Acer Chromebook 715

The Acer Chromebook 715 pairs a full aluminum unibody with a 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display and a keyboard that carries a numeric keypad, a first for Chromebooks when it launched. The Intel Core i3-8130U keeps up with browser tabs, document editing, and Android apps. That full keyboard and keypad point the CB715 at desk work: spreadsheets, reports, and coursework for students. NotebookCheck tested the Core i5-8350U model, rated it 82.8%, and called it “perhaps the pinnacle of the Chromebook experience,” though at its $899 price the outlet found it “difficult to recommend” over cheaper rivals. The display is the weak point, and it is what keeps this an indoor laptop.

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Acer Chromebook 715 Comparison Chart

	Acer Chromebook 715	Acer Chromebook 715
Price	List Price: $749.99 Amazon Prices: Check Price on Amazon	List Price: $499.99 Amazon Prices: Loading prices...
Model number	715 CB715-1W-59YQ / NX.HB2AA.003	CB715-1W-35ZK / NX.HB3AA.007
Performance Rating	5.7	3.0
Chromebook Plus	No	No
Processor	Quad-core 1.60 Ghz (max 3.40 Ghz) Intel Core i5-8250U	Dual-core 2.20 Ghz (max 3.40 Ghz) Intel Core i3-8130U
RAM	16 GB	4 GB
Internal Storage	64 GB eMMC	128 GB eMMC
Screen Size	15.6"	15.6"
Screen Resolution	1920x1080	1920x1080
Screen Type	IPS	IPS
Touch Screen	No	No
Stylus / Pen	No Stylus Support	No Stylus Support
Dimensions width x length x thickness	14.4 x 9.8 x 0.7 inches (365.76 x 248.92 x 17.78 mm)	14.4 x 9.8 x 0.7 inches (365.76 x 248.92 x 17.78 mm)
Weight	4.3 lbs (1.95 kg)	4.3 lbs (1.95 kg)
Backlit Keyboard	Yes	No
Webcam	HD	HD
WiFi	Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac with 2x2 MU-MIMO)	Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac with 2x2 MU-MIMO)
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 4.2	Bluetooth 4.2
Ethernet	No	No
Cellular Modem	No	No
HDMI	No HDMI	No HDMI
USB Ports	1 USB 3, 2 USB-C (USB-C supports DisplayPort and charging)	1 USB 3, 2 USB-C (USB-C supports DisplayPort and charging)
Thunderbolt Ports	No	No
Card Reader	microSD Card Reader	microSD Card Reader
Battery	4 cell, Lithium-ion	4 cell, Lithium-ion
Battery Life	12.0 hours	12.0 hours
Fanless	No	No
Auto Update Expiration Date	June, 2028	June, 2028

Aluminum shell, Core i3 speed, and a 250-nit panel

A matte finish over the all-aluminum unibody resists fingerprints, and the panel gaps stay tight all the way around (Android Police notes the screen bezel is matte plastic). At 4.3 pounds it is a middleweight among 15.6-inch laptops, heavy enough to sit steady on a desk and still light enough to carry daily. MIL-STD-810G certification covers drops, shock, vibration, dust, and sand, which is worth having for anyone who travels with the machine or works in rough conditions.

NotebookCheck’s Core i5 unit handled complex Google Sheets documents and 4K streaming without trouble, and Chrome Unboxed, testing the dual-core Core i3-8130U with 4GB, found performance “not an issue whatsoever” but wished for 8GB. Chrome Unboxed’s Core i3 unit also had no fingerprint reader and no keyboard backlight, while NotebookCheck’s Core i5 unit had both. NotebookCheck’s review unit posted a WebXPRT 2015 score of 501 points, outperforming competitive models like the Dell Inspiron 7486. The 4GB or 16GB RAM configurations (depending on variant) handle typical multitasking scenarios smoothly, though power users may prefer the 16GB version for running Android apps and Linux containers simultaneously.

