I noticed that while I use the Laptop with it’s lid closed, connected to a docking station, the bluetooth signal quality is rather bad. I use bluetooth headphones for work and in my free time, so i immediately notice the dropping connection.
As soon as i open the lid (so that the screen is facing me), the bluetooth quality drastically improves.
When the lid is closed, I have to sit in a certain way in my chair, so I don’t get dropped out. If the lid is opened, I can even change the room.
I guess, that it is something with the placement of the antenna.
So my Feature/Optimization-Request is: please change the layout of the antenna, so it works just as well when the lid is closed. It would improve your product, maybe it’s even a cheap change - I don’t know.
I also have a Smartphone and a tablet, which do not care how they are oriented, the bluetooth quality is always good.
Btw. I use Framwork 13, 12 gen i5-1240P and manjaro-Linux. I also like to drink tea, drive cars and I wear glasses, if that helps fixing the issue.
I’m sorry, but how could they possibly fix this when you don’t provide enough information?
What type of tea?!
Also, monocle > glasses. And welcome to the forum!
~edit~
Not that it helps, but just for information’s sake,
Bluetooth is provided by the wifi module and uses the wifi antennas, since BT works on 2.4GHz frequencies, which it shares with 2.4GHz wifi. Antennas are located at the bottom of the screen. You can see it here Antenna Replacement Guide - Framework Guides
The problem is that the lid and the base are metal, so when you close the lid the only place for the signal to get out is the slit between the two.
The only way to improve this will be to mill out a piece at the base of the lid and replace it with a suitable shaped plastic piece, just where the antenna is.
This would also solve the problem for others who complain about poor wifi connectivity, and having to carefully orientate their laptop to get good signal, while other devices work quite happily and show good signal level.
Perhaps the simplest fix would be to plug a small Bluetooth dongle into your docking station USB and disable the built-in Bluetooth? Not elegant but cheap and gets around the physics issues of wireless signals through a metal case.
Okay so I guess it would boil down to be a design decision then, right? To make room for the antenna somewhere in the aluminium lid back-side (with a plastic stripe or whatever), or have the sleek design of full aluminium cover.
Maybe there could be a “design wiggle-room” regarding the milled out framework logo on the back-side. Maybe there could be a decent spot for an antenna to sit.
Some laptops back in the day, had this plastic stripe on the top of the backside of the display like that:
I’m not sure if Frameworks decision would be “form follows function” though… I kind of doubt it. Also i guess it would be more expensive to provide for that extra antenna spot, regarding production and tooling.
Anyway, I would suggest making room for the antenna, so I can have my cake and eat it too.
You know why? Because when I use the Laptop with the docking station with the lid opened (which would not be a problem for me in and of itself) the cat jumps on the keyboard…
I would like them to make the Framework logo on the lid to be backlit. It may then be possible to put the antenna behind that, I don’t believe an LED lighting that would produce enough RF noise in the wifi/bluetooth range to be a problem.
Maybe a lid with a backlit logo could be an additional accessory.
You could even prototype this yourself. A top cover is readily available either new or on the used market and designed to be swapped by yourself. Just make a small cut out where the antenna is and see if it works. If it doesn’t, just swap back.
