Reviews are live on the new Framework Laptop 12 powered by Intel Core Series 3! We designed Framework Laptop 12 from the start to be a fun, colorful, portable, Linux-ready 2-in-1. With this generation, we focused on power efficiency, CPU performance, and improvements to quality of life with options for fingerprint reader and backlit keyboard. Reviewers confirmed we maintained what makes this form factor great while leveling up the overall experience:
“If you’re tired of disposable electronics and want a portable device you can easily repair and upgrade for years to come, the Laptop 12 is an outstanding choice.”
“Overall this is a very nice Intel Wildcat Lake laptop option for Linux use with Framework’s legendary upgrade-ability and friendly Linux support.”
– Phoronix
“If you like the MacBook Neo but you want to run Linux, and you care about repairability and upgradability, this is probably the laptop you want.”
Shipments of the new Framework Laptop 12 start later this week. Pre-orders are still open, with the current available batch shipping in November. We’re targeting making new modules like the Fingerprint Reader available in the Framework Marketplace by the end of this year.
Framework Laptop 12 continues to be our system with the highest percentage of Linux usage. Our Linux compatibility page is now up to date with the latest distro recommendations. Note that Core Series 3 and the BE213 Wi-Fi 7 module we used are both very new, so we recommend using a distro with kernel 7.1 or newer. We have a pre-built option that comes with a customized Fedora 44 KDE Plasma install with all the needed patches for full hardware support, and you can pick up that image to install onto a DIY Edition too.
Whenever we launch a new generation of a product, we want to make sure you have a way to reuse any original modules after upgrading to new ones. To enable that, we partnered with Printables to run a design competition for 3D-printable cases to re-use the Framework Laptop 12 Mainboard. We saw some truly incredible and creative designs, and we’re excited to share the winners. First is a refined, minimal case by Pom. Second place goes to Rusty6285’s Portable Access Console, and third is Jankbu’s modular cyberdeck. We’re happy to see the Framework Laptop 12 ecosystem continue to grow, and all of the community efforts continue to make this our most loveable computer.