Review: Framework Laptop 12

Budget-friendly laptops may save you money in the near term, but if they’re cheaply made and quickly outdated, you may end up needing to replace them soon after. That’s why Framework’s ethos is such a perfect fit for budget laptops. Being able to upgrade or replace nearly every component on the device yourself, in theory, means many more years of life for your laptop, keeping devices out of landfills.

The new Framework Laptop 12 starts at just $549 for the DIY Edition, a fantastic deal for the price, but also a laptop that could potentially last much, much longer than your average machine.

Plastic Please

Photograph: Luke Larsen

The Framework Laptop 12 is the third major product in the lineup so far. The company first launched the Framework Laptop 13 in 2022, followed by a larger (and more powerful) 16-inch model. But the 12-inch laptop is unique, however, as it’s not only the smallest but also the cheapest, bringing the Framework philosophy to a whole new demographic. The Framework Laptop 12 bears a resemblance to student laptops, especially Chromebooks. These are designed to withstand some abuse, making it an appropriate fit for schools.

Although it uses just a 12.2-inch screen, its overall footprint on the table is a bit bigger than you’d assume. Due to the almost comically large bezels around the display, the device is larger in some dimensions than some 13-inch laptops, like the Dell XPS 13. It’s so thick (and the bezels are so chunky) that it’s even taller than the 13-inch MacBook Air with the lid open, despite having over an inch less screen to work with. It’s a tiny screen to work on, especially compared to how large the device feels to carry.

There are a few interesting bits about the screen. It’s the first Framework device to feature a 16:10 aspect ratio and a glossy touchscreen. The Framework Laptop 13 and 16 both have matte displays. But the reason for the touchscreen is that this is a 2-in-1 laptop, meaning the hinge can rotate around 360 degrees. There’s even a stylus you can buy for taking notes or drawing, though mine did not come with it.

Photograph: Luke Larsen

Photograph: Luke Larsen

That also means it can’t open easily with one hand. There’s no lip for your finger either, so you’ll need both hands to pry it open. Thankfully, the build quality is decent. It’s made out of plastic, yes, so there’s some give in the keyboard and lid. But Framework says it has an “inner metal structure” that gives it its fairly robust feel. It doesn’t feel flimsy at all. Framework is also using “overmolded, shock-absorbing” thermoplastic to reinforce the edges, ensuring it doesn’t get nicked or dented. That’s not unlike what you see on budget Chromebooks meant for the classroom.

The quality of the display is hit or miss. The colors are the biggest detriment to the display and the laptop as a whole. It has an ugly green tint, which I confirmed with my Spyder colorimeter. It’s typical for laptops of this price, but still disappointing to see. The good news is it's plenty sharp at 1,920 x 1,200-pixel resolution and quite bright, maxing out at 434 nits of brightness. That helps.

While the display has its deficiencies, the Framework Laptop 12 has some strong points in its favor. The first is the keyboard, which feels fantastic to type on with its 1.5-millimeter key travel. Perhaps even more surprising is the touchpad. It’s common to see unresponsive touchpads at this price that feel clunky to swipe across or have stiff, loud click mechanisms. That’s even true on cheap laptops I like, such as the Asus Vivobook 14. But the Framework Laptop 12 has a high-end touchpad that’s every bit as smooth and responsive to use as a MacBook or Microsoft Surface. It doesn't offer haptic feedback like those, but the click mechanism is quiet and precise. This might feel like a small reason to like the Framework Laptop 12, but as the parts of the laptop you interact with directly the most, they go a long way toward making it feel premium rather than cheap.

These elements are also important because they’re fixed to the laptop. While the internal components can be swapped out, the display, keyboard, and touchpad are what they are, and they are all a significant step up from most laptops at this price. There’s a basic pair of 2-watt speakers onboard that aren’t great—but trust me, I’ve heard worse. Meanwhile, the webcam is 1080p and looks just OK.

