Framework Laptop 12 review: I’m excited to see what the 2nd generation looks like

But the keyboard lacks a backlight, and it doesn’t have the fingerprint sensor you get with the Laptop 13. With no fingerprint sensor and no IR webcam, there are no biometric authentication options available for use with Windows Hello, so you’ll either need a PIN or a password to unlock your laptop every time you want to use it. Either omission would be sort of annoying in a laptop in this price range (we complained about the lack of keyboard backlight in the $700 Surface Laptop Go 2 a few years ago), but to be missing both is particularly frustrating in a modern system that costs this much.

Repairs and upgrades

The Laptop 12 on the inside. The keyboard, audio board, and power board all shift to pogo pins instead of ribbon cables, which is handy.

Andrew Cunningham

The Laptop 12 on the inside. The keyboard, audio board, and power board all shift to pogo pins instead of ribbon cables, which is handy.

Andrew Cunningham

A close-up of the Laptop 12’s inside.

Andrew Cunningham

A close-up of the Laptop 12’s inside.

Andrew Cunningham

The Laptop 12 on the inside. The keyboard, audio board, and power board all shift to pogo pins instead of ribbon cables, which is handy.

Andrew Cunningham

A close-up of the Laptop 12’s inside.

Andrew Cunningham

We’ve been inside the Framework Laptop 13 enough times that we don’t do deep dives into its insides anymore, but as a new (and, in some ways, more refined) design, the Laptop 12 warrants a closer look this time around.

Framework’s pack-in Torx screwdriver is still the only tool you need to work on the Laptop 12. Undo the eight captive screws on the bottom of the laptop, and you’ll be able to lift away the entire keyboard and trackpad area to expose all of the other internal components, including the RAM, SSD, battery, and the motherboard itself.

The motherboard is quite a bit smaller than the Framework Laptop 13 board, and the two are definitely not interchangeable. Framework has never said otherwise, but it’s worth highlighting that these are two totally separate models that will have their own distinct components and upgrade paths—that goes for parts like the speakers and battery, too.

As a result of that reduction in board space, the Laptop 12 can only fit a single DDR5 RAM slot, which reduces memory bandwidth and limits your RAM capacity to 48GB. It also uses shorter M.2 2230 SSDs, like the Surface lineup or the Steam Deck. Unlike a few years ago, these SSDs are now readily available at retail, and it’s also easy to buy warranty-less ones on eBay or elsewhere that have been pulled from OEM systems. But they’re still a bit more expensive than the more common M.2 2280 size, and you have fewer options overall.

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