The Framework Laptop 12 has received a major update with Intel Core Series 3 CPUs, addressing criticism that its previous 13th-Gen chips made it less serious. The convertible now offers the Core 5 320 (six-core: 2 P-Cores, 4 E-Cores), Core 3 304, and Core 7 350, though the Core Ultra X7 358H and Arc B390 iGPU remain absent.

Two rear expansion bays now feature Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, enabling eGPU support. Framework claims a 70% battery life increase in 4K Netflix playback when moving from a Core i5-1334U to the Core 5 320. A backlit keyboard with ZMK programmable firmware comes standard on Core 5 and Core 7 pre-built Fedora models.

Internals stay limited: one DDR5 SODIMM slot (max 64 GB DDR5-6400), while the other two USB ports are USB 3.2 Gen 2. All four expansion slots support USB-PD. Barebones pricing starts at $549 (Core 3), $779 (Core 5), and $999 (Core 7). Pre-built systems range from $699 to $1,399. Batch 1 ships in early October 2026.