Introducing the Framework Laptop Chromebook Edition

[Marissa_Buyck]

Framework began with the goal to remake consumer electronics to respect people and do less harm to the planet. To enable this, we strive to expand our mission into new categories. Today, we are excited to announce that we have partnered with Google to create the Framework Laptop Chromebook Edition. We’ve taken the best parts of the Framework Laptop and merged those with the powerful simplicity of ChromeOS to create a high-performance, upgradeable, repairable, customizable Chromebook.

The Chromebook Edition is available for pre-order in the US and Canada today starting at $999 USD, with first shipments starting in early December. We’re using a batch pre-order system, with only a fully-refundable $100 deposit required at the time of pre-order. All of the replacement parts and modules that make up the Chromebook Edition are also available for waitlisting on the Marketplace today.

Trail-blazing performance

The Chromebook Edition leverages design from the Framework Laptop including a high resolution (2256x1504) 3:2 display, comfortable 1.5mm key-travel keyboard, and precision formed and milled aluminum housing, all while remaining extremely portable at 15.85mm thick and 1.3kg. Powered by the latest 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1240P processor with 4+8 CPU cores and 30W sustained performance, you can multitask with ease on top of running heavy Chrome workloads. ChromeOS supports downloading Android™ apps from the Google Play Store, developing on Linux with Crostini, playing PC games with Steam on ChromeOS Alpha, and more.* At the same time, the Framework Laptop Chromebook Edition is our most power efficient product yet with optimizations from Google and Intel that allow for long-lasting battery life.

Customization options

The Chromebook Edition features our Expansion Card system, letting you choose the ports you want and which side you want them on, including support for USB-C, USB-A, MicroSD, HDMI, DisplayPort, Ethernet, high speed storage, and more.

Memory and storage are socketed, enabling you to load up whenever you’d like. The pre-built configuration comes with 8GB of DDR4 and 256GB NVMe storage and can be upgraded to up to 64GB of DDR4 and 1TB of NVMe storage. You can also use 250GB and 1TB Storage Expansion Cards to extend your space.

Our magnet-attach Bezel allows you to adjust the look of your laptop to fit you. All Framework Bezels are compatible with the Chromebook Edition.

Privacy & transparency

The Chromebook Edition has built-in hardware to give you control over your privacy. Hardware privacy switches cut power from the camera and microphones, disabling any access.

Every part of the system has a scannable QR code, giving you unprecedented access to documentation, repair guides, replacement and upgrade parts, and insight into design and manufacturing data. With open source Embedded Controller firmware and coreboot BIOS, the underlying system software is open too.

Designed for sustainable longevity

We designed the Framework Laptop Chromebook Edition to maximize longevity and minimize impact on the planet. We reduce resource extraction and e-waste entering the environment by designing products to be repairable and long-lasting, enabling ways to reuse modules, and leveraging recycled materials in our manufacturing process.

In addition to the hardware, we’ve partnered with ChromeOS because of their commitment to long-lasting speed and transparency. The Framework Laptop Chromebook Edition is built with the Titan C security chip and receives automatic updates through June 2030, all to keep your Chromebook fast and secure.

Learn more about our full line-up of Framework Laptops including our latest 12th Gen Intel® Core™ systems supporting Windows and Linux.

*Google, Android, Chrome, Chromebook and other marks are trademarks of Google LLC.

[Joshua_Ham]

This is a Framework Laptop, but it is pre-specced with a 12th gen i5, 8x1gb RAM and 250gb SSD.
The top over has the Chromebook logo on it
The power button looks different. Probably just a fingerprint scanner.
It also has a Chromebook formatted keyboard (look where delete key and caps lock should be), but the search key looks different than most.
Everything else looks the same and is interchangeable with the regular Framework Laptop.
Edit: Maybe the motherboard is different? It is not chromeOS flex, but full chromeOS. I think there must be a special bootloader or bios for chromeOS.

[MidnightMatter]

Congrats, Framework Team!

Had this been available when I purchased my Google Pixelbook, I would have picked it up instead.

But as luck would have it, my non-repairable Pixelbook was replaced by a Framework anyway, so it all worked out in the end. LOL

[Simon_F]

So the question is: Can my 12th gen i5 Framework become a Chromebook Edition by just installing a custom bios and OS?

[Gregor_Schram]

@Simon_F

So the question is: Can my 12th gen i5 Framework become a Chromebook Edition by just installing a custom bios and OS?

I wonder exactly the same, my first assumption would be yes, and most likely a dump of the ssd can just be installed on any other framework laptop and it will probably work, maybe firmware upgrades would be broken but even 11th gen is so close that I don’t see why it wouldn’t work (chromeos uses a linux kernel underneath after all). But then again maybe Framework made some hardware changes. I am also wondering if the coreboot bios will become available to other Framework owners.