Even Easier Upgradability

Photograph: Luke Larsen

The Framework Laptop 12 has a similar internal design as the 13-inch model. Components are all clearly labeled with QR codes that link to helpful instructions. That includes the battery, the Wi-Fi card, the storage drive, and much more. At its cheapest, the DIY Edition doesn’t come with RAM or storage, though Framework has some affordable options to get 500 GB of storage or 8 GB of RAM (or up to 2 TB).

Part of the fun, though, is that you can bring your own RAM or storage to the table. Not only does this allow you to upgrade your device yourself, but it also means you can purchase a cheaper component and pop it in. You’ll save a ton of money compared to the outrageous prices laptop manufacturers charge to upgrade storage or memory.

Framework has made it even easier to install or upgrade the RAM and storage. Both are tool-less now and dead-simple to access. It took me seconds to get them installed. There’s no fussy keyboard ribbon to deal with either, like on the Framework Laptop 13. The seven screws on the bottom of the lid pop the Input Cover off, and just like that—you’re in. There’s almost no reason not to buy the cheaper DIY Edition, given how painless Framework has made the process. It’s also worth mentioning that you only get the option for all the fun colors if you go with the DIY Edition (Black, Gray, Lavender, Bubblegum, and Sage), as the Pre-built is offered in Black exclusively.

As has become a calling card for Framework, the ports on this laptop provide an equal amount of customization. You have four slots to choose from, two on each side, just like on the Framework Laptop 13. In addition to the headphone jack, you’ll get the option to use whatever Expansion Cards you want. While you need one to be USB-C for charging, it’s up to you whether you want an SD card slot, HDMI, USB-A, Ethernet, DisplayPort, or any particular arrangement of those. As for me, I opted for HDMI, USB-A, USB-C, and an SD card slot. These cost between $19 and $40, depending on what you want. The magic with these ports is that you can buy more than four and swap out whatever you need, depending on the situation. It’s not all that different from carrying around adapters with you, but I still think it’s pretty ingenious.

Fast Forward

Photograph: Luke Larsen

Here’s the kicker. The price, especially once you include purchased memory and storage, puts you in the $700 to $800 range. While that’s still affordable, there are some newer Snapdragon X laptops, like the aforementioned Vivobook 14, that have longer battery life and better performance. The Framework Laptop 12 is using Intel’s 13th-gen chips (either the Core i3-1315U or Core i5-1334U), which aren’t as fast or efficient as Intel’s Core Ultra Series 2 flagship chips that you’ll find in more expensive devices.

Battery life was solid, though. I ran a basic local video on loop, and it lasted 13 and a half hours before running out of battery. That's a solid six or seven hours behind the aforementioned Vivobook 14, though, and I was reaching for the charger before the end of a workday on this machine.

Performance isn’t super impressive either, as tested in benchmarks like Cinebench R24 and Geekbench 6. The M1 MacBook Air from 2020 even blows it away in both performance and battery life, and you can still buy that for just $649. It’ll only get you 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage, though, which is the strength of the Framework Laptop 12. You’re not stuck with Apple’s measly configurations forever—you can just upgrade it yourself.

Photograph: Luke Larsen

Photograph: Luke Larsen

And who knows—maybe Intel or AMD will have a stronger budget-tier chip in a few years that improves performance and battery life, that could be upgraded. Maybe that’s wishful thinking, but that’s the beauty of this design. So long as Framework supports the laptop with future Mainboard upgrades, which the company has done with its other releases, the Framework Laptop 12 is just a foundation for upgrades down the road, not unlike a desktop PC. It also helps that it's one of the few products with a 10/10 rating from iFixit.

I could see the Framework Laptop 12 being the perfect family laptop that gets passed around between kids, or even as something to send off with a college student. For what it’s worth, it also makes for a fabulous geeky teaching tool for kids. You may want something more premium-feeling and faster-performing for work, but the high-quality keyboard and touchpad make this a viable option if you just need something basic that won’t need to be replaced in a few years.