Yes, it will support Steam — you'd hope so for $999
Much like Dutch firm Fairphone, Framework has gotten a fair bit of attention as a polished shop putting out decent a Windows laptop that is highly modular, easily repairable, and, if you're handy enough, a terrific value for DIY wonks. Now, the company is partnering with Google to bring its Framework Laptop to ChromeOS.
The Framework Laptop Chromebook Edition should have most of the same spec lines as its Windows 11 counterpart. Obviously, the most important parts will be the interfaces and that means getting in a good display — a 13.5" 3:2 display at 200ppi with average brightness above 400 nits — and a nice keyboard — 1.5mm travel. It's a bit chonky for the size at 1.3kg and a closed thickness of 15.85mm, but it'll pack a lot in for the space.
The base set configuration features a 12th-gen Intel Core i5-1240P, 8GB of DDR4 RAM, and a 256GB NVMe drive. While the processor is, sadly, one-size-fits-all, customers will be able to upgrade their memory all the way to 64GB DDR4 and 1TB NVMe. Yes, this means you'll be able to try out Steam on your Framework Chromebook.
Special to the Chromebook Edition is the inclusion of Google's own Titan C security chip which appeared previously on the Pixelbook Go and Pixel Slate.
Framework uses a customizable Expansion Card system which lets users allocate how many ports they want and which side they go on. USB-C, USB-A, MicroSD, HDMI, DisplayPort, Ethernet, and other ports are available — all at additional though minor cost. Users can also purchase storage slots of 250GB or 1TB for the Expansion Card instead.
The device comes with a hardware switch for the camera and microphones and QR code access to documentation for all the internal parts and subsystems of the laptop. The BIOS and firmware are also built or modified for open source purposes. If you're obsessed with how the bezel looks, yes, you can get it in different colors and it magnetically attaches for easy installation.
Pre-orders are live now in the US and Canada with a starting price of $999 — customers will need to put in a $100 deposit, but that money's refundable. The pre-order phase will go through batches, so you may need to check back in later if you don't see availability. Expect boxes to ship from December. Parts are available on a waitlist basis through Framework.
Jules joined the Android Police team in 2019. Before that, he was at Pocketnow. He loves public transportation, podcasts, and people in general. He also likes to take views from the bigger picture in technology from how people are attracted to it to how it's utilized across every other industry.