As appliances become less and less repairable, it’s always heartening when companies build appliances with sustainability in mind. After all, repairing the machine you already own is almost always more environmentally friendly than buying a new one. Framework is a hardware startup founded by former Oculus engineer Nirav Patel that wants to bring the Fairphone model to laptops, even with a screwdriver in the box.
Today the company announces its first product, the Framework laptop, a 13.5-inch notebook with a number of modular components. The idea is that users can replace various components when they break, or upgrade them when technology advances. Now, repairable laptops are not a new invention, but it seems the focus here is to make this as friendly as possible for beginners.
The Framework laptop has a 13.5-inch, 2,256 x 1,504 3: 2 display that is hidden behind a series of magnetic bezels, making it easy to replace. It also includes a 1080p, 60fps webcam with a hardware privacy switch and a keyboard with 1.5mm key travel. As for the chip, you get the option to select a quad-core 11th Gen Intel Core CPU in addition to WiFi 6, up to 64 GB DDR4 and up to 4 TB Gen4 NVME SSD storage.
Almost all parts of the machine, including the display, battery, keyboard and display bezels, are replaceable. Inside you will also see that the SSDs, memory and WiFi modules all use industry standard sockets; the only thing that’s not is basically the CPU. If you want to upgrade that, you have to take out the motherboard and send it back; newer versions will be available in the Framework store when new chip options arrive.
Patel said each module “uses a single labeled connector,” and most have “pull tabs to make them easy to handle.” He added that among the components that can be replaced, the only problematic one is the motherboard itself as you have to unplug everything it is connected to before removing it. But, he added, it would be a pretty rare event to get the heart of the machine out.
Of course, when people talk about reparability, there’s always the idea that this is an eat-your-veggies situation, with low specs and clunky performance. Patel says that’s not the case here, saying he wants to meet or beat the ThinkPad T, Surface Laptop, and XPS 13 on performance.
Framework
One of the more interesting elements of Framework’s concept is how the company deals with the ports that run along both sides of the machine. Rather than correcting port selection and risking obsolescence, the company has built what it calls “expansion cards.” These are small boxes with the option to add a USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, DisplayPort, MicroSD, an extra SSD, or a discrete headphone amplifier to the chassis. To make these expansion cards universal, the company has built USB-C ports directly into the laptop’s motherboard. They broadly make them more like dongles than actual hardware ports.
In addition to its promise to upgrade and repair the laptop with ease, Framework burns its other environmental credentials as well. It says the machine is made from up to 50 percent post-consumer recycled aluminum and up to 30 percent post-consumer recycled plastic. Oh, and the packaging is recyclable, with no single-use plastic, and all shipments are CO2 offset.
The Framework laptop will ship at some point this summer for an as-yet-unspecified price, although Patel said buyers wouldn’t pay a “longevity premium.” Instead, the hardware will be “on par with other top rated notebooks with comparable silicon.” Users can opt for a number of pre-configured models with Windows 10 Home or Pro, while a DIY edition will be shipped to you disassembled.