According to the latest update, and there are a lot of reasons to like it. But in the begotten hellscape that is the PC market of 2026, I have a very particular reason for liking the brand: it’s honest. Framework has put its every trial and tribulation on display during the RAM crisis, communicating directly to consumers why and how prices are going up. Framework is a publisher that makes modular, repairable laptops .
The report highlights that nobody likes to be told that they’re paying more for the same thing — or as it might be, a lot more for considerably less. But as a small publisher that’s trying to trade on trust with its customers, this is objectively the right call. Framework has been updating its customers (and the broader tech global stage, thanks!) every painful step of the way. It’s bad news, obviously.
In a fresh development, previously it had to downgrade some customers’ orders from 64GB of RAM to 32GB, because it couldn’t get the supplies to fulfill them at the original prices. If firms like Dell and Lenovo are struggling to find affordable RAM while data centers gobble up all the production capacity, then a small manufacturer like Framework that has to buy its components near the end of the supply chain is basically bleeding money. And Framework made another right call just recently, specifically for its flagship Framework 13 Pro laptop, which uses the very neat and tremendously expensive LPCAMM2 standard for its replaceable memory.
The report highlights that a few days ago Framework revealed that it’s managed to find a “limited quantity of Micron 32GB and 64GB LPCAMM2 memory modules at [a] lower cost.” As a result, not only is it lowering prices for those customers who’ve pre-ordered the Framework 13 Pro, it’s issuing refunds for those who’ve already bought one and had their laptops shipped. But even in 2026, there are occasional miracles.
In a fresh development, mark Hachman / Foundry.
In a fresh development, buying a laptop at a bad price, then getting an email from the manufacturer that just says it’s giving you some money back? In current year ? Can you imagine?
Industry observers note that the famous tech industry brand has a certified hit on its hands with the Switch 2, but it’s not immune to the memory market, recently raising prices on the current console by $50 . And that’s after raising prices on various versions of the original Switch — now over a decade old — back in 2025. That original hike was due to the Trump administration’s tariffs and taxes, which have since been declared illegal . Contrast this behavior with a much higher-profile publisher that had an unexpected windfall: Nintendo.
According to the latest update, so, has it lowered the prices on its older devices? Has it rolled back the $50 price hike for the Switch 2? Has it issued refunds directly to its customers, as they’ve asked ? Nintendo and others got a nice refund from the US federal government.
The report highlights that nintendo.
In a fresh development, it’s having a “ customer appreciation sale ” in the US, which offers a 30 percent discount on “dozens of Nintendo Switch digital platform releases and bundles…select physical platform releases, downloadable content, and apparel.” Nintendo specifically called out tariff-related refunds as the reason for this sale. Notably absent from that list are the system update consoles whose prices have actually been affected by Trump’s illegal taxes and the RAM crunch. Nope.
As part of the ongoing story, classy. I bet those customers feel really appreciated. So Nintendo’s response to getting unexpected money in its pocket, for costs which were ultimately passed on to consumers, is to… ask you to buy more stuff.
Industry observers note that but that’s a real icky move, only highlighted by Framework’s far more dignified response to a temporary reprieve from horrible memory prices. I think Nintendo has been treating its customers better than Sony and Microsoft as of late, with the exception of anyone trying to engage with its classic platform releases on a fan level .