Framework’s latest modular laptop trades one set of problems for another.

I have liked the Framework Laptop 13 since I first used it, partly because I find the idea of a repairable, upgradeable laptop appealing and partly because it is not just another ultraportable trying to imitate the MacBook Air. But the design has always had practical limitations, the most obvious and serious being mediocre battery life.

Enter the Framework Laptop 13 Pro. Previous Laptop 13 updates merely refined the original design around the edges, with changes such as a slightly modified lid, new hinges or upgraded speakers. The Laptop 13 Pro is the closest Framework has come to a second-generation overhaul of the original design.

That means it breaks backward compatibility with some, but not all, Laptop 13 components—particularly the lower chassis, keyboard and trackpad, as well as the original 55 Wh and 61 Wh battery designs.

By allowing itself to make broader design changes, however, Framework has achieved major improvements in battery life and overall build quality and finish. The result is the best-looking, best-feeling and most polished Framework laptop yet. Existing Laptop 13 owners can also gain some or all of these benefits by installing the new components in their own machines.

That is welcome, because the Laptop 13 Pro is also quite expensive, even by the extreme standards of consumer technology in 2026. No model costs less than $1,500, while the configuration sent for review would cost nearly $3,000.

Design changes

The Laptop 13 Pro closely resembles the standard Framework Laptop 13, but it features a new Graphite finish.