The modular PC maker Framework unveiled a slew of new products during its jam-packed [Next Gen] Event livestream Tuesday — including the new Laptop 13 Pro, its take on a repairable MacBook Pro.
The Laptop 13 Pro is Framework's fourth laptop since its founding in 2020, when it launched the original Laptop 13. And, "In many ways, this product has been six years in the making," company founder Nirav Patel wrote in a blog post. "We’ve taken all of the feedback you’ve given us on the first seven generations of Framework Laptop 13 to make this the ultimate portable developer and power user machine," he said.
Laptop 13 Pro preorders are now open on Framework's website, starting at $1,199 for the build-your-own "DIY Edition" and $1,499 for pre-built configurations, including options that are pre-loaded with Ubuntu for Linux users. The first wave of shipments will go out in June.
Framework also revealed updates to the gaming-ready Laptop 16, a new OCuLink Dev Kit, a new wireless keyboard, and a new laptop sleeve during its livestream. Along with the Laptop 13 Pro, they "represent a step change in our capabilities" and fulfill recurring customer requests, Patel said. "We have the scale and resources to build the products you want from us and to deliver on our mission of remaking consumer electronics."
Read on for a closer look at all of the announcements.
Meet the Framework Laptop 13 Pro
In crafting the Laptop 13 Pro, Framework set out to create a “MacBook Pro for Linux users," Patel said. "We wanted to prove that you can have a computer that is refined, robust, and high performance, that still respects your rights through repairability, upgradeability, and the power to choose the software you want to run on it."
The Laptop 13 Pro sure looks like a MacBook Pro. Weighing just over three pounds, its new, fully CNC aluminum chassis has a flat "slab-like" shape reminiscent of a modern Apple laptop. (In contrast, the standard Laptop 13 has a silver chassis with the wedge shape of an M1 MacBook Air.) It's launching in a graphite finish reminiscent of Apple's space black colorway, but a silver version is coming soon.
The Laptop 13 Pro is fueled by powerful Intel Core Ultra Series 3 ("Panther Lake") chips with 16 to 64GB of fast and efficient LPCAMM2 memory. It's available in Core Ultra 5, Core Ultra X7, and Core Ultra X9 configurations.
The Laptop 13 Pro is bedecked with a new 13.5-inch 2,880 x 1,920 display that offers up to 700 nits of brightness, a 30 to 120Hz variable refresh rate, and touchscreen capabilities — something "many of you have been requesting for years," Patel wrote. The screen has newly squared-off corners and an improved anti-glare matte finish.
The Laptop 13 Pro also sports a new haptic touchpad. "Touchpad feel is an area where Windows and Linux laptops have historically fallen behind Macs, so this is where we’re putting a lot of our focus across our mechanical, electrical, and firmware teams to deliver the best experience possible," Patel said. It has the same keyboard as the regular Laptop 13, but it's available in two more colors besides basic black.
Additionally, the Laptop 13 Pro's speakers are located on both sides of its base rather than underneath it, like they are on the Laptop 13. They support Dolby Atmos, which is a first for a Framework Laptop.
A lower-end touchscreen was previously only available on the Laptop 12, Framework's budget-friendly hybrid, while the haptic touchpad is brand-new for the Framework Laptop series. As with any Framework machine, all of the Laptop 13 Pro's components are user-replaceable and upgradable, and its four port modules are swappable.
Patel called the Laptop 13 Pro "a complete ground up redesign that brings a massive leap in battery life," noting that better stamina has been customers' biggest ask over the years. Its 74Wh battery offers over 20 hours of 4K Netflix streaming per charge, he claimed, which represents a 12-hour boost from the previous-generation Laptop 13 with a 61Wh battery.
Not only that, Patel added, but the Laptop 13 Pro's battery life is "actually slightly longer than a 14-inch MacBook Pro M5!" A Panther Lake laptop I tested earlier this year offered over 24 hours of video playback, so this isn't totally far-fetched. The M5 MacBook Pro only lasted 21 hours and 17 minutes in our battery life benchmark.
The Laptop 13 Pro also comes with a bigger 100W GaN power adapter for faster charging.
The Laptop 13 Pro isn't meant to replace the base Laptop 13, which will continue to be sold alongside it, starting at $899 for the DIY Edition and $1,099 pre-built. A Framework rep told me that existing Laptop 13 owners will be able to upgrade their device with all of the Laptop 13 Pro's improved components, including the new touchscreen display ($299) and Panther Lake mainboard (starting at $449). The new 74Wh battery ($89) works if you grab a Bottom Cover Upgrade Kit ($169), while an Input Cover Kit ($179) nets you the haptic touchpad. The display and mainboards are now available for preorder in the Framework Marketplace.
Framework Laptop 16 updates — plus an OCuLink Dev Kit in the works
Framework is dropping some new components for the beefy Laptop 16, its desktop replacement with swappable graphics modules. That includes one-piece haptic touchpad and keyboard modules with no seams; a new translucent smoke gray bezel color; and a new entry-level AMD Ryzen 5 340 CPU option.
The new touchpad and keyboard modules are up for preorder in Laptop 16 configurations that start shipping in June, while the new bezel color will launch sometime later this summer. The Ryzen 5-powered Laptop 16 is preorderable today, starting at $1,249 for the DIY Edition and $1,599 pre-built.
In addition, Framework previewed an OCuLink Dev Kit for the Laptop 16 during Tuesday's livestream. This module will "[enable] extremely high throughput peripherals like eGPUs" through the device's rear Expansion Bay, Patel wrote in a separate blog post. Hooking up a laptop to a more powerful eGPU, or external Graphics Processing Unit, is an easy way to bump its graphics performance when you want to use it for ultra-demanding tasks like AAA gaming, 4K video editing, and software development.
The Dev Kit includes an adapter board, a graphics module dock, and a PCIe card dock. It will ship later this year; stay tuned for pricing.
Coming soon: The Framework Wireless Touchpad Keyboard
Framework later showcased its forthcoming Wireless Touchpad Keyboard, which is exactly what it sounds like: a compact, portable keyboard with a built-in touchpad on the right-hand side. It's made in partnership with Lite-On, the same Taiwanese tech manufacturer that's made its laptop keyboards for the past five years, and it has the same key spacing and travel. The touchpad itself supports multi-finger gestures.
The Wireless Touchpad Keyboard will have a translucent back cover and a replaceable battery. Framework is currently working on a USB-A Adapter Expansion Card module that lets it sit flush inside its laptops.
The keyboard won't launch until later this year, but Framework wanted to tease it well ahead of time "to give developers an early start on building around it," Patel said. We don't know how much it will cost yet.
The Framework Laptop Sleeve is here
Last but not least, Framework is releasing a new carrying case for the Laptop 13 Pro, Laptop 13, and Laptop 12. Priced at $39, it has a padded main pocket and a compartment for accessories. It comes in black and silver. Framework's website still had it listed as "coming soon" at the time of writing.
You can watch the full Framework [Next Gen] Event livestream on the company's YouTube channel.