I Should Have Invested MORE in Framework

TL;DR

Framework announced four major products — a Pro laptop, refreshed Framework 16, Oculink eGPU bay, and a keyboard — impressing their investor Linus.

Key Points

• 1.The Framework 13 Pro debuts a fully custom 2.8K matte touchscreen panel. Built from scratch at a cost of over $1 million, it reaches 700 nits peak brightness and features a novel anti-glare polarizer that remains readable even in direct sunlight.
• 2.The Pro chassis brings significant hardware upgrades over the standard Framework 13. It features a CNC aluminum body, a 74 Wh battery (21% larger), new speaker modules, haptic touchpad, and support for both Intel Core Ultra Series 3 (with LPCamm2 memory and PCIe Gen 5 SSD) and AMD Ryzen AI 300.
• 3.Mainboard cross-compatibility is maintained between old and new Framework 13 chassis. Users can drop an old mainboard into the new Pro chassis or install the new Core Ultra Series 3 board into an original Framework 13 — a feat Linus called genuinely impressive.
• 4.The Framework 16 receives a mid-cycle refresh with a new Ryzen 5 option and haptic trackpad. A single-piece haptic trackpad and keyboard module replace modular alternatives for a cleaner look, and a translucent bezel is added; community-built MIDI and ergonomic keyboard modules were also showcased.
• 5.A new Oculink 8i expansion bay module enables connection of full desktop GPUs to the Framework 16. It delivers up to 128 Gbps bidirectional throughput with no protocol overhead, outperforming Thunderbolt 5 eGPU setups by 16–36% per TechPowerUp; Framework positions it as a developer kit due to lack of hot-plug support.
• 6.Framework unveiled a standalone wireless keyboard with open-source firmware and a dongle garage. It uses the same mechanical key structure as Framework laptops, a Nordic NRF54 radio for long battery life, supports four profiles and USB-C, and its control board will be released as an open dev board.
• 7.Linus previewed an upcoming LTT Store battery bank inspired by Framework's repairability ethos. It features swappable 'battery mags' so users can replace cells at end-of-life while keeping the chassis, supports upgradeable firmware, and will accept different battery chemistries or modular 'hat' accessories via a mechanical interface.