The DockFrame is a USB-C hub compatible with Framework’s modular, hot swappable kit so you always have just what you need

I don’t know about you, but I always find myself wanting just a few more I/O ports on my tower. Between charging cables, external storage, and more 2.4 GHz wireless dongles than you can shake a memory stick at, my rig is getting mighty crowded. While I could treat myself to a funky, chunky, mains-powered USB hub, I’m kind of longing for something just a little dinkier—and flexible.

Enter the DockFrame, a USB-C hub with modular ports you can swap out. Though not officially affiliated, the project is designed to work with the hot-swappable hardware standard used by Framework’s expansion cards.

A custom PCB is both compatible with any Framework USB-C modules you may have lying around as well as the DockFrame’s own ‘Tool Cards.’ These Tool Cards are a little extra, planning to offer functionality beyond the I/O ports you’d traditionally see on a desktop—such as voltage measuring and even adjustable voltage output.

The project remains a ways off, but it’s intended to be usable with both Framework laptops, non-Framework machines, and even your smartphone. Director of HW Media Lab LLC, Eleo Basili, recently shared pictures of a prototype encased in a fetching purple enclosure.

As much as I admire Framework’s modular mission statement—not to mention those translucent purple expansion cards—I’ve not yet been able to justify going all-in on their ecosystem. For as much as Dave liked the Framework 16 laptop with a RTX 5070 upgrade, it’s simply way out of my budget no matter how one chooses to configure it.

Besides that, Framework has also had to raise the prices of its modular RAM upgrades, saying it ‘held off’ as long as it could amid the raging memory supply crisis. Diving into this modular ecosystem may not be an affordable reality for many for some time.

There’s currently no word yet on how much the DockFrame itself will cost; the project is still in the prototyping and validation phase, though is already taking pre-orders to better assess demand. As Framework’s expansion cards can cost as little as $11, here’s hoping the DockFrame offers a cost effective way to dip a toe into this modular ecosystem.