solid and durable. The keycaps are perhaps the least impressive visually, but they’re tightly fitted.
The hinge mechanism is similarly well-engineered. The lid is easy to open and move into any position, and its maximum recline angle of 170 degrees makes it versatile for various setups. What’s more, it remains stable in any position; there’s next to no wobble, which is all the more impressive given its thinness and lightness.
The keyboard features numerous shortcut keys on the F row, all of which are quite useful. Highlights include one for taking screenshots, one for dictation, and one for opening a menu containing various accessibility functions.
Being a Chromebook Plus, you also get a Quick Insert key, used for accessing files, opening recent documents or creating new ones, inserting links, using AI tools, and other productivity-based functions.
The keyboard even includes a navigation cluster and number pad, both of which I welcome. More impressively, these don’t compromise the layout spacing, thanks to the width of the device itself. The touchpad also manages to not get in the way while typing, despite its relatively large size.
I was pleased to see the Chromebook Plus 516 features two USB-C ports, although unfortunately they’re both the same side, which somewhat limits versatility when plugging into an outlet. Still, it’s nice to have more than one, and the further ports – two USB-A ports, an HDMI port, and a 3.5mm headset jack – are all welcome additions. There’s no SD card slot, though, which might be a problem for some users.
Acer Chromebook Plus 516 review: Performance
- Fast and capable multitasker
- Can handle light gaming
- Sharp display
Benchmarks
These are the results of our benchmarking tests for the Acer Chromebook Plus 516:
TechRadar Battery Life Test: 7 hours and 35 minutes
Jetstream2 Benchmark: 295.772
Kraken Benchmark: 398.5ms
Speedometer 3.0: 18.8 (±1.0)
The Chromebook Plus 516 is quite a capable performer. Creating and editing documents and spreadsheets is no problem for it, while switching between apps and multiple tabs is taken in its stride.
Gaming performance is also admirable. I managed to play Asphalt Legends Unite on high graphics settings without issue, running smoothly with little stutter. This was especially impressive given that the game recommended I play on lower settings based on the specs, but you’ll still want one of the best gaming laptops if you plan on playing more intensive games.
It can stream ultra HD content with relative ease as well. During my testing, I encountered little in the way of buffering or stuttering, making for seamless viewing in the main.
The experience is made even better thanks to the surprisingly vibrant display, which also avoids the washed-out appearance that afflicts some Chromebooks. Reflections do reveal themselves somewhat in darker scenes and unfavorable lighting conditions, but generally they’re kept at bay quite well.
Moreover, the 1920 x 1200 resolution is suitably sharp for its large size, which makes the UI very clear, while the thin bezels ensure that the most is made of the allotted real estate.
Typing on the Chromebook Plus 516 is also a pleasure. Despite the inauspicious looking keys, they perform well, with their light actuation and just enough dampening to make them tactile. Despite the inclusion of a number pad and other extra keys, I didn’t find the layout cramped, which made for an accurate and comfortable typing experience.
The trackpad is brilliantly smooth and very precise, tracking perfectly with my finger movements and gestures. As with the keys, it only requires a light touch, which makes it easy to use.
- Performance score: 4.5 / 5
Acer Chromebook Plus 516 review: Battery life
The Chromebook Plus 516 doesn’t have a terribly impressive battery life, posting a below-average score during our test. We ran a movie on a continuous loop, and it gave up the ghost after seven hours and 35 minutes.
The Acer Chromebook Plus 514 we tested fared better, managing to last almost an hour longer. The much smaller Chromebook Spin 312 also eclipsed it, running all the way past 11 hours before total depletion.
However, the Chromebook Plus 516 still did better than the older Chromebook Plus 515, which only managed five hours. However, if you’re after a device that can really go all day, the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 Chromebook is perhaps your best choice, as this lasted over 16 hours in our movie playback test.
Should I buy the Acer Chromebook Plus 516?
|
Attributes |
Notes |
Rating |
|---|---|---|
|
Price |
The Chromebook Plus 516 has a price you might expect for a Chromebook Plus, although its size and keyboard impart extra value. |
3.5 / 5 |
|
Design |
The Chromebook Plus 516 is pleasingly thin for such a large device, and the build quality is respectable. The keyboard is great for productivity, too. |
4 / 5 |
|
Performance |
The Chromebook Plus 516 can handle all sorts of tasks, including light gaming, while the sharp and vibrant display is great for viewing Ultra HD content. |
4.5 / 5 |
|
Battery life |
The Chromebook Plus 516 is far from the best in class when it comes to battery life, with many others capable of outliving it. |
2.5 / 5 |
|
Total Score |
The Chromebook Plus 516 is a great performer with a vibrant display and a useful keyboard. If you’re after a large Chromebook for work and play, it fits the bill quite well – so long as you don’t plan on using it unplugged all day long. |
4 / 5 |
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Acer Chromebook Plus 516 review: Also consider
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
Acer Chromebook Plus 516 |
Acer Chromebook Plus 514 |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 Chromebook |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Price |
Starts from £399.99 (about $540 / AU$830) |
$399 / £399 (about AU$560) |
$399.99 / £399.99 (around AU$633) |
|
CPU |
Intel Core 3 100U (8 threads, 4.7GHz) |
Intel Core 3 100U (8 threads, 4.7GHz) |
1.1GHz Intel Celeron N4020 (dual-core, 4MB cache, up to 2.8GHz Burst) |
|
Graphics |
Integrated, Intel UHD Graphics |
Integrated, Intel UHD Graphics |
Intel UHD Graphics 600 |
|
RAM |
8GB LPDDR5 |
8GB LPDDR5 |
4GB DDR4 |
|
Screen |
16-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) IPS, 16:10 |
14-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) IPS, 16:10 |
11-inch IPS touchscreen, 1,366 x 768 |
|
Storage |
128GB UFS |
128GB UFS |
64GB eMMC |
|
Ports |
2x USB-A, 2x USB-C, 1x HDMI, 1x 3.5mm audio |
2x USB-A, 2x USB-C, 1x HDMI, 1x 3.5mm audio |
2x USB-C with charging, 2x USB-A, microSD |
|
Wireless |
Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3 |
Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth |
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2 |
|
Camera |
HD 1080p |
HD 1080p |
720p |
|
Weight |
3.75lbs (1.7kg) |
3.15lbs (1.43kg) |
2.64lbs (1.2kg) |
|
Dimensions |
14.1 x 10 x 0.8 inches (359 x 253 x 19mm) |
12.9 x 8.9 x 0.8 inches (32.7 x 22.5 x 2cm) |
0.7 x 11.41 x 8.18 inches (17.8 x 290 x 207.8mm) |
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How I tested the Acer Chromebook Plus 516
- Tested for two days
- Used for a variety of tasks
- Abundant Chromebook reviewing experience
I tested the Chromebook Plus 516 for a few days, during which time I used it for a variety of tasks, including productivity, gaming, and browsing.
I edited spreadsheets and documents, used multiple tabs when browsing in Chrome, and streamed 4K content. I also played Asphalt Legends Unite, and connected various peripherals via Bluetooth.
I have used various Chromebooks and other laptop devices for decades, and have reviewed a number of them too (including other Acer models), varying in their price points, form factors, and performance.
