CES 2019: New Samsung The Frame lifestyle 4K TV sports QLED panel

It’s not likely that any Samsung product will take precedence over its 8K TVs at CES 2019, but sharing at least some of the stage spotlight will be two new design-focused lifestyle TVs: The Frame and Serif TV.

The former has been around for a couple of years now, but the new variant for 2019 introduces QLED panel technology to the model for the first time - so we can expect brighter, more richly-coloured pictures, as we’ve become accustomed to in Samsung’s conventional QLED TVs. 

For the uninitiated, The Frame’s (pretty unique) selling point is its usefulness when its owners aren’t watching TV. The Frame’s Art Mode can display artwork - paintings or pictures that can be bought from The Frame’s Art Store. Over 1000 pieces are now available to choose from, and include works seen in famous museums around the world.

A ‘luminance sensor’ is designed to adjust colours to fit the ambient brightness of the room. The Frame also features Samsung’s Bixby voice assistant for hands-free control. 

The Serif TV is another aesthetic-led concept TV to sit beside The Frame, designed in collaboration with Paris-based furniture specialists Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec. 

Also sporting a QLED panel, it borrows the ‘Ambient Mode’ from Samsung’s conventional QLED line-up, offering information (such as news and weather) and, similar to The Frame, imagery display. Previously exclusive to furniture shops and department stores, it will now be distributed to wider retailers. 

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Becky Roberts

Becky is the managing editor of What Hi-Fi? and, since her recent move to Melbourne, also the editor of Australian Hi-Fi magazine. During her 10+ years in the hi-fi industry, she has reviewed all manner of audio gear, from budget amplifiers to high-end speakers, and particularly specialises in headphones and head-fi devices. In her spare time, Becky can often be found running, watching Liverpool FC and horror movies, and hunting for gluten-free cake.