(Credit: Framework)
UPDATE: Check out our hands on with Framework's Laptop 13 Pro.
Original Story:
Upgradable laptop maker Framework made waves in 2021 with its first laptop, a 13-inch model. Now the San Francisco company is adding a “Pro” model in the same size that packs some cutting-edge specs, including Intel’s new “Panther Lake” Core Ultra Series 3 processors.
The Framework Laptop 13 Pro is a “complete ground-up redesign” built on six years of customer feedback, the company says. The result is a fully upgradable and customizable laptop meant for power users, including consumers and software developers.
(PCMag/Michael Kan)“Battery life is what you’ve asked for most, and we’ve delivered on this,” the company says. The Laptop 13 Pro boasts a 74Wh battery, up from 61Wh, and can retain 80% of its capacity after 1,000 cycles. Combined with Intel’s Core Ultra Series 3 chips, the Pro model can deliver over 20 hours of battery life for Netflix 4K streaming, or 12 hours more than last year’s Framework Laptop 13.
The new laptop isn’t using an Arm-powered Qualcomm chip as some wondered. Still, Framework is betting the Panther Lake silicon will make its Pro model competitive with Apple’s recently released M5 MacBook Pros, which have also been appealing to power users.
(Credit: Framework)“Our internal prompt when we kicked off this product was to build the ‘MacBook Pro for Linux users,’” the company said in a blog post. “We wanted to prove that you can have a computer that is refined, robust, and high-performance, that still respects your rights through repairability, upgradability, and the power to choose the software you want to run on it.”
The other cutting-edge addition is LPCAMM2 DRAM, a lower-power, compact memory module that harnesses LPDDR5X. Framework says the memory can also offer higher speed up to 7467 MT/s, all while being easy to replace and swap out. The memory will be available in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB capacities, with higher capacities to come in the future.
(Credit: Framework)The laptop also stands out by offering touch-screen support on the 13.5-inch display. Although it still maintains the 2,880-by-1,920 resolution, Framework says the more power-efficient screen has also been upgraded with “1800:1 contrast, per-unit color calibration, 30 to 120Hz variable refresh rate, up to 700 nit brightness, and a novel anti-glare matte polarizer that enables excellent visibility in bright ambient light.”
The Pro model also features a bulked-up aluminum chassis, along with the same dimensions as the regular model. Framework notes, “This is our first laptop that is fully machined out of extruded blocks of 6000-series aluminum, making it extremely rigid and robust while keeping the weight to 1.4kg (3.1 pounds).” Other perks include support for Dolby Atmos audio, Wi-Fi 7, and four Thunderbolt 4 interfaces for Framework's expansion port system.
(Credit: Framework)Interested customers can place preorders on Framework’s website; shipments will go out in June. However, the Pro model costs significantly more than the standard model. The do-it-yourself edition, which lets you pick and choose the parts and OS, starts at $1,199—up from the $769 to $899 base price for AMD and Intel-powered Framework 13.
Meanwhile, the pre-built Pro models will start at $1,499—an increase from the $999 and $1,099 from the regular Framework 13 base models. The product will be available with Intel’s Core Ultra 5, Core Ultra X7, and Core Ultra X9 processors, suggesting customers can expect sizable price increases as they upgrade to higher-spec models.
(Framework)You can also get the Pro model with AMD's Ryzen AI 300 chips, but the prebuilt models start at $2,099.
(PCMag/Michael Kan)Framework also noted the Pro model is the company's first Linux Ubuntu-certified device, meaning it's gone through extension testing to ensure it runs the OS without any problem.
The Laptop 13 Pro naturally raises questions about what will happen to the regular 13. In some good news, the company created “cross-generation compatibility,” meaning the Panther Lake-equipped Mainboard and display of the Pro model can fit into the regular 13, offering a huge CPU upgrade if you're on the first-gen model.
(PCMag/Michael Kan)“We have the new chassis parts available in a Silver anodization option as well, and you can pick up a Bottom Cover Upgrade Kit that includes the new battery, new Input Cover Kit with haptic touchpad, or even an entire new Chassis to get every one of the improvements,” the company adds.
Alongside the new laptop, the company also focused on three other announcements, including new parts for the larger and upgradable Framework 16 laptop. This includes previewing a new “OCuLink Dev Kit” to enable external peripherals, such as external GPUs, with up to 128 Gbps bidirectional throughput, the company says. Expect it to ship later this year.
(PCMag/Michael Kan)Two other new parts for the Framework 16 are a "one piece haptic touchpad," and a "one piece keyboard," which ditch separating and installing the components in multiple parts.
(PCMag/Michael Kan)Framework also previewed a new compact keyboard with an integrated touchpad called the Framework Wireless Touchpad Keyboard. It will launch later in 2026 as well.
(Credit: Framework)