Framework Chromebook review

Framework released its first modular laptop last year, and the company now offers it with ChromeOS. It’s not the most exciting laptop we’ve ever seen, but it’s extremely well designed, upgradeable and flexible. You can easily swap out different ports, add RAM and storage and replace any parts that might break over time. Couple that with an excellent screen and keyboard and you have a quality device that should last years longer than the average Chromebook, even if its $999 price is a bit high.

Video Transcript

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In a world where most laptops are entirely sealed with no real way to tweak the hardware, Framework's modular devices stand out. The company's first Windows laptop was a solid computer for its price, and that's before you factor in the fact that you can easily swap ports, add more RAM or storage, and even upgrade the processor down the line.

It's now been a little over a year since the first Framework laptops launched. And now, the company has a new model, the Framework laptop Chromebook edition, which I'll refer to here on out as the Framework Chromebook. It offers the same benefits as its Windows' sibling, namely solid industrial design and specs, coupled with the promise of customisation and future expandability.

That said, it's also one of the more expensive Chromebooks available, starting at $999. That's a lot of money for a Chromebook, but if it can last you five years or more, it might be worth the cost.

Visually, the Framework Chromebook has very little to distinguish it. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it is very utilitarian with the silver aluminum chassis that resembles so many other devices out there. That said, it is a pretty compact device, less than 2/3 of an inch thick and weighing in at under 3 pounds.

A classy reflective Framework logo on the lid is the only thing distinguishing it from an Acer, Asus, and other brands laptops. That said, I discovered later in my testing that the Framework Chromebook does have one bit of visual flair. The black bezel around its screen is magnetic and easily removable.

Framework actually provided me with the bright orange option, which I left on after swapping it in. You can also get a silver bezel if you want, but orange is a favorite of mine. And it definitely made things more fun.

I'm hoping Framework adds a few more colors in the future as well. Behind that bezel is a 10 DPI webcam that's totally fine for video calling. Also, of interest is the fact that there are hardware switches for disabling the camera and microphones. This isn't just a software trick either. The switches actually cut the power to those modules, making it a fairly secure option.

That said, a physical cover over the camera would be pretty impenetrable too. While Framework devices are upgradable, there are a few things that are a little more permanent, namely the display and keyboard. You can replace both if you need to, but there aren't upgraded versions available at this time. This could change of course.

Fortunately, both are excellent as you'd hope for in a laptop in this price. The 13.5 inch display has a high resolution of 2256 by 1504, good for a taller three by two aspect ratio that I wish was more common. The main downside is that it's on a touch screen, something that you will find on most Chromebooks.

The Framework Chromebook's keyboard is excellent. The backlit keys have 1.5 millimeter of travel and are solid and precise. The keycaps are a bit small, but it didn't take me long to adjust to this keyboard. I do wish Framework included a fingerprint sensor though. You can find one on the Windows laptop.

Given that plenty of other Chromebooks support fingerprint unlocking, I'm a little surprised that it's not available here. At $999, the Framework Chromebook isn't cheap, but the company didn't spare an expense with the processor. It features Intel's 12th Gen Core i5 CPU along with 8 gigabytes of RAM and 286 gigabytes of storage.

Most Chromebooks with similar specs are similarly priced, so the Framework laptop isn't excessively expensive. But the question as always is whether spending that much money on a Chrome OS device is a good idea at all. Let's get into what makes the Framework Chromebook unique.

Instead of having a set of unchangeable ports, there are four slots for user selectable expansion cards. Framework offers ports for USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, displayport, ethernet, and micro SD. Additionally, you can use those sockets for easily swappable storage.

Framework offers 256 gigabyte and one terabyte modules. All the expansion cards are USB-C based. The sockets in the laptop itself are just four recessed USB-C ports. This means you could use those storage cards with other computers to easily move files around.

