Samsung’s rotating Sero TV, which can switch between a landscape and portrait mode to fit different kinds of content, has gone on sale in the U.K.
The Sero has been available to buy in South Korea since last year, but Samsung said at the Consumer Electronics Show 2020 it was planning to bring the model to global markets later this year. It’s now made good on that promise.
The thinking behind The Sero is that the portrait mode orientation will make it better for social media users who want to watch Instagram stories, TikTok videos and other types of vertically oriented content on the big screen.
Samsung is clearly targeting a niche market then, and to make the most of The Sero you’ll also need a compatible smartphone such as the Samsung Galaxy series to make the most of it. With compatible smarthones, simply tap the device against The Sero’s frame to start mirroring the screen. The TV will then rotate automatically to match the phone’s orientation.
Other smartphones, such as iPhones, can also mirror to The Sero, though they’ll have to use a remote, voice commands or the SmartThings app to manually rotate the TV. They’ll also need to use a protocol such as Apple AirPlay 2 to stream content from their device to The Sero.
“With people now using their TVs in different ways than ever before, whether scrolling through social media, watching the latest viral videos, or catching up on TV, The Sero is able to seamlessly adapt to enhance whatever content the user is watching, bringing a more bespoke and optimized experience,” said Dan Hastings, a Samsung Electronics UK director.
Specs-wise, The Sero offers a 4K resolution QLED display with built-in, front-firing 60 watt speakers. It also features three HDMI ports, two USB slots, and compatibility with voice assistants such as Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Bixby.
The 43-inch Sero TV is priced at £1,599, which is fairly expensive for such a small screen, but then again, novel features have always come at a premium. Samsung said it’s available to buy now from select retailers and its own online store.
