The team announced the opening of pre-order channels for this innovative and disruptive Framework DIY Laptop. Starting Price is $999.
A couple of months back we covered the news of this concept Laptop from the Framework team. At that time, it was a proof-of-concept Framework DIY Laptop that promises a completely modular approach to Laptop components.
This portable Laptop is designed in such a way that you, yourself can replace any part of this device. That includes simple and complex components. The team says you can replace the ports and arrange them on any side you want, you can also change the motherboard, memory, SSD, even the display with just simple instructions.
And all these separate components can be repaired at your own place by yourself and can be easily upgraded or purchased separately.
This interesting concept Laptop comes with custom-designed parts which are sold by the same company. However, the company says, they will soon publish the details of those components so that third-party manufacturers can build those components only for Framework DIY Laptop.
Table of Contents
Framework DIY Laptop – Use Case
In a discussion with curious users, the team mentioned the following use cases where this Laptop fits perfectly.
- “Being able to upgrade storage if you’re getting full.
- Being able to add more RAM if you’re using a new set of applications that is more memory-heavy.
- Not needing to buy all the memory and storage (or even CPU) you need on initial purchase, but being able to upgrade over time like on a desktop PC.
- Making it easy to replace the battery, since worn-out batteries are something we’ve all experienced.
- Letting users have exactly the ports they want and be able to change them as needed, rather than using external adapters and dongles.“
Specifications and Price
| Base | Performance | Professional | |
| i5+8GB+256GB | i7+16GB+512GB | i7vPro+32GB+1TB | |
| Processor | i5-1135G7 (8M Cache, up to 4.20 GHz) | i7-1165G7 (12M Cache, up to 4.70 GHz) | 2i7-1185G7 (12M Cache, up to 4.80 GHz) |
| Display | 13.5” 2256×1504 | 13.5” 2256×1504 | 13.5” 2256×1504 |
| Memory | 8GB DDR4-3200 (1x8GB) | 16GB DDR4-3200 (2x8GB) | 32GB DDR4-3200 (2x16GB) |
| Hard Drive | 256GB NVMe SSD | 512GB NVMe SSD | 1TB NVMe SSD |
| Ports | 4x User-selectable Expansion Cards | 4x User-selectable Expansion Cards | 4x User-selectable Expansion Cards |
| Warranty | 1 Year | 1 Year | 1 Year |
| Graphics | Iris Xe Graphics | Iris Xe Graphics | Iris Xe Graphics |
| Camera | 1080p 60fps | 1080p 60fps | 1080p 60fps |
| Fingerprint Reader | Fingerprint Reader | Fingerprint Reader | Fingerprint Reader |
| Keyboard | Backlit | Backlit | Backlit |
| Wireless | WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.2 | WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.2 | WiFi 6 vPro, Bluetooth 5.2 |
| Price | $999.00 | $1,399.00 | $1,999.00 |
Approximate price of the components (configurable during order):
- USB-A, USB-C $9
- DP $19
- HDMI $19
- microSD $19
- 250GB $69
- 1TB $149
Operating System
As per the team, they tested the device on Windows 10 Pro, Ubuntu LTS edition and Fedora Linux operating system. Hence, if you are looking for good value for money Linux Laptop, then this can be one of options once launched in full.
Where to Buy
It is now available for pre-order for the US market from the official website (link below). The team says, soon it will be available for Canada Market. The rest of the world needs to wait for some more months until the first couple of batches clear considering the Pandemic hit the supply chain.
The Laptop comes with 1 year lmited warranty from Framework.
Closing Notes
The concept and innovation are good. But to sustain itself in the consumer Laptop market, there are other things to consider. The company needs to establish itself alongside bigger players like Dell, Lenovo, etc. Also, it is still unknown how the Laptop would perform in the wild concerning Battery Life, Display performance and other common problems that user faces. Another point would be the availability of the custom parts from the company if it sells thousands of units. Considering all these, I hope this really kicks off for the greater benefit of end-users. Every 5 to 6 years, the hardware becomes almost obsolete and users are forced to upgrade today. I really hope this changes with this product.
