Drew Evans/CNET
Since Samsung first introduced The Frame television in 2017, the concept has always appealed to a certain design-conscious buyer. Instead of a big ugly black rectangle hanging on the wall, this “TV” looks like a painting, a framed photo or other wall art. The company has continued to iterate The Frame in years since, expanding the range of available sizes, building out the library of available art and, in the newest 2021 version, slimming the cabinet down even further.
The new Frame hugs the wall at just 24.9mm thick, similar to the depth of a typical picture frame. As usual you can customize the frame around the image and the new version includes an angled (“beveled”) bezel option. Third-party frames are also available for The Frame.
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The Frame ranges in size from 32 all the way up to 75 inches. The 32- and 43-inch sizes can also be displayed in portrait mode, vertical instead of horizontal like a traditional TV, although unless you get some kind of custom mount there’s no way to automatically rotate them, as you can with Samsung’s The Sero TV.
A paid subscription to Samsung’s art store ($5 per month) gives you access to all 1,400 pieces of art from “world-renowned” institutions, which range from paintings to photos to landscapes to abstracts and more. You can also buy pieces individually or show your own photos (or art!) on the display.
Beyond slimness Samsung didn’t do much to improve the picture compared to 2020 versions. The 2021 Frame has 4K resolution, QLED tech with quantum dots and the company’s dual LED backlight structure, which lacks local dimming. Based on those specifications we don’t expect it to rival the picture quality of a standard QLED TV like the Q80T, let alone any of Samsung’s new Neo QLED models. Then again, it’s definitely better at classing up the joint.
Samsung’s 2021 The Frame TVs will start shipping later this year. Exact model names and pricing were not announced.
