Samsung’s The Frame is a TV that’s just as much a piece of art as it is a television. Switch it on and it’s a 4K Ultra HD; switch it off and it’ll display any of hundreds of pieces of art. And Samsung’s just announced a smaller 43-inch version, that interests me a lot more than the existing 55-inch and 65-inch versions.
The Frame is selling phenomenally well in Australia, apparently, in those screen sizes, and prices are quite low for a 55- or 65-inch 4K TV. But it’s the new one, a 43-inch 4K version just introduced here at IFA 2017, that I’m kinda keen on.
Here’s my rationale: I already have a great 65-inch Samsung SUHD TV for my home office, which doubles as a sunroom where I can kick back and enjoy a movie or two on the big screen. I also have a 55-inch first-generation LG OLED for my bedroom, which gets the lion’s share of gaming on the PS4 connected to it. I’ve got big TVs.
But in my new apartment, I’ll have a spare room. If I want to rent it out to help my mortgage, I’ll rent it furnished — that way I can get a bit more and I can choose the stuff that goes into it. I don’t want to get another big TV in it, and I don’t even especially want to get a TV at all for it — but a piece of art would be nice.
In its low-power screen-off Art mode, The Frame consumes less energy than at full pelt, but can be customised to display any of hundreds of pieces of art from different collections — or your own monochrome photos, if you want. It’s wall-mountable with a zero-gap finish. It’s got a customisable frame, too, with white and walnut and beige wood finishes available for a few hundred extra dollars.
And in a modest 43-inch size and with a more modest price tag than the large-screen 55- and 65-inchers, the new The Frame is very much tempting me. I’m told it’s coming to Australia, but not when or how much. [Samsung]
Gizmodo travelled to IFA as a guest of Samsung.