Wondering if the 12’s display can be upgraded in the future, if there is ever a better screen offered.
I have searched the forums, and it looks like people allude to replacing the display. Also I see a screen kit available in the parts store. However, the Wired review remarked that “While the internal components can be swapped out, the display, keyboard, and touchpad are what they are,” which I thought meant they were tied to the form factor forever, like the memory in the Framework Desktop.
If the Framework 12 is successful enough to justify a version 2, would I be reasonable to expect that future, better displays can be installed? This would be a first laptop for a kid to do Minecraft and simple apps, so repairability and cuteness matter more than specs, but the kid is artistically inclined and might care about color quality in a few years. It would be nice to keep the machine for a long time and let it grow with the user.
I think the review probably meant that while things like the Wi-Fi card, RAM, and SSD are industry standard parts, the display, keyboard, touchpad, etc., are sort of bespoke for the Framework 12, and there aren’t multiple options available at this time.
However, are they potentially upgradable down the road? Absolutely! The display is relatively easy to remove. If Framework, or even a third-party company, were ever to come up with a better quality display that fit the Framework 12, you could swap it right in, no problem.
In fact, they have already gone through several versions of the display for the 13" machine, and all of them can work on any Framework 13 machine.
Hopefully, that helps.
Cheers!
Edit: Just be aware, there is technically no guarantee a better quality display will ever get made for the Framework 12. But it is definitely possible to swap it out if someone makes a new display.
Thanks for replying! I understand now. I actually did not realize that the laptop 13 screens could be upgraded either – now I am going to look carefully at whether I want a 13 for my next portable, too.
Totally understand that Framework promises nothing specific for the future, but would be bummed if they roll out a new 12 with a better screen someday and the early movers can’t participate. Knowing that the screen is a replaceable/upgradeable part in priciple means I’m probably going to pull the trigger on the 12.
You can find the display model used somewhere in your system setting, of by searching for laptop reviews. For example, the FL13’s 2.2K screen model is BOE CQ NE135FBM-N41 and the 2.8K 120Hz screen is BOE NE135A1M-NY1. If you know the model of your display, it’s possible to find replacement screen on other markets