Framework delays first Laptop 13 Pro shipments by a month over touchpad and display issues

Framework has confirmed that shipments of its first Laptop 13 Pro units, originally planned for late June, are now delayed by about a month. Deliveries are now expected to begin in late July, with some potentially not arriving until early August. The company notified pre-order customers directly via email, and importantly, this delay has nothing to do with the ongoing DRAM and memory shortage.

Framework says it found two issues before the mass-production ramp. One with the new haptic touchpad and another with the custom display. Framework's email says that the haptic trackpad has undergone a dozen internal firmware releases, but an electrical grounding issue was found in its circuit board design, causing the trackpad to reset after repeated clicks.

The company worked with suppliers Lite-On and Boréas to diagnose the problem and determined that a new board design is needed. Framework is now running validation testing, including a 200,000-click endurance test, and the new modules are expected to reach the final assembly factory by mid-July.

The display, meanwhile, had a firmware issue that required an update, and the company is working with its display supplier, CSOT, to produce new firmware. The new firmware is expected to be available at the same time as the revised touchpad modules, though specific dates have not been provided.

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One upside of Framework's modular approach is that orders that didn't include the new touchpad or display are not affected. Motherboard orders, including those with Intel's new Core Ultra Series 3 Panther Lake chips, are still on track to ship in June as planned, along with other replacement and repair modules that do not include the new touchpad or display.

This delay also pushes full reviews of the Laptop 13 Pro, including those from media outlets that received test units, to July. Customers who pre-ordered and would rather not wait can cancel for a full refund of their deposit. Framework says it does not expect further delays beyond this adjusted timeline and is aiming to be fully back on schedule by September.