Is there a better alternative?

The clearest alternative is the Asus ZenBook 13 UX333FA. It has a slightly slower CPU that nevertheless manages to keep up with the Swift 3 in real-world use, and its battery life and display are much better. It’s also $50 less, at $850 for a Core i5-8265U, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. You get twice the storage with the Swift 3 at just $50 more, which is probably its only advantage.

　　You could step up $100 in price and an inch in size and consider the 14-inch version of the Swift 3. You’ll spend $1,000 for a Whiskey Lake Core i7-8565U, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD, but you’ll also get a slightly better display and much faster graphics. You’ll also enjoy better battery life with a chassis that’s just about as portable.

　　Finally, the entry-level Dell XPS 13 is another viable option. It’s slower thanks to its 8th-gen Core i3-8145U CPU, but its battery life is significantly better. You’ll get a better display and a smaller chassis, for around $880 with 4GB of RAM, a 128GB SSD, and a non-touch Full HD display. Yes, the RAM and storage are less, but the laptop’s better overall.

　　

How long will it last?

The Acer Swift 3 isn’t so robust that you imagine it’ll last for decades, but it also doesn’t feel like it will fall apart long before you’ve gotten your money’s worth out of it. The standard 1-year warranty is disappointing, as usual, but remains an industry standard.

　　

Should you buy it?

No. There are better 13-inch laptops available at similar prices, that will get you better battery life and similar performance.