Right to repair champ Framework punts modular 13in laptop with Core Ultra Series 3
- Reference: 1776861067
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2026/04/22/framework_punts_modular_13in_laptop/
- Source link:
[1]
The Framework Laptop 13 Pro
The California-based biz, which champions the right to repair, detailed its latest gear at an event in San Francisco, saying that each is a direct response to the requests of Framework's user community.
[2]Framework Laptop 13 Pro is a redesign powered by Intel's [3]Core Ultra Series 3 Processors , which the firm claims to delivers more than 20 hours of battery life when video streaming.
The buyer can choose which ports they want via plug-in Expansion Cards, with options including USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, DP, and Ethernet. Memory is also upgradable thanks to the use of an LPCAMM2 module that is screwed flat onto the motherboard.
The display is a purpose-built power-optimized 13.5in screen with touch support and 2880 x 1920 resolution, while the backlit keyboard is available in a range of layout, language, and color options.
[4]
This model is available to order with first shipments due in June. Prices start at $1,199 for the DIY Edition (i.e. assemble yourself) or $1,499 for pre-built configurations.
[5]
[6]
Owners of the [7]Framework Laptop 16 get new component options in the shape of a one-piece haptic touchpad and one-piece keyboard options, plus a new Bezel color and a Ryzen 5 processor configuration, the latter available for pre-order today in a pre-built configuration from $1,599 and a DIY Edition from $1,249.
This laptop already offers buyers a number of input combinations, with the latest haptic touchpad module centering the touchpad in a single rigid aluminum palmrest. Likewise, the one-piece keyboard essentially offers a more seamless fit with the rest of the laptop.
[8]
Also coming soon for the Laptop 16 is the [9]OCuLink Dev Kit . This is described as a modular adapter and dock system that lets users connect external hardware such as a desktop graphics card. The OCuLink Dock supports standard off-the-shelf PCIe cards like 100 Gbps NICs, video capture cards, and more.
As its name suggests, this uses [10]OCuLink , the cable version of PCIe, to connect to the laptop, with up to 128 Gbps bidirectional throughput. Users will need an OCuLink Adapter Board in their Laptop 16 Expansion Bay Shell to bring the PCIe interface to a connector on the rear of the system.
[11]Framework guns for cheap laptops with upgradeable alternative
[12]A lot of product makers snub Right to Repair laws
[13]Tariff-ied Framework pulls laptops, Keyboardio warns of keystroke sticker shock
[14]Microsoft's latest Surface devices almost as easy to fix as they are to break
Framework says this has been designed as a kit. So you get the core electronics, structure, and reference 3D-printable designs, meaning users can choose what to build around it. Sample images supplied by the firm do not look particularly elegant.
[15]
Finally, another product previewed but not yet available is a simple [16]wireless keyboard with an integrated touchpad . This can connect to a system via a Wired (USB-C), Bluetooth, or USB-A Dongle, presumably meaning it can be used with any PC and not just a Framework model.
However, Framework says the circuit board containing the core electronics is a module it will also make available separately in the Framework Marketplace so that enthusiasts can build their own wireless keyboard designs. ®
Get our [17]Tech Resources
[1] https://regmedia.co.uk/2026/04/22/fw13-pro-graphite-diy-hero.jpg
[2] https://frame.work/gb/en/laptop13pro
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/05/intel_unleashes_panther_lake_cpus/
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aejwrqyBakEPozTqDZUWaAAAAkE&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aejwrqyBakEPozTqDZUWaAAAAkE&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aejwrqyBakEPozTqDZUWaAAAAkE&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://frame.work/laptop16
[8] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aejwrqyBakEPozTqDZUWaAAAAkE&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[9] https://frame.work/gb/en/products/framework-oculink-dev-kit
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2013/09/13/pci_sig_discusses_m_pcie_oculink_and_fourth_gen_pcie/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/26/framework_guns_for_cheap_laptops/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/01/right_to_repair_laws_manufacturers/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/08/small_hardware_firms_tariffs/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/24/microsoft_surface_ifixit_repairs/
[15] https://regmedia.co.uk/2026/04/22/fw13-productfamily-upgrade-1.jpg
[16] https://frame.work/gb/en/products/framework-wireless-touchpad-keyboard
[17] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: Repair
Because used Lenovos are these days mostly rubbish. Mine had the "R" key fail with comparatively little use and Lenovo's solution is to replace the whole top case. The stupid hinged Ethernet socket is irritatingly flaky... the screen flickers if you open it to the wrong angle. The days of ThinkPads being solid and easily repairable are gone I'm afraid.
I've not been impressed by the design or build of any new laptop I've come across in the past five years or so... a Framework is at the top of my list for a replacement for the ThinkPad but I've not had any hands-on experience of them myself. Specs, it has to be said, are very low indeed on my list of priorities - low power consumption is definitely one of the most important of those.
Spec with lowest RAM-SSD it's 1,550 quid plus delivery, no GPU and bring your own OS . . . . makes the Mac Neo look like the bargain of the decade.
I want to like it, but spec limitations kill the deal
I'm glad Framework is innovating in this space. Seriously.
But my #2 laptop requirement is an amazing display, which they just don't offer (#1 is being Windows-free). Resolution alone kills the deal.
I refuse to settle when it comes to display quality, considering just how many hours I look at one. Probably close to how many hours I spend looking at meatspace. Logic here is very similar to investing in a very good mattress: you'll spend nearly a third of your life laying on it.
Also wondering why the latest 16" models don't offer Thunderbolt support. For a product aimed at power users, that missing feature removes more than a few from the potential customer pool.
(Multiple Thunderbolt also fixes the display shortcomings for users who spend more on external displays than the actual computer which drives them.)
Repair
Are they breaking so often that right to repair is the main selling point?
That said, the specs would be meh in 2024.
Why not just buy a used Lenovo.