// ZDNET — HARDWARE & GADGET
Framework's new Pro modular laptop is everything I wanted (minus the cost of memory)
ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.
When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.
ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form.
Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.
When Framework announced the Laptop 13 Pro in April 2026, CEO and founder Nirav Patel called it the "MacBook Pro for Linux users", highlighting its thin and light form factor as much as its performance.
But now that I've gone hands-on with it, I wouldn't be so quick to relegate it solely to the power user crowd. On the contrary: the Laptop 13 Pro has the most crowd appeal of any of its devices to date, with a dramatically sleeker build, a larger 74Wh battery, haptic touchpad, and the latest Intel Series 3 processors.
Also: Framework Laptop 13 Pro vs. MacBook Neo: These Windows rivals are more similar than expected
It represents a new approach for Framework and a maturation of the brand's catalog. Having perfected the DIY assembly process through its own robust collection of guides and QR-coded components, Framework turns to a more mature design. This laptop brings a premium set of features to a workstation that would resemble a ThinkPad, MacBook, or XPS… if not for the signature DIY aesthetic.
The biggest downside, however, is the cost. It already wasn't exactly cheap, but the current RAM shortages have hit Framework hard, forcing the company to raise prices on the Laptop 13 Pro even before it's shipped. In a recent blog post, Patel cites price increases on LPCAMM2 RAM "that goes far beyond anything we had predicted", resulting in the company actually downgrading RAM amounts on existing orders.
Needless to say, customers aren't happy. But first, let's take a look at the laptop itself.