"Something big" Framework teaser could hint at an 18-inch gaming laptop
Framework, the DIY-friendly laptop maker, has been teasing a new product announcement coming on August 26, like in this post on X. While the details are sparse, just like was the case with the cryptic emoji message in the teasers leading up to the launch of the Framework Desktop and Laptop 12, Framework has once again dropped hints as to what it might be. Fans of the company's designs are clamouring for answers and tearing apart the teasers to look for any clues they can.
Hints of Framework 18?
While many are, understandably, latching onto the dots scattered throughout the teaser image, there are two more obvious clues that might be overlooked. The image in the middle of the teaser image and the wording that says "Something big just got better" might both be hinting at a new laptop to round out Framework's laptop line-up.
Once again, it may come down to emojis — or rather emoticons — since that little side-eye in the centre of all the teaser images looks suspiciously like the number 18 when flipped 90° to the left. This is certainly not concrete evidence, but it's one of the theories floating around, and Framework has recently released the smaller Laptop 12, so there is some justification to release an 18-incher to compete with the likes of the Asus Strix Scar 18 (curr. $2,349 on Amazon) we recently reviewed.
Of course, this is all wild speculation, and there are some issues with this theory. For starters, there's almost certainly no way Framework would be able to fit an 18-inch display into the current Framework 16 chassis, and releasing an all-new 18-inch device just two years after releasing the Framework Laptop 16 runs somewhat counter to Framework's general ethos of reducing waste. It's not inconceivable that Framework will introduce a new 18-inch chassis for the Framework Laptop 16, although that may introduce compatibility issues with the current 16's port and GPU upgrade modules.
The other theories all count the number of dots to interpret some meaning, like that the seven dots in the brackets and the 13 dots outside the brackets might suggest that there is a seventh-generation update coming for the Framework Laptop 13 (check out our review of the latest Framework 13 with the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370). That goes against the more obvious "something big" hint, and Framework has already released seven generations of motherboards for the Framework 13.
Whatever it is, we won't have to wait long to find out, since the launch is scheduled for August 26 at 8 AM PT (3 PM UTC).
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