Samsung Electronics has refreshed its iconic lifestyle TV, The Serif, with a new green color to go alongside the existing white and blue models.
The company first launched The Serif back in 2015. It’s part of the company’s Lifestyle TV series, which also includes The Frame, The Sero and The Terrace, and it’s inspired by the “serif” font.
As with the other models in the Lifestyle lineup, The Serif is more focused on style than substance, fitted with a basic LCD display that offers 4K resolution but doesn’t have the advanced local dimming capabilities of the company’s Neo QLED Mini-LED TVs. It also lacks the ultra-fast 144Hz refresh rates that can be found on Samsung’s premium 2024 TVs.
Despite this, the Lifestyle TVs have still found an audience among consumers who are more concerned with aesthetics than image quality. The unique thing about The Serif is undoubtedly its novel design, which sets it apart from any other TV. It can be set up with the supplied floor stand, placed on a shelf or alternatively just stand directly on the floor, but it cannot be wall mounted. That’s because it’s designed to look good when viewed from behind as well as in front.
Like the better known Samsung The Frame, which is Samsung’s most successful Lifestyle TV, The Serif can display digital works of art when it’s not being used, though the lack of wall mountability means it’s not a direct substitute for a picture frame.
The Serif runs the Tizen OS that provides access to all of the usual streaming suspects like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, but Samsung has notably not committed to providing any software updates on this particular TV. Other specifications include a 120Hz refresh rate that makes the TV suitable for fast-paced gaming, with consoles able to be attached via its HDMI 2.1 port that supports Variable Refresh Rate and Auto Low-Latency Mode capabilities.
Samsung said the 2024 version of The Serif is available in “Ivy Green” colour as well as “Cotton Blue” and “Cloud White”, with size options ranging from 43-inches, 50-inches and 55-inches. In the U.K. prices start at £1,200 for the smallest version, while in the U.S. it’s a bit cheaper, at just $1,000.
