We've always had a bit of a soft spot for Framework. With a focus on repairability and upgradability, its laptops have parts that can be replaced quickly and easily. You can even take the entire mainboard out and replace it with another, or run it as its own mini PC. The Framework 12, a laptop/tablet hybrid, lives up to that esteemed reputation.
iFixit, a company that publishes how-to guides and routinely tests tech to see how repairable tech is, has just awarded the Framework 12 full marks, praising how easy it is to take apart and make adjustments to.
iFixit's director of sustainability, Elizabeth Chamberlain, says, "This is a rugged laptop that respects your time, your budget, and your ability to make repairs. It checks every box on our repairability wishlist, and then adds a few bonus features we didn’t even know we wanted."
In the full teardown, particular attention is paid to the strong materials of the laptop, but also the 360-degree hinge, which allows the screen to fold back and be used as a tablet. The frame has shock-absorbing thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) in its shell, which makes it harder to break, and it's so easy to take apart that breaking it is a little less gut-wrenching than most laptops on the market.
Having just bought an M4 MacBook Air, I live in fear of one day pulling it out of my bag to find a scratch, and knowing it will cost almost as much to buy a brand new laptop.
iFixit says the Framework 12 screen is even easier to remove than previous Framework laptops, as you can simply take off the bottom bezel and get access to the panel. Getting into the internals just requires removing the screws on the back then popping off the keyboard at the front. Though the likes of the battery and audio board needs users to take out screws, the RAM and SSD can be replaced without the need to use any tools.
The expansion cards have also received a neat update over the Framework 13. To take them out, you simply need to flick a lock switch and pull them out. This is an upgrade from the lock button used in the 13. Expansion cards can be used to add extra ports to your laptop or get a bit more storage, so being able to securely take out a USB-C port to replace it with an SD reader is a solid feature.
QR codes present on the inside of the laptop will show you how to upgrade or repair the Framework 12, which is one of the biggest selling points of Framework. It's not just that you can repair and change out modular parts, but that you are encouraged to do so. It even comes with spare screw on the inside, which helps with future repairs and upgrades.
This isn't Framework's first time getting a perfect 10. The Framework 13 got 10/10 back in 2021, and a rereview of the Framework 13 in April this year affirmed that score, saying it's even better now. That makes for a stark comparison to iFixit's rereview of the Nintendo Switch, which saw the outfit actually lower the handheld's score by a significant amount: from 8/10 to 4/10.
According to iFixit, the Framework 12 is "the most repairable Framework yet."
The Framework 12 is currently available for preorder, with the cheapest DIY edition coming in at $549 and the cheapest prebuilt costing $799. It is due to ship out in Q3 (July-September). We are yet to see performance, but early durability tests certainly give me hope it could be a solid little machine for on-the-go work.
1. Best overall: Razer Blade 16
2. Best budget: Gigabyte G6X
3. Best 14-inch: Asus ROG Zephyrus G14
4. Best mid-range: MSI Vector 16 HX AI
5. Best high-performance: Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 10
6. Best 17-inch: Gigabyte Aorus 17X
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