Two years ago, the highlight of the Framework event in San Francisco, California, was the Framework Laptop 16—a laptop that promised the "holy grail" of upgradable graphics cards. It was considered one of the most ambitious laptops ever made. However, at the latest event, the attention shifted towards the new Framework Desktop, which is also targeted at gamers.
The event revealed that the Framework Desktop and the original 13-inch laptop are now equipped with the latest AMD processors. However, there is no confirmation yet on whether the Framework Laptop 16 will receive similar updates. The only mention of the flagship laptop was a new "One Key Module." This module allows the Framework community to experiment with building their own electromechanical keyboards, designed to fit into the Laptop 16's thin Input Module bay.
While the promised M.2 adapter bay was shipped in December, allowing users to add extra SSDs or peripherals in place of a discrete graphics card, questions remain about the future of the Framework Laptop 16. Is it a dead end, or will it see new mainboards and chips in the future? At the event, I spoke with Framework CEO Nirav Patel, who assured me, "We’re nowhere near done with Framework Laptop 16."
When asked if today was the day to confirm a GPU upgrade or a snap-on secondary battery for the Laptop 16, Patel responded, "Today is not that day." While Framework continues to ship preordered batches of the Laptop 16, the question of GPU upgrades remains a point of contention. Dell/Alienware faced similar challenges with the Alienware Area-51m, leading to lawsuits over its unfulfilled promises of upgradable GPUs.
Framework has not yet confirmed GPU upgrades in 2023, which raises questions among consumers. It would be beneficial if Framework could assure buyers that upgrades are forthcoming. Personally, there are several aspects of the laptop I would like to see improved, and it wouldn't be surprising if Framework is reconsidering its strategy, even if it ultimately delivers on its promises.
