Seen here at a size of 75 inches, the new 2021 version of The Frame is thinner than before.
Drew Evans / CNET
This story is part of CES, where our editors will present the latest news and the hottest gadgets from CES 2021 entirely virtual.
Since Samsung first introduced The frame television in 2017, the concept has always appealed to a certain buyer concerned with design. Instead of a big, ugly 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 the years since, expanding the range of available sizes, building the available art library and, in the latest version for CES 2021, further reducing the case.
The new frame extends to the wall only 24.9 mm 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”) frame option. Third-party frames are also available for The Frame.
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Samsung’s TV Frame gets thinner and more personalized …
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The size of the frame ranges from 32 to 75 inches. The 32 and 43 inch sizes can also be displayed in portrait, vertical rather than horizontal like a traditional TV, although unless you get some kind of custom mount, there is no way to rotate them automatically, as you can with Samsung’s The Sero TV.
A paid subscription to the Samsung art store ($ 5 per month) gives you access to all 1,400 works of art from “world-renowned” institutions, ranging from paintings to photos, landscapes, abstracts and more. You can also buy pieces individually or show your own photos (or art!) On the display.
In addition to thinness, Samsung has not done much to improve the image compared to the 2020 versions. The 2021 Frame has 4K Resolution, QLED technology with quantum dots and the company’s dual LED backlight structure, which lacks local dimming. Based on these specifications, we don’t expect it to rival the image quality of a Standard QLED TV like the Q80T, let alone any of the Samsung’s new Neo QLED models. Then again, it is definitely better to classify the joint.
Samsung’s 2021 Frame TVs will start shipping later this year. The exact names of models and prices have not been announced.