Three weeks with the Framework Laptop 16 (2026): the keyboard fix that almost saves it
I wanted to like this laptop. I have used it as my daily driver for 21 days. Here is what works, the one thing that finally got fixed, and the part that still does not.
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In this article
*The Framework Laptop 16 (2026 revision) is the first one I would actually buy with my own money.* That is the verdict. The rest is the work to get there.
I tested the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 configuration with 64 GB RAM and the dual NVMe expansion for 21 days. Daily driver use: code, browser-with-too-many-tabs, the occasional Lightroom pass on a 64-megapixel raw, six hours of video calls a week. Travel: Berlin and back, two trains, one transatlantic flight. Bench-comparison: previous generation Framework 16 (the 2024 model I returned), 2024 ThinkPad T16, and a 2025 MacBook Pro 14".
The keyboard, fixed
The Framework 16's previous keyboard was the reason I returned the 2024 model. Travel was 1.2 mm but the actuation was inconsistent across the board, which on a $2,000 laptop is not acceptable. The 2026 revision uses a new keyboard module with 1.5 mm travel and per-key actuation tuned in 8 zones. It is the keyboard the laptop should have shipped with two years ago. It is not the ThinkPad T-series keyboard. It is, finally, a keyboard.
The 2026 keyboard is what the laptop should have shipped with two years ago.
What still does not work
- The numeric keypad insert is still optional and still wobbles. The wobble has been documented in 4 reviews now. The fix should not be that hard.
- Battery life with the dGPU module is 4.5 hours of mixed use. Without it, 9 hours. The 4.5 number is real; the marketing claim of "all-day" is not.
- The hinge is still louder than the competition. Not by a lot. By enough.
Where it lands. If you buy laptops because you care about repairability, the Framework 16 is the only product in this segment. The expansion modules are a real product, not a marketing point. If you buy laptops because you want the best keyboard at this price, get a ThinkPad T16. If you want the best laptop at any price, the MacBook Pro 14" 2025 is still that machine, and I am not going to pretend otherwise. The Framework 16 (2026) is now in the conversation. That is genuine progress.
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