I went with two USB-C ports, one on each side, USB-A and HDMI as my loadout. Framework helpfully includes an led light on each side of the laptop, so you can confirm when you're charging and when the battery is full. Everything functioned as I would have expected.

The HDMI port works just fine with my external monitor, and my old USB-A flash drive showed up with no issues. I also tested out the ethernet expansion card, which again was plug and play simple. Though, it's worth noting that it's bigger than the other cards and thus sticks out the side of the laptop.

I'm of two minds when it comes to these modules. On the one hand, the ability to customize what ports are available on your computer is pretty damn cool. If I use micro SD or ethernet more, for example, I love the ability to swap those in or just load up on USB-C ports if I had a lot of those peripherals.

But there are also plenty of Chromebooks that already have USB-A, HDMI, and micro SD slots, which makes the Framework's module slots a little less compelling to me. However, the fact that my needs are modest doesn't change the fact that there are probably lots of people who want more flexibility in their laptop.

Being able to drop in an ethernet port for when you're doing a lot of downloading and then swap it out for USB-A if you're hooking up older devices is undeniably useful. And it also futureproofs this laptop quite a bit. If you get rid of all your USB-A gadgets, for example, just throw in another USB-C port or add more storage. There are tons of possibilities here that you just don't get from a standard laptop.

These swappable ports are only one facet of the Framework Chromebook's flexibility. Using the included torx T5 screwdriver, I was able to loosen the five screws on the underside of the laptop and then lift the keyboard deck right off, exposing the laptop's innards.

It's all laid out clearly, and everything is labeled. And there are QR codes you can scan with your phone to go directly to upgrade guides. I didn't need to change too much under the hood, but Framework provided me with the second 8 gigabyte memory chip that I was able to install in less than 5 minutes.

I can't remember the last time I've been able to upgrade my laptop's RAM like this. And with two slots, I can shove in up to 64 gigabytes of memory. That's something that will make this Chromebook a useful machine for a long time, and that's to say nothing about upgrading the processor.

The Framework Chromebook has Intel's latest processor on board already, so there's no need to change it. But Framework has already started offering new main boards for its Windows laptop, which originally shipped with an 11th generation Intel processor.

It seems likely that in a few years, when Intel has newer chips available, Framework will let you swap them in and give your old laptop a nice performance boost. As you'd expect, using the Framework Chromebook was basically identical to any other Chromebook with these specs.

It's a snappy responsive laptop that can handle basically anything you might want to do in Chrome OS, whether that's Android apps, using a lot of web apps, or just running a ton of tabs. Battery life is the main downside here.

I only got a little over 6 hours unplugged during my normal work routine, and the battery lasted about 8 hours and 15 minutes when looping playback of an HD video stored locally on the laptop.

Framework did note that there is a battery draining bug they've seen when using the laptop with either the HDMI or displayport expansion cards installed. They said it'll be fixed in a future software update. But even when I tested it without those cards installed, I got the same 6 hours or so of battery life.

After my time with this Chromebook, I'm officially a fan of what Framework is doing here. The laptop has a few compromises compared to most other Chrome OS devices, namely battery life and a rather pedestrian appearance. But don't mistake the lack of flash for poor design.

The Framework Chromebook is extremely repairable for ordinary humans while still keeping a relatively small and light frame. And it also has a great screen and keyboard to go along with its powerful upgradable internals. At $999, it is one of the more expensive Chromebooks on the market.

And you could get a comparable device, like the Asus Chromebook Spin 714 for a relatively low cost of $729. But that device isn't generally repairable or upgradable at all, while the Framework Chromebook can be easily fixed by most people who buy one. And owners can also add more storage, more RAM, and hopefully, even replace the processor eventually to keep it alive for a lot longer than your average laptop.

For some people, especially those who think our gadgets shouldn't be disposable devices that we replace every few years, that makes the Framework Chromebook worth the premium. Thanks for tuning in, and stay tuned to Engadget for more news and reviews.