If you're anything like me, aesthetics are very important to you. I enjoy looking at beautiful things, sue me! It's why I've put so much time, effort, and (my fiancé's) elbow grease into decorating my tiny NYC apartment, turning it from a glorified closet into my personal oasis over the years. It's also why I've had my eye on Samsung's The Frame TV for as long as I can remember (aka since it first came on the scene in 2017).
The Frame is a TV designed to look like a piece of framed art hanging on a wall when not in use, and it has low-key changed the interior design space forevermore. It's basically a TV made for people who hate the look of TVs, blending seamlessly into whatever room it's in and displaying photos of art that look so real (thanks to an ambient light sensor), you wouldn't believe they were being broadcast on a screen. But it's also really good at being a TV, too, thanks to its high-quality display and smart features.
I'll get into all of that and more below, because I did end up getting one of these babies after many years of waiting, and I'm reviewing it for you here so you can decide if you want to snag it while it's on sale for the very last day of Amazon Prime Day!
P.S. Wondering exactly when Prime Day ends? You have until tonight at 11:59 P.M. PST or July 12, 2:59 A.M. EST!
The almost-$1300 TV is currently marked down by a wild 42% on Amazon, bringing you to a grand total of $750. That's literally $550 back in your pocket—I don't know about you, but that would've been an immediate yes for me if I had waited to buy my Frame TV during Prime Day. I know that these TVs still cost a pretty penny after the discount, but if you've had this bad boy on your wishlist for awhile, Prime Day is the best time of year to bite the bullet on big electronics purchases.
Read on for my honest thoughts...
Pros
It elevates—and completely blends into—any room
This, my friends, is the true beauty of The Frame. The TV sits completely flush against the wall, thanks to the no-gap mount, and there's only one single (thin and transparent!) wire stemming from it (which I easily hid behind a plant), so it truly just looks like a piece of art hanging on a wall. (You can also conceal the cord behