Framework announced the Laptop 12: a smaller and cheaper version of the manufacturer’s modular laptop, equipped with a touch screen and made robust for use by children and students. The existing Laptop 13 is also getting an upgrade.
Framework is showing the Framework Laptop 12. That smaller device, like big brother Laptop 13, should be modular and easy to repair. Framework wants laptops to be more accessible, and you can upgrade them over the years with new components and connectors without having to buy an entirely new device. That vision is again at the heart of the Laptop 12.
Framework builds the device around a slightly older 2023 Intel Core i3 or i5, and just combines that CPU with a 1,920 x 1,200 pixel screen. That screen is touch-sensitive and sits on a 360° hinge. You can install up to 48 GB of RAM and there is room for 2 TB of NVMe storage. Framework also let us know that the device features some kind of rubber edge around the casing to absorb shocks. In this way, the company wants to encourage use by children.
The entry-level laptop does not yet come with a price tag. It will be cheaper than the Framework Laptop 13, but will not be competition for ultra-cheap Chromebooks.
AMD Ryzen AI 300
The laptop builder is also immediately launching an upgrade for the Framework Laptop 13. That becomes compatible with the AMD Ryzen AI 300 series, from Ryzen 5 through Ryzen 9 HX 370. The upgrade is relevant for new and existing customers. You can, of course, buy a new Framework 13 laptop. The basic configuration with AMD Ryzen AI 5 340, 8 GB RAM and 500 GB storage will then cost 1,328 euros including VAT and will be delivered from April.
You can also upgrade your existing laptop with a new motherboard including AMD CPU. An upgrade with a module with AMD Ryzen AI 340 will cost you 529 euros. This way, you can breathe new life into your Framework laptop without having to send screen, keyboard, storage, RAM or the rest of the case to the scrap heap. That ability to upgrade like a desktop is at the heart of Framework’s vision. The company just announced its first desktop.