Framework Laptop 12 Review: the most repairable laptop ever

Cheap laptops can By saving short -term money, but if they are cheap and quickly obsolete, you could end up replacing them shortly after. That’s why Framework Ethos is so perfect for laptop budget. Being able to update or replace almost all components on the device alone, in theory, means many more years of life for your laptop, keeping devices outside the landfills.

The new Framework laptop 12 Start only $ 549 for the FAI -Da -Te edition, a fantastic deal for the price, but also a laptop that could potentially last a lot, much longer than your average machine.

Plastic please

Photography: Luke Larsen

Framework Laptop 12 is the third important product in the formation so far. The company launched for the first time the laptop 1322 framework in 2022, followed by a larger (and more powerful) 16 -inch model. But the 12 -inch laptop is unique, however, as it is not only the smallest but also the cheapest, bringing the philosophy of the picture to a new demography. The Framework 12 laptop has a similarity with students laptops, in particular the Chromebooks. These are designed to resist some abuses, making it suitable for schools.

Although it uses only a 12.2 -inch screen, its overall imprint on the table is a little bigger than it is presumed. Due to the almost comically large frames around the display, the device is larger in some dimensions of some 13 -inch laptops, such as the Dell XPS 13. It is so dense (and the frames are so large) that it is even higher than the 13 -inch MacBook Air with the open cover, despite having a screen of over a thumb to work with. It is a small screen to work on, especially compared to how much the device feels great to transport.

There are some interesting bits on the screen. It is the first framework device to present a 16:10 ratio and a shiny touchscreen. The framework laptop 13 and 16 both have opaque display. But the reason for the touchscreen is that it is a 2 in 1 laptop, which means that the zipper can rotate about 360 degrees. There is also a stylus that you can buy to take notes or draw, even if mine has not arrived.

This also means that it cannot easily open up with one hand. There is not even a lip for your finger, so you will need both hands to open it. Fortunately, the construction quality is decent. It is made of plastic, yes, so there are some donations in the keyboard and in the lid. But Framework claims to have an “inner metal structure” that gives it its quite robust sensation. It doesn’t seem fragile at all. Framework is also using “overloaded thermoplastic, which absorb impacts” to strengthen the edges, ensuring that it is not affected or decent. It is no different from what you see on the Chromebook budgets intended for the class.

The quality of the display is affected or missing. The colors are the greatest damage to the display and laptop as a whole. It has a bad green color, which I confirmed with mine Spyder Colorimeter. It is typical for laptops of this price, but still disappointing to see. The good news is that it is very clear with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,200 pixels and rather bright, with a maximum of 434 nits of brightness. This helps.

While the display has its deficiencies, the Framework 12 laptop has some strengths in its favor. The first is the keyboard, which seems fantastic to type with its 1.5mm key trip. Perhaps even more surprising is the touchpad. It is common to see touchpad that does not respond to this price that seem goffi to flow or have rigid and strong clicks. This is also true on the cheap laptops that I like, like the Asus VivoBook 14. But the laptop Framework 12 has a high -end touchpad which is equally fluid and reactive to use as MacBook or Microsoft Surface. It does not offer tactile feedback like those, but the click mechanism is quiet and precise. This might seem like a little reason to appreciate the 12 laptop, but as parts of the laptop with which you interact more directly, they do a lot to make it feel premium rather than cheap.