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If you want to buy an environmentally friendly laptop, then the uncomfortable truth for manufacturers is that you should probably buy second hand. In the UK, head to Back Market and take your pick. But if you want the latest technology then I suggest you consider the Acer Vero 16, unveiled at CES 2025.
I’ve only had a brief time with the laptop, so this is very much a first look, but with over 25 years of reviewing laptops behind me I’m hoping my instincts are true.
Let’s talk names first. This isn’t Acer’s first Vero 16, so look out for the version with the full name of AV16-71P. It won’t go on sale until April at the earliest.
The first thing I noticed is that it feels different from predecessors. Where these had a rough feel to the mottled finish, the new Vero 16 is very close to being smooth. Textured rather than rough. Although the lid is rougher than the keyboard area.
It retains the curious mottled finish of its predecessors, marking it out from the murky grey crowd of laptops. In my view, that’s a good thing. What you don’t get is a beautifully sleek modern design, with the laptop lid being particularly square and thick compared to rivals. That’s reflected in a 1.8kg weight and 19.6mm peak thickness.
It does feel well built, however, and one of the advantages of the Vero’s finish is that the scratches and bumps all laptops accumulate over the years should stay well hidden.
I mentioned the latest technology, and that’s certainly on show here. It includes up to an Intel Core Ultra 7 255H processor, one of the new breed of Intel chips also unveiled at CES 2025, and that means up to 99 TOPS. TOPS being a measure of local AI power.
The memory isn’t replaceable, but you can choose up to 32GB of LPDDR5X-7464 at the time of purchase. The SSD can be replaced, and the Vero 16 supports up to 2TB.
Or you can add more storage via the two Thunderbolt 4 ports, which can also output to a monitor. But it’s also good to see an HDMI 2.1 port present, with one USB-A port on either side. Add Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 and you have a well-connected laptop.
As its name gives away, this is a 16in laptop. But don’t expect the sharpest image on the block. To keep costs low, it offers a 1,920 x 1,200 resolution, and that means a slight blur around the edges of smaller text.
Acer claims that it covers 100% of the sRGB gamut, and it looked punchy enough in our meeting room. Viewing angles are good, too.
There’s a 1440p webcam – complete with privacy shutter – sitting above the screen. Don’t expect phone-like quality, but Acer promises that its PurifiedVoice and PurifiedView AI tools will improve image quality and audio quality in web calls. We shall see.
The webcam doesn’t support Windows Hello (although there is a fingerprint reader) but AcerSense will detect if you’re sitting in front of the Vero 16. It can then dim the screen or lock the laptop depending on your preferences.
So to perhaps the Vero 16’s most important feature: its environmental claims. Top of the list is its use of post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastics, at around 70%. But that was true of previous Vero laptops.
Here, Acer is using oyster shell material for the first time. This, Acer told me, is solving a problem for areas where it has become a pollutant. Its trackpad uses a proportion of “ocean-bound plastic” – although the definition of such plastic is woolly – in what Acer calls OceanGlass. It’s pleasant to the touch, so I have no concerns there.
Perhaps more importantly, Acer also promises that parts will be available for the Vero 16 for several years. Which makes sense, as this laptop has been designed for easy repair (embedded memory aside). Exactly how long is still open to question, but at least five years from the point where this model goes end of life. Perhaps eight.
Acer has not yet provided an estimated battery life for the Vero 16. We know it includes a 65W battery, while the Intel 255H processor is built for speed rather than efficiency.
With a 16in screen to power, I would estimate a battery life in the region of ten hours at mid-brightness and typical usage. But until I get this laptop in for a full review, or confirmation from Acer, that’s a best guess.
Acer has confirmed that the new Aspire Vero 16 will first go on sale in North America in April, with a starting price of $799.99. It will next to go on sale in EMEA in Q2 2025, starting at €1,199.
We don’t have any news on availability in other countries.
