Framework Goes Pro With Modular Laptop 13, Intel Panther Lake Inside Framework is taking its modular laptop concept further with the launch of the Laptop 13 Pro. This new model keeps everything that made the company popular but adds serious upgrades, including a bigger battery, a touch display, and Intel’s newest Panther Lake processors. And despite the overhaul, almost every part remains compatible with older Framework machines. The most noticeable change is the battery. Framework boosted it to 74 watt-hours, a major jump from the earlier 55Wh and current 61Wh cells. The company claims this can deliver up to 20 hours of 4K Netflix streaming. To fit the larger battery, Framework redesigned the bottom chassis. The new battery will not drop into older laptops without also swapping the bottom cover and the input deck that houses the haptic trackpad. But Framework insists that no part in the Pro is impossible to retrofit into existing machines. Performance comes from Intel’s new Core Ultra Series 3 chips, codenamed Panther Lake. Framework offers options from Core Ultra 5 up to X9, promising enough power to run AAA games like Cyberpunk 2077 with ease. Users can also choose an AMD Ryzen AI 300 series mainboard, which is the same board found in the 2025 Laptop 13. The RAM has been updated to LPCAMM2 modules, which use faster and more power-efficient LPDDR5X memory. Crucially, it remains user-upgradeable and not soldered to the board. Framework has also addressed its historical thermal weaknesses. The company says the mainboard’s cooling has been fine-tuned with help from Intel. In one demo, the Pro had not spun its fans up in 30 minutes, a notable achievement for Framework’s small chassis. The display is completely new. It is a 13.5-inch, 3:2 panel with 2,880 by 1,920 resolution, now with touch support. Framework previously resisted adding touch to this size, believing it was unnecessary. But after finding touch useful on the Laptop 12, the team added it without much added cost. The screen also features a 30Hz to 120Hz variable refresh rate, 700 nits of brightness, and an 1800:1 contrast ratio, with per-unit color calibration. The haptic trackpad is another major upgrade. Framework hopes this four-piezo-element touchpad can finally compete with Apple’s MacBook Pro trackpad. The keyboard and fingerprint sensor remain unchanged, which is intentional since they were already well received. The Pro also features a new gray and black aesthetic that evokes ThinkPad vibes, a look CEO Nirav Patel appreciates. For existing Framework owners, the good news is that nearly everything in the Pro can be used to upgrade older machines. The battery upgrade requires swapping both the bottom cover and the input deck, but that is the only catch. This commitment to backward compatibility is Framework’s core strength, even if it makes for less dramatic product launches. The Framework Laptop 13 Pro is available for pre-order now, with shipments starting in June. The base pre-built Windows model starts at $1,699, while the DIY version costs $1,199.
