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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways
- Framework's caller Laptop 13 Pro is simply a caller merchandise with a redesigned chassis.
- It features premium elements similar a haptic touchpad, an improved battery, and is pre-loaded with Ubuntu.
- It's afloat modular and backward-compatible, starting astatine $1,199 for the DIY version.
Framework, makers of modular, repairable laptops, conscionable announced an all-new product: the Framework Laptop 13 Pro, a thin-and-light modular laptop with a redesigned chassis, Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors, importantly improved artillery life, and premium touches similar a haptic touchpad.
Dubbed the "MacBook Pro for Linux users" by Framework CEO Nirav Patel, the Laptop 13 Pro comes pre-loaded with Windows oregon Ubuntu and breaks from the DIY aesthetic of Framework's different laptops with a sleek, extruded aluminum build.
I got my archetypal glimpse of the Laptop 13 Pro connected a video telephone with Patel, who made wide this laptop is the effect of six years of idiosyncratic feedback. "The 13 is the eventual developer machine," helium said. "It gives you the artillery beingness and show for powerfulness users, portion inactive being repairable and upgradable."
And that it is, portion pushing a sleeker, much design-forward physique but making nary concessions to Framework's existing mission. It's priced accordingly, starting astatine $1,199 for the DIY version, $1,499 for the pre-built with Ubuntu, oregon $1,699 for the pre-built with Windows. If you already person a Framework Laptop 13, it's conscionable $449 for the caller mainboard.
Modularity, conscionable artillery efficiency
Patel says the biggest leap guardant is the 13 Pro's artillery life. I tested Framework's 12-inch and 16-inch laptops past twelvemonth and noted mediocre longevity connected the 16-inch model. The 13 Pro sets retired to alteration each that, with a 74Wh artillery and Intel's Panther Lake chips, providing implicit 20 hours of video playback successful its trial -- longer than a 14-inch MacBook Pro M5.
There are 3 configurations of the Laptop 13 Pro with Panther Lake: Core Ultra 5, X7, and X9, with the highest-performing integrated GPU connected a Framework laptop, which Framework says enables AAA gaming show successful titles similar Cyberpunk 2077. Of course, you don't person to perpetrate to an Intel SoC -- with the enactment for an AMD Ryzen AI 300 series.
Also: Lenovo showed maine its modular ThinkBook laptop, and I privation it wasn't conscionable a concept
Another large contributor to artillery ratio is the RAM. The Laptop 13 Pro uses the LPCAMM2 (low-power compression attached representation module 2) format, enabling higher representation bandwidth (module speeds up to 7467 MT/s) successful a power-efficient bundle portion maintaining an upgradeable format.
The laptop volition travel successful either a 16GB, 32GB, oregon 64GB configuration, and crucially, is upgradable down the enactment -- a large gully arsenic RAM prices continue to skyrocket.
A amended display, but inactive nary OLED
Patel said that Framework developed the show wholly from scratch, customizing it for programming and productivity. It's a 13.5-inch touchscreen LCD show with a 2880 x 1920 (3K) resolution, 700 nits of brightness, and a 30-120Hz adaptable refresh rate.
There's inactive nary OLED option, however, and that's owed to some terms and artillery life. "We built from scratch the champion looking LCD that we could, that's besides highly powerfulness efficient," helium said. Noting the $1,699 terms of the pre-built with Windows, this would surely propulsion it person to $2,000.
Also: How this DIY Windows laptop stole my bosom from much costly models (and it works with Linux)
The modular quality of Framework's components means parts tin beryllium swapped betwixt devices, fundamentally allowing the Laptop 13 Pro's show to beryllium slotted into earlier models oregon vice versa.
The much subtle touches
Framework's laptops weren't precisely known for being bladed and lightweight -- the Laptop 16 is astir 5 pounds -- but the Laptop 13 Pro weighs 3 pounds and is 0.6 inches thick. Its aluminum graphite chassis is caller and explicitly MacBook-esque, peculiarly the keyboard and an optional haptic trackpad, a archetypal for Framework.
"Windows laptops person historically fallen down Macs successful this area," Patel said, citing a renewed absorption connected mechanical firmware for a much premium experience. Customizability is wherever Framework differs; however, with grey and orangish colorways disposable for the keys, on with a fingerprint scholar with Linux enactment retired of the container that breaks up the firm achromatic and metallic with its signature DIY aesthetic.
Also: My cleanable MacBook Pro replacement is this almighty Windows laptop I didn't spot coming
The physique supports different cosmetic customizations arsenic well, including bezel plating astir the edges successful bold colour options similar orangish oregon translucent. Like older versions, the Laptop 13 Pro volition besides travel with 4 Thunderbolt 4 interface ports, connected done the enlargement paper strategy that allows you to hand-pick each larboard and its placement (and color).
All of these elements are compatible with the existing Laptop 13 product, contempt the plan overhaul. Both the mainboard and show from the 13 Pro tin beryllium dropped straight into an existing system, but the bottommost screen is somewhat larger acknowledgment to the improved battery.
It comes with a caller chassis upgrade kit that includes the haptic touchpad, committing to the per-component modularity that allows users to swap and upgrade components portion by piece. Even better: "Every portion is swappable with a azygous screwdriver," Patel said.
Other announcements
Besides the Laptop 13 Pro, Framework besides announced upgrades to its Laptop 16, which present diagnostic an optional haptic touchpad, caller bezel colors, and an AMD Ryzen 5 3400U processor for a much accessible starting terms -- a critique I had with the existing Laptop 16, which started astatine $1,500.
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Additionally, Framework is launching its OcuLink dev kit, which includes an adapter board, graphics module dock, and PCIe dock that enables the usage of an off-the-shelf PCIe paper similar a graphics card, 100Gbp/s web cards, and video seizure cards. It functions similar a kit, with 3D-printable designs for heavy idiosyncratic customization and setup.
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