Framework Laptop Chromebook Edition review 2024: tested

However, despite the fact that the cost of admission may cause some people’s wallets to convulse in disgust, you shouldn’t run away quite yet. Even while it costs more than the HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook, which is now at the top of our carefully chosen list of the best Chromebooks, that price tag of $999 is still less than what it would cost to purchase the Framework entry, which, despite the fact that it does not quite offer the same level of performance, does much to justify the expense.

For those who are not familiar with Framework, it is a business that specializes in ‘fixing’ consumer electronics. This does not mean physically repairing the devices, but rather correcting the flawed nature of our fleeting and wasteful consumption of technical things. It is getting increasingly difficult to repair and maintain hardware, particularly portable electronic devices like laptops.

Framework Laptop Chromebook Edition SPECIFICATIONS

Framework Laptop Chromebook Edition review: Design

Framework’s laptops are built around a simple idea: the user can get to everything, even the CPU. Instead of the hard-to-understand Torx screws and layers of glue that some current laptops use to hold their parts together, this one just has screws. Not only is everything easy to get to, but every part can be removed, swapped, and improved. This includes the RAM, storage, battery, display panel, touchpad, keyboard, webcam, and even the display bezel and I/O ports. You can buy this laptop from its official website.

Framework Laptop Chromebook Edition review: Display

The screen is much better than what we have seen on most Chromebooks we have tried. It’s a “productivity screen” with a 3:2 aspect ratio and a 2K resolution, just like the great screen on the HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook. With a maximum brightness of over 400 nits and a 100% sRGB range, colors look bright and clear. Google already uses Chrome OS’s better digital security as a big selling point, and we also have some good physical security features.

Framework Laptop Chromebook Edition review: Keyboard and touchpad

The Framework Chromebook has a comfy keyboard with wide, evenly spaced keys and 1.5mm of travel. This makes it easy to type without making mistakes. Some of the keys have been replaced with Chromebook-specific choices, like the “Everything” button that takes the place of Caps Lock. However, Framework has kept the standard model’s satisfying feel. The fingerprint reader that came with the standard versions, on the other hand, has been taken away. The touchpad is also great: it’s big and wide, giving you a lot of room to make movements. 

Framework Laptop Chromebook Edition review: Connectivity

One of the most interesting things about this laptop is that the ports can be switched on the fly. All you have to do is slide the “expansion cards,” which look like cartridges, into one of the four holes under the laptop. In other words, you can choose which ports you want on this Chromebook. This is a very innovative feature from Framework.

Framework Laptop Chromebook Edition review: Battery Life

As long as you keep the screen brightness under control, you can take advantage of all that power while still maintaining a reasonable battery life. You should expect 8 hours of use with everything between 50 and 60 percent, and you can get it closer to 10 hours by lowering the brightness a little bit. Although it may not have the best battery life, it is sufficient to get you through the day without any significant difficulties.

Framework Laptop Chromebook Edition review: Price and Availability

When a wireless connection just won’t do, turn to Ethernet instead. You can add that. However, when you are finished, you may also switch that Ethernet jack for an HDMI output, which will allow you to connect your Chromebook to an external display or television set. Want neither? Changing modules from one slot to another is the only thing that has to be done. The prices of the different port modules varies from $9 to $149 depending on the port that you select as your preference.

Final Words

As someone who likes to do things on their own, we are glad there’s something like the Framework, but the Chromebook Edition is hard to sell. It’s not much cheaper than its brothers with Windows 11, so you’re paying for fast hardware that the OS can’t really take advantage of.

Given how slim ChromeOS is, the restricted upgrade path doesn’t bother me as much as it should, but we are still not sure why you’d pay for all this power in the first place. ChromeOS might be a lightweight option to a full-fledged OS, but if that’s what you want, you can find great Chromebooks for half the price.

Framework Laptop Chromebook Edition review: THE GOOD AND THE BAD

FAQS