When the Framework Laptop 12 arrives in mid-2025 I don’t know how much demand there will be for a remarkably repairable, upgradable 2-in-1 that sports a 12-inch touchscreen and comes in five different colors, but I know at least one editor that wants one—and that’s me.
Framework announced two upgradable laptops and a new modular mini PC at a live event in San Francisco this week, but after I had a chance to spend a few minutes messing around with a preview version of the new Framework Laptop 12, I think it’s my favorite of the bunch.
While it’s great to see the company is refreshing its flagship Framework Laptop 13 with AMD’s latest chips and I can’t wait to see what modders do with the Framework Desktop, I’ve had my fingers crossed for a touchscreen Framework since the company launched its first Framework Laptop back in 2021.
The version I tried out may not be identical to the final model that will go on sale in mid-April, but company representatives said it’s quite close to what customers can expect to get when units start shipping in mid-2025. And while Framework hasn’t yet said what it will cost, the Framework Laptop 12’s colorful shock-absorbing thermoplastic polyurethane chassis and uber-repairable design suggest it has big potential as a kid-friendly laptop for learning.
Framework Laptop 12 hands-on: Cheat sheet
- What is it? The Framework Laptop 12 is a 12-inch 2-in-1 with optional (color-matched) stylus that’s designed to be fully user-repairable and -upgradable.
- Who’s it for? Anyone who wants a highly repairable and upgradable 2-in-1 that’s built for Linux and/or Windows 11, though Framework is aiming it at the education market and offering it in five different colors.
- What’s the price? Framework plans to announce this later in 2025.
- What do we like about it? So far I’m loving the colorful, durable-feeling chassis, the bright, responsive touchscreen and the fact that it’s the most customizable 2-in-1 laptop I’ve ever seen.
- What don’t we like about it? The 13th Gen Intel chips are good enough for getting work done, but they make the laptop potentially feel a bit sluggish and leave me worried about whether it can last 8-10 hours on a full charge.
Framework Laptop 12 hands-on: Specs
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
Framework Laptop 12 |
|---|---|
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Price |
TBA |
|
Display |
12.2-inch (1920 x 1200 pixels) touchscreen |
|
CPU |
13th Gen Intel Core i3 – i5 |
|
Memory |
Up to 48GB DDR5-5200 |
|
Storage |
Up to 2TB NVMe SSD |
|
Ports |
4x Expansion Card slots |
|
Connectivity |
Wi-Fi 6E |
Framework Laptop 12 hands-on: The ups
I only spent a few minutes tapping and banging on a preview model of the Framework Laptop 12 in San Francisco, but I like what I’ve seen so far.
Cute chassis feels durable yet easy to carry
The Framework Laptop 12 isn’t as light as a MacBook Air, but it doesn’t feel far off. The preview units I held felt ultraportable in the purest sense of the term, and for a moment, I was hit with a wave of nostalgia for the old 11- and 12-inch netbooks of yore.
But unlike some of the cheap netbooks I remember from ages ago, the Framework Laptop 12 preview units feel quite sturdy and durable. I had no trouble setting them up in all sorts of ways to try and photograph them in the crowded press room, and the hinges and chassis held firm no matter what angle I left them at — perfect for watching videos after (home)work.
I also love that Framework is shipping these in five different color schemes to start, including pink, blue and green. The company claims the Framework Laptop 12 is “also our easiest product ever to repair” because it “took all of the design for repairability learnings from Framework Laptop 13 and 16 and pushed them even further in Framework Laptop 12,” which is great to hear, though I’ll have to wait until I get my hands on a final version to figure out what that actually means.
Bright, responsive touchscreen
The reason I’m so excited about Framework finally shipping a touchscreen 2-in-1 is simple: I love touchscreens. My hands are my moneymakers, and these days I like to rest them whenever they get tired of typing or mousing by reaching up and tapping instead.
It’s a small ergonomic luxury that I’ve found makes a big difference in my personal comfort, so I was keen to see whether the Framework Laptop 12’s 12.2-inch (1920 x 1200 pixels) touchscreen is snappy or not. A slow touchscreen can drive you mad with frustration, so I’m pleased to report the screens I tried on the Framework Laptop 12 demo units at the event felt quite smooth and snappy to the touch.
They looked bright and fairly colorful, too, though that wasn’t tough under the harsh shadows of the Framework event. The company claims they’re capable of achieving 400 nits of brightness, which we’ll test for ourselves when they ship later this year.
Replaceable parts on a 2-in-1 are novel and cool
Frankly I’m just psyched to see the Framework philosophy of design implemented successfully (I hope) in a 2-in-1 for the first time.
I think the best 2-in-1 laptops are more viable than ever thanks to advances in mobile tech and Windows 11’s touch interface, so it’s great to finally see a 2-in-1 that’s as repairable and upgradable as a regular Framework laptop. I also love that I can finally get a 2-in-1 laptop with Framework’s Expansion Card system, which lets you buy and swap out a smorgasbord of different ports from USB-C to HDMI as you need them.
Framework Laptop 12 hands-on: The downs
The Framework Laptop 12 I got to try out is not the final product that will ship later this year, so I can’t really say what flaws (if any) we should expect to see from this machine. That said, there is something I’m a little worried about when I look at its specs sheet.
13th Gen Intel laptop chips might disappoint
If you scroll up to the specs tablet you’ll see Framework plans to load the Laptop 12 with 13th Gen Intel Core i3 and Core i5 laptop CPUs. And hey, those chips aren’t terrible. In fact, we were cautiously excited about their performance when they launched back in 2022.
However, that was almost three years ago now, so I’m not expecting great things from the performance of the Framework Laptop 12. The company isn’t making any boasts about it either (which is great), so you should be aware that this new device likely won’t be great for chopping up video or blazing through your favorite games.
But what I’m actually more concerned about is battery life. These days the best Windows laptops are finally able to compete with the best MacBooks on this front because the latest Windows laptop chips are power-efficient enough to reliably hit 12+ hours of life on a full charge. And while some efficiency-minded 13th Gen Intel laptops can hit that mark, many fall short.
We’ll just have to wait until we get a chance to test the Framework Laptop 12 ourselves to see!
Framework Laptop 12 hands-on: Bottom line
The Framework Laptop 12 is a little small for my plus-sized paws, but that’s a problem for me to worry about — it can’t be helped in a 2-in-1 this small. So while I’m not psyched about the typing experience on the Laptop 12 itself, I’m over the moon that Framework has finally sorted out how to ship a user-repairable laptop with a touchscreen.
The display itself looks pretty good, too, though we’ll have to wait until we get a shipped model into our testing lab to see how it performs. But if Framework can keep the price low, I think even an anemic Framework Laptop 12 has real potential to be popular among teachers, students and parents who want to give their kids a laptop to study on that they can also learn to repair themselves.
