Framework 12 announced as repairable 'entry-level' 2-in-1 laptop with rugged design

Framework today announced the latest iteration of the Framework Laptop 13, now with AMD's Strix Point APUs, and an AMD Strix Halo-powered Framework Desktop. As per usual, both of these announcements focus on repairability and upgradeability. However, Framework also announced that it is working on the Framework 12 — a repairable, upgradeable convertible laptop that seems to be designed to withstand the abuse often thrown at such devices by school children and anyone doing field work. 

Framework says that it initially started designing the Framework 12 with students in mind but expanded its target market after some early impressions. 

"Even though we had students in mind when we began developing this product two years ago, we found as we iterated through prototypes that every adult who tried it wanted one too!"

The Framework 12 has a 1,920 × 1,200-pixel touch screen and support for a stylus, although Framework doesn't specify whether the stylus in question is pressure-sensitive. That display is apparently rated for at least 400 nits of brightness, which should make it quite usable in most indoor and some outdoor scenarios. Meanwhile, the internals of the Framework 12 are more exciting than typical education laptops, featuring an Intel 13th-Gen Core i3 or Core i5 CPU with up to 48 GB of DDR5-5200 RAM and 2 TB of NVMe storage. 

In terms of construction, it looks like Framework is trying to keep costs down without compromising on durability. Thus, it has opted for a PC (polycarbonate) and ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) shell over a metal frame, with a shock-absorbing TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) overmoulding protecting the outer plastic shell. Despite the somewhat cheaper materials, the Framework 12 doesn't look juvenile, sticking with Framework's typical minimalist industrial design. 

The Framework 12 will seemingly also use the same expansion ports as the Framework 13 and 16, even maintaining the standard four-port layout of the larger Framework 13 and 16. As usual, Framework will also explicitly support both Windows and Linux. 

Framework hasn't announced a price for the Framework 12 just yet, but we won't have to wait long for more details. Pre-orders for the Framework 12 are slated to open in April, and the company hopes to start delivering production units in the middle of 2025, although an exact date has not been announced for the start of shipments.