Samsung Electronics’ iconic lifestyle TV The Frame has proven to be a huge hit in Europe and North America, with more than one million units shipped already this year. Moreover, the company said it expects the total number of The Frame TVs sold since its 2017 launch to hit two million by the end of the year.
The Frame is a fairly unique model that’s designed to be hung on a wall, where it doubles as a digital art or photo frame when it’s not in use. While it doesn’t match the picture quality of Samsung’s more advanced QLED or Neo QLED Mini-LED TVs, its exotic duality has made it an incredibly popular choice.
The company has just released sales figures for the first time, saying it’s by far and away the best seller in its Lifestyle TV lineup, which also includes models such as The Sero, which can be vertically oriented, The Terrace, a specialist outdoor TV, The Premiere, which is a laser projector, and The Serif, featuring a sleek, elegant design.
Samsung’s statement suggests sales of The Frame have really taken off in the last year or so, and that may well be due to its launch of newer sizes. The company launched a bigger, 85-inch version this year, following last year’s debut of the smallest, 32-inch option. It also sells 55-, 65-, and 75-inch versions to satisfy a variety of home spaces.
The 2021 version of The Frame features a 4K LCD display with edge LED backlights. Users can purchase thousands of artworks to display on the TV via its subscription-based Art Store, in addition to uploading their own media. More recently, Samsung has began shipping a selection of different coloured magnetic bezels that can easily be clipped to the TV to suit various interior decor styles.
“The Frame is not just a device for watching TV, but a lifestyle product which enhances a space with its design and enriches consumers’ lives with an extensive art collection,” said Simon Sung, Executive Vice President and Head of the Sales & Marketing Team of the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “We continue to look for ways to strengthen The Frame’s offerings to find innovative ways to satisfy consumers’ evolving needs and desires. We are also always exploring partnerships with new museums, galleries and artists to offer a much wider range of collection in the Art Store.”
Samsung isn’t the only company to make a TV with gallery-style features. LG Electronics’ G1 OLED model has similar characteristics but the company does not market it as a digital photo frame and does not offer an art gallery. Still, owners of both models can plug into an Apple TV box that lets users watch slow-motion videos from around the world. There are also a few different apps around that attempt to mirror the experience. It’s also possible to just put a few videos from YouTube or Vimeo on a loop.
Samsung has launched an updated version of The Frame every year since its debut, so we can expect to see yet another refresh sometime in 2022.
