Recently a 13.3 inch portable OLED monitor has been released for $200-250. I know the Framework laptop is 3:2, but is there any chance modifications could be made to replace the standard display with 16:9 ones? The allure of OLED is pretty great so this feels like a great option since Framework hasn’t announced any official plans to offer an OLED panel.
Modify? Maybe, but the resut would never be anything like the original fit and finish. A 13.3" 16:9 panel is wider and shorter than the 13.5" 3:2 panel the Framework laptop comes with. There’s nothing you could do with the stock frame, so you’d have to replace it, somehow.
You could 3D print an entirely new case, if you really wanted to. The specs are there, the mainbaords can be bought separately. The limits are only your time, budget, and skill.
The HP Spectre has a 13.5 inch 3000x2000 OLED display option - I looked before and could not find it a proper spare part number (only for the whole panel including frame), but this means OLED displays with the right dimensions are being produced.
2 Likes
See similar thread: Framework Laptop Alternative Screens - has some alternative suggestions too
2 Likes
The important thing to look at is the physical dimensions of the panel.
NOT the advertised size.
Going to 16:9 you’re going to loose a lot of screen area and have a very large bezel below the screen.
Would this be a suitable candidate? Or does it all depend on the connector? It’s not too expensive to buy and take apart, so I’m willing to take the chance.
it’s not OLED though and from the description it’s not even clear what format it actually is (it says 16:9 and 15:10).
other than that it’s a fun project to try out as a proof of concept but a lot of stars have to align: connector, shape, does it actually fit in the top case, etc.
would be interested nevertheless in seeing if anyone manages 
1 Like
Yeah, I noticed the same about the resolution. But in the images, it’s definitely not 16:9. The screen is the main thing for me holding back on the purchase. I want my next laptop to be from Framework, but I’m afraid the screen is going to be a deal-breaker.
But as you say, it can be a fun project. 
honestly the framework’s screen is lower-resolution than my previous laptop (a 2015 mbp) and all my work laptops i had since then, i thought i would care / notice but i really don’t so if that is your concern i wouldn’t worry too much.
on the aforementioned hp model, i’ve searched briefly and i found this on aliexpress. ignoring the fact that from the ad itself it’s not even clear whether it’s an oled screen or not, the connectors seem quite different from what i can see in the replacement guide. besides, no mention of the size.
having said that, some dude managed to fit an e-ink display so i wouldn’t be surprised if this is feasible.
1 Like
That’s encouraging. I’m coming from a 4K Dell XPS 13 with an external 4K monitor, so I’m spoilt. But to be honest, I’ve found the built-in 13" 4K panel to be overkill. My external monitor is 27" and the framework’s panel has a higher PPI.
What I’m most afraid of is fractional scaling on Linux. @cassidyjames did a great writeup here, and that’s what I intend to try. 
that only applies to X11. wayland is stable enough, it requires some fiddling for many apps but most people have already done that for you. some apps will still have issues (e.g. jetbrains) on the display with fractional scaling but i mostly use pycharm/intellij when plugged to my external screen so none of this applies.
if you end up getting one feel free to reach out directly and i can give you some pointers on my wayland setup.
I’m using elementary OS, and they’re not yet moving to Wayland for the next release, although it’s planned. So, for now, I’m still going to have to deal with X11, as I don’t want to switch to another distro.
Just out of curiosity, which distro are you using?
Do you actually use the the XPS 13 at native 4k or do you scale it?
I have a 15.6" HP with a 4k display and I use 105 or 200% scaling to make everything readable.
There’s basically no point going past 1440p on anything smaller than 27" IMO.
Do you actually use the the XPS 13 at native 4k, or do you scale it?
I use it scaled. The full 4k on such a small screen is overkill. It’s at 3200x1800@2x when I’m on the internal screen alone, which is the smallest I can go, really. So for me, a 3000x2000 panel on the framework would be perfect, because that would give me roughly the same experience I’m having now.