[Simon_F]

@Simon_F

So the question is: Can my 12th gen i5 Framework become a Chromebook Edition by just installing a custom bios and OS?

@Marissa_Buyck

The Framework Laptop Chromebook Edition is built with the Titan C security chip

So there seems to be a different mainboard

[Gregor_Schram]

@Simon_F

So there seems to be a different mainboard

Ah yes I missed that

[amoun]

So sad I try to keep as far away from Google as possible

[gmv]

Instant buy for me, but I don’t want to buy a whole new device - being able to just buy the mainboard to slot in would be amazing.

My problem with using ChromeOS on Framework is that for “non-blessed” devices the security model requires you to do a full user login on boot (no PIN login on boot). I am hoping that this official Chromebook Framework does not have that limitation (a la Google Pixelbook).

[gs1]

I think this would make more sense if the chassis was PCR plastic or something so that educational systems could buy cheap repairable Chromebooks for their classrooms.

A $999 metal Chromebook is a stupid idea.

Don’t get me wrong, I still love what Framework is doing and I know it’s not very expensive for them to make this product variant, but I hope this was just a one-time favor for Google’s money and not a bigger trend of leaning more into that locked-down OS

[asonix]

@Marissa_Buyck

the Framework Laptop Chromebook Edition is our most power efficient product yet with optimizations from Google and Intel

I hope the other editions are going to benefit from some of these optimizations. I’d really like better battery life without a google operating system

[Leander_Feret]

Meh, I know business is business, but I think (hope) the community around repairability and customization is not this engulfed with google and their OS.

I would more like a better battery durability (for linux) and a touchscreen, to switch out the current screen.

So, question, is the CPU Google uses with their motherboard open - or more over, is the bios open? Could I, if I decide to do so, take the framework chromebook and just install a linux on it?

If not (and I do not know, but would guess, their would be problems, knowing my big cooperations), wouldnt that go against frameworks philosophy (at least the marketed one)?

Also, some small afterthoughts.

Is google not big enough, to produce and build their own customizable hardware and source their own, truely full environment friendly versions? This seem, like the invasion of google into a new and fresh startup, to use the consumer trust and lose some of their own bad taste.

If google wanted repairability, open soft- and hardware and environment friendly products - they would produce them … as many may already have guessed, Im not a fan of big business invading this. But I guess, Im just grumpy … so, to all the other wanting a framework chromebook, for whatever reason - happy for you

[Conan_Kudo]

Does this mean that this model uses Coreboot for the UEFI firmware like other Chromebooks do?

[Simon_F]

@asonix

I hope the other editions are going to benefit from some of these optimizations.

IIRC the EC is based on an EC for chromebooks (correct me, if i am wrong here please), so if parts of the optimizations google made are in the EC, it could benefit other Framework models as well (fingers crossed)

[Jieren_Zheng]

How does the scheduler work on ChromeOS vs Linux? I am interested to see whether the existing one could be converted with a firmware flash of the mainboard.

[velovix]

Congrats on the new launch! Happy to see Framework continuing to grow the business. It goes to show that a modular laptop design allows you to tackle new markets quickly.

With that said, I’m skeptical that this product will find a market. Chrome OS is fantastic for its ability to run well on low-end hardware, and becomes quite a bit less appealing when you’re trying to do the kind of “real work” that would be able to make use of these high-end specs. This device also has to compete with many other (and sometimes much cheaper) devices that have touch screens, which is important for Android apps.

I hope I’m wrong and these sell well! If they do, perhaps it would be worth considering a new laptop skew with a plastic housing and low-end (ARM?) mainboard to get the price down closer to more standard Chromebook levels. I’d be happy to buy something like that for my older family members who benefit from a simpler operating environment.

[Hugo_Osvaldo_Barrera]

Will it be locked-down like most Chromebooks, or will it be user-controlled?

Mainly: can we install any OS on it, or is it tied to Google?

[Simon_F]

@Marissa_Buyck

The Framework Laptop Chromebook Edition is built with the Titan C security chip

Does anyone feel adventures enough to take apart his/her 12th gen to see if there are some unpopulated pads for (probably) a bga?

[junaruga]

The Hacker News thread about this topic: The Framework Laptop Chromebook Edition | Hacker News

[Hugo_Gonzalez]

This is definitely cool from a tech perspective but I wonder how this will affect future motherboard upgrades. This may help battery life on other versions of framework since the EC is chromium based. Google may know a thing or two about that project. From an environmental standpoint this is questionable. Making ChromeOS only motherboards that you may not be able to source officially is not cool with me. I am very excited to see how this turns out. I still only wish the best for Framework