Connectivity options include two USB-C 3.1 Gen1 ports with power delivery and DisplayPort output, one USB-A 3.1 port, a microSD card reader, and a headphone/microphone combo jack. The USB-A port eliminates the need for dongles when connecting legacy peripherals. Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac with 2x2 MU-MIMO) and Bluetooth 4.2 provide wireless connectivity, though the lack of Wi-Fi 6 may feel dated for enterprise deployments. Like most Chromebooks, there is no built-in Ethernet port, so enterprise users needing a wired connection should pick up a USB Ethernet adapter. The microSD card reader achieves 51.4 MB/s transfer speeds according to NotebookCheck testing, which falls below average performance for external storage workflows.

The 15.6-inch IPS panel runs at 1920x1080, NotebookCheck found its viewing angles weak, and brightness maxed out at 250 nits in Laptop Mag’s testing (NotebookCheck measured 311 nits at its brightest). That is enough for an office with controlled lighting and not enough in a bright room or beside a window. NotebookCheck measured a color deviation (deltaE) of 4.83, so text documents and spreadsheets look fine while photo editing and design work will not get accurate color.

Reviewer Insights

NotebookCheck’s Technical Analysis

NotebookCheck’s review awards its Core i5-8350U review unit (CB715-1WT-527F) an 82.8% overall rating, calling it “perhaps the pinnacle of the Chromebook experience” and, as a Chromebook, “one of the best options on the market.” They measured display brightness averaging 247.5 cd/m2 with a maximum of 311.1 nits, resulting in outdoor visibility challenges. The contrast ratio of 976:1 and color accuracy scoring of 4.83 deltaE prove acceptable for general productivity but fall short for color-critical work. The reviewer praised the five-stage backlit keyboard with its crisp, well-sized keys and integrated numeric keypad, though the keys “feel cheap underhand,” noting the reliable fingerprint reader that enables quick sign-ins. However, they criticized the soldered RAM and storage that prevent user upgrades, with only the wireless card being replaceable, and the price: at $899 they found it “difficult to recommend” over the Lenovo Yoga Chromebook C630 and Dell Inspiron 7486, and recommended the Dell instead.

Android Police’s Hands-On Experience

Android Police’s review describes the keyboard as “one of the best keyboards I’ve used on a laptop,” with the reviewer achieving 94 words per minute during typing tests. The large Gorilla Glass trackpad receives praise for its smooth surface and accurate tracking. Battery life testing showed 9 hours at 75% screen brightness, dropping to 6.5 hours at maximum brightness. Despite the premium build quality and input devices, the reviewer finds the Chromebook 715 “tough to recommend” due to its underwhelming display, noting that “colors are dull, the screen doesn’t get bright enough, and the pixel density is a bit coarse” for a device at this price point.

TechRadar’s review

TechRadar’s review rates the device 3.5 out of 5 stars under the subheading “Acer’s powerful, premium Chromebook comes at a serious price.” They highlight the powerful Intel CPU and excellent battery life as key strengths, while criticizing the poor screen quality and weak storage performance. The verdict calls the 715 “tough to recommend” at its price and steers buyers toward the cheaper configurations with a slightly less powerful CPU and 8GB of memory.

Laptop Mag’s Productivity Assessment

Laptop Mag awards 4 out of 5 stars with the tagline “Durable, premium simplicity.” The review praises the over 10 hours of battery life and premium chassis construction while noting the dim display and poor audio quality as significant drawbacks. The review says the integrated number pad could come in handy for “people in personal finance management or students who need to crunch some numbers.”

Customer Reviews

Across 38 ratings on Amazon, the Acer Chromebook 715 averages 4.3 stars, though the spread is wider than that number suggests: 64 percent leave five stars while roughly one in eight rate it two stars or one star. With only 38 ratings, the sample is small.

Read more owner reviews on Amazon.

An indoor machine with support to June 2028

Soldered RAM and eMMC storage lock in whatever configuration a buyer picks on day one, so the 16GB build has more headroom for Android apps and Linux than the 4GB one, and neither changes the panel that keeps this at an indoor desk. Reviewers measured 6.5 to 13.5 hours of battery on Core i5 and i7 units, depending on brightness and workload, which covers a work day at moderate brightness. Chrome OS support runs through June 2028, the last date this 8th-generation Intel hardware gets security updates. Other models line up side by side in the Chromebook Comparison Chart.

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