take three Framework Laptop 12 is a cheaper, more colorful take on a repairable laptop PC New laptop was designed with students in mind, will ship later this year. Andrew Cunningham Feb 25, 2025 2:10 pm | 52 The Framework Laptop 12 will come in five different two-tone color options. Credit: Framework The Framework Laptop 12 will come in five different two-tone color options. Credit: Framework Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreFramework has been selling and upgrading the upgrade-and-repair-friendly Framework Laptop 13 for nearly four years now, and in early 2024 it announced a larger, more powerful Framework Laptop 16. At a product event today, the company showed off what it called "an early preview" of its third laptop design, the convertible, budget-focused Framework Laptop 12.This addition to Framework's lineup centers on a 12.2-inch, 19201200 convertible touchscreen that flips around to the back with a flexible hinge, a la Lenovo's long-running Yoga design. Framework CEO Nirav Patel said it had originally designed the systems with "students in mind," and to that end it comes in five colors and uses a two-tone plastic body with an internal metal frame rather than the mostly aluminum exterior Framework has used for the 13 and 16. Framework will also sell the laptop with an optional stylus.For better or worse, the Framework Laptop 12 appears to be its own separate system, with motherboards, accessories, and a refresh schedule distinct from the 13-inch laptop. While the Laptop 13 already offers first-generation Intel Core Ultra-based and (as of today) AMD Ryzen AI 300-based processors, the first Framework Laptop 12 motherboard is going to use Intel's 13th-generation Core i3 and i5 processors, originally launched back in late 2022. Despite the age of these chips, Framework claims the laptop will be "unusually powerful for its class." Looking carefully at these photos, you can see that the laptops have two expansion card ports on the left side and two on the right plus a standalone headphone jack, same as the Framework Laptop 13. Looking carefully at these photos, you can see that the laptops have two expansion card ports on the left side and two on the right plus a standalone headphone jack, same as the Framework Laptop 13. The laptop has a 16:10 touchscreen and what appears to be a Lenovo Yoga-style flexible hinge. The laptop has a 16:10 touchscreen and what appears to be a Lenovo Yoga-style flexible hinge.Looking carefully at these photos, you can see that the laptops have two expansion card ports on the left side and two on the right plus a standalone headphone jack, same as the Framework Laptop 13.The laptop has a 16:10 touchscreen and what appears to be a Lenovo Yoga-style flexible hinge.As in the Framework Laptop 13, making the laptop easy to upgrade and repair was a priority for the company. It supports up to 48GB of DDR5-5200 (implying just a single DDR5 RAM slot) and up to 2GB of NVMe storage, both of which will be user-accessible and upgradeable. The photos of the laptop that Framework has shared show it using four of the company's USB-C expansion cards, the same number as the Framework Laptop 13, plus a dedicated headphone jack. The laptop will officially support both Windows 11 and Linux.Framework didn't share much else about the Framework Laptop 12 today, but the company hopes to begin preorders in April and to begin shipping the laptop in mid-2025. The lower-end processors and plastic body will both make the laptop cheaper than the Framework Laptop 13; we've asked Framework if it has any pricing information to share, and we'll update if we get a response.Andrew CunninghamSenior Technology ReporterAndrew CunninghamSenior Technology Reporter Andrew is a Senior Technology Reporter at Ars Technica, with a focus on consumer tech including computer hardware and in-depth reviews of operating systems like Windows and macOS. Andrew lives in Philadelphia and co-hosts a weekly book podcast called Overdue. 52 Comments