Framework Has a Better, More Take-Apartable Laptop

Framework, the company that makes laptops designed for optimal repairability, announced a new version of its main product, a 13-inch-screen laptop. It’s called the Framework Laptop 13 Pro, and it has far better battery life, a touchscreen, and a haptic touchpad, and is fitted with Intel processors.

At an event in San Francisco today, Framework CEO Nirav Patel showed off the company’s new tech, opening with a joke about making Framework AI—something the company is very much not doing. Framework’s whole thing, after all, is aiming to give users control over the physical tech they use.

“That industry is fighting for you to own nothing, and they own everything,” Patel said about the AI industry. “We’re fighting for a future where you can own everything and be free.”

Framework used the event to detail other updates coming to its 16-inch laptop. It also showed off previews of an official developer kit and a wireless keyboard for controlling your rig from the couch.

Framework 13 Pro

As the name implies, the 13 Pro is a step up from the company’s last version, the Framework 13. It's also pricier, starting at $1,199 for a DIY Edition that requires assembling the computer yourself. Prebuilt units start at $1,499 but can be upgraded with more features. Framework says it will start shipping the 13 Pro in June.

Framework’s signature move for its products is the ability to take the thing apart. The 13 Pro is made with that ethos in mind, so its parts can be easily swapped out, upgraded, or replaced. Four Thunderbolt 4 interfaces let you pick which ports (USB-C, HDMI, etc.) you want and then choose where to place them. Framework says it planned the laptop with cross-generation compatibility in mind, so current Framebook 13 laptop owners will be able to use new 13 Pro parts like the mainboard, display, and battery, and put them into their existing machine.

The big changes in the guts of the 13 Pro come from Framework’s shift away from using an AMD processor to Intel’s Core Ultra Series 3 processors, which Framework described in its press release as “just insanely efficient.” That efficiency, along with a bigger battery, translates to more than 20 hours of battery life while streaming 4K Netflix videos, at least that’s the claim. That’s almost 12 hours longer than the Framework 13.

The display now works as a touchscreen monitor. The 13.5-inch screen is a 3K-resolution panel (2880 x 1920), which is similar to what you’d see on a 13-inch tablet like an iPad or Microsoft’s Surface. It can hit up to 700 nits of brightness and is paired with an anti-glare matte polarizer to help see the screen in broad daylight. Framework says the display is optimized for productivity and programming, as its customers have typically been coders or people doing work.

The frame is an aluminum chassis, roughly the same size as the previous model, at just under 0.62 inches (16 mm) thick. At 3 pounds (1.4 kg), it’s relatively lightweight. It also comes in new colors, like anodized graphite. This is also Framework’s first laptop with a haptic touchpad and Dolby Atmos speakers. It’s also the first Framework laptop that is Ubuntu-certified. It can also run Linux or Microsoft Windows.

“We took six years of learning how to build the most repairable and upgradable computers on the planet and brought this one to a new level of refinement,” Patel said. “It’s the ultimate expression of our vision, and we can’t wait to see what you think about it.”

Framework Laptop 16 and Wireless Touchpad Keyboard

Framework is also bringing some updates to its existing 16-inch laptop. It has a new haptic touchpad and keyboard options, an option to use AMD’s Ryzen 5 processor, and a new color it calls Bezel.

The company also previewed an OCuLink Dev Kit that it says can connect to external graphics cards for adding some extra graphical oomph to your system. (Unlike the 13-inch models, the 16-inch laptops support discrete graphics.)

While it's not being released anytime soon, Framework also previewed its plans for a wireless keyboard you can connect to your laptop and use from afar. It is the same mechanical key structure used in the keyboard of the Framework 12 and can be used with a dongle. Framework invited users to help develop the keyboard via the open source keyboard firmware ZMK.