Crafted a versatile laptop, offering a potential end to buying laptop models - however, it remains unavailable for purchase.
🔥 framework's snafu: tariffs casualty
💻 On Monday, Framework, renowned for pushing the limits on modularity, repairability, and sustainability in consumer laptops, hit the pause button on some budget models due to Trump-era tariffs.
ain't just Framework feeling the heat from these tariff-induced skirmishes. Recently, Nintendo delayed U.S. pre-orders for the Switch 2, leaving American gamers on the sidelines as the world yanked the latest handheld from stores on April 9.
In a reply to a Reddit post, Framework pins the blame on six temporarily discontinued models spread across their catalog. These are the casualties of the reciprocal tariffs that kicked into high gear between the U.S. and Taiwan, where Framework's entire production line is based.
As ethics-focused laptops, Framework's models now find themselves on the front lines of an international trade war, with DIY building and upgrading taking on a whole new meaning for U.S. buyers: Delayed Indefinitely for You.
🚫 Unfair tariffs hitting everyone
Framework isn't some faceless juggernaut, poised to weather the storm by shifting factories, rerouting ships, and hiking prices while alienating customers. That company is called Apple.
Instead, Framework offers a somewhat anti-establishment lineup of electronics, championing user-upgradeability in a world where laptops are often embracing a lock-in deal from purchase to planned obsolescence.
A spoiler from X reveals that sales on "a few base Framework Laptop 13 systems," including Intel Core Ultra 5 125H and AMD Ryzen 5 7640U models, have been put on hold in the U.S. When quizzed about the reason beyond the new tariffs, Framework admitted that the original prices were set when Taiwan-bound imports were tariff-free, and the current 10% tax would lead to a loss for the company on these SKUs.
The affected models, priced at $899 and $999, are now missing from the U.S. catalog, with the Framework Laptop 13 starting at $1,099 and $1,399 - a steep bump that dulls the laptop's appeal to budget-conscious buyers.
💔 Time to rethink and adapt
Reactions to the news vary, with early adopters and overseas buyers expressing relief, while others express policy frustration and resigned understanding. Some even suggest that Framework's popular 13-inch laptop could make the switch from a consumer product to a contraband treasure!
Although other models of Framework laptops seem unaffected, the entry-level door to affordable modular laptops just got a little narrower. Framework claims that they're not the only corporation making these decisions, stating that they're simply being more transparent, highlighting a wave of strategic adjustments in the industry.
The full impact of Trump's tariffs remains to be seen, especially in the tech world. As larger brands work to offset costs and quietly shelve underperforming products, smaller companies like Framework struggle to compete under the increased burden. There's no word yet on when Framework plans to reintroduce their budget-friendly 13-inch laptops, but it seems that the right-to-repair champions are going to have to gird their loins for a challenging landscape.
💻 Check this out
- 💻 For the love of God, forget the M4 Mac Mini! Framework's new modular desktop is the only tiny PC I want
- 🕹️ One upgrade makes Framework's new Laptop 13 a strong contender for PC gamers
- 💻 Framework's new 12-inch laptop is budget-friendly - but it may have one very tiny problem
- The temporary halt of some budget Framework laptop models is a consequence of the Trump-era tariffs, affecting not only Framework but also other tech companies like Nintendo.
- Framework's budget models, which are partially assembly-friendly, are now facing delays due to the tariff-induced discontinuation of certain components, such as the Intel Core Ultra 5 125H and AMD Ryzen 5 7640U models.
- The ongoing trade war between the U.S. and Taiwan, where Framework's production line is based, has resulted in higher costs for Framework and led to the temporary removal of some laptop models from their U.S. catalog.
- With the affected models no longer available at their initial prices, Framework's appeal as a budget-friendly laptop option has been diminished, with the starting price for a Framework Laptop 13 now at $1,099 and $1,399.
- As the tech industry navigates the impact of these tariffs, smaller companies like Framework are finding it challenging to compete and have had to make difficult decisions, such as temporarily suspending the production of certain budget models.
- In the general-news section, tech critics are discussing the potential shift in Framework's product strategy, suggesting that the company's popular 13-inch laptop could become a sought-after, yet unattainable, contraband treasure due to the tariff-related delays.
- Even in the face of these challenges, Framework remains optimistic, emphasizing that they are not alone in making strategic adjustments within the industry and that they are committed to transparency regarding their products and pricing. However, no official timeline has been released for when the budget-friendly 13-inch laptops will be reintroduced.
