What you need to know
- Framework just announced that its Framework Laptop 13 will be available with the latest Intel Core Ultra processors and up to a 2.8K 120Hz display.
- The Framework Laptop 13 is a modular PC that can be repaired, upgraded, or customized easily.
- The latest Framework Laptop 13 has several other improvements, such as its 9.2MP image sensor in its webcam.
- Preorders for the latest Framework Laptop 13 are open now and the laptop will start shipping in August.
Framework announced that its modular Framework Laptop 13 will be available with an Intel Core Ultra processor starting this August. Preorders for the PC are already open, though you’ll have to wait a bit to get the laptop on your doorstep. This is the fourth iteration of the Framework Laptop 13, and it includes several improvements apart from its processor option.
The Framework Laptop 13 is one of the company’s many modular laptops. While the option to upgrade certain parts of a laptop, such as an SSD, is more common than it was a few years ago, Framework built its entire laptop lineup around modularity. You can swap out everything from the display to the keyboard to upgrade a device or repair it. You can also change port configurations to fit different workflows.
A new 2.8K 120Hz display is available in the Framework Laptop 13. That screen can reach 500 nits of brightness and has a 1500:1 contrast ratio. Interestingly, the laptop’s screen has rounded corners. Framework listed that as an “oddity,” but rounded corners were considered a positive by many when Microsoft announced the Surface Laptop 7.
Framework explained that the rounded corners were due to another PC manufacturer working on the development of that display, which greatly reduced the cost to Framework.
Along the top of the Framework Laptop 13 sits a 9.2MP image sensor in the PC’s webcam. Rather than recording at a full 9.2MP resolution, which would be overkill in most situations, Framework has the laptop group sets of four subpixels together to create high-sensitivity pixels. This is a similar approach to what smartphone makers do and should help take better video in low-light environments.
If you prefer your laptops to run on AMD chips, the Framework Laptop 13 is also available with an AMD Ryzen 7040 Series processor. The configuration of the laptop with an AMD chip inside has a 2.8K display and a 61Wh battery.
Models of the Framework Laptop 13 with older Intel or AMD processors have been reduced as well and now start at $949 for pre-built systems.
A refreshing approach
I’ve literally written thousands of articles as a news writer here at Windows Central. I doubt there’s a major PC manufacturer that I haven’t written about. There are a ton of excellent laptops out there, but out of all of them, I enjoy writing about what Framework does the most. I love Framework’s mission, how the company stands out from the competition, and the PCs they come out with.
Framework is built around a surprisingly simple concept that somehow isn’t a focus of the PC industry, repairing should be simpler than replacing. While some companies have made efforts to make laptops repairable, Framework takes it to another level. You can swap out components, upgrade core parts, and even customize a system to have specific configurations that fit your workflow.
Don’t get me wrong, there are some incredible laptops out there. The wave of Copilot+ PCs that start shipping in June could change the laptop industry. It’s just refreshing to have a company like Framework that takes a different approach to other manufacturers.
I also appreciate the transparency of Framework. The company often shares the nuts and bolts of making a laptop, such as how it changed which screen option it chose for the Framework 13 based on another PC manufacturer covering 90% of the development cost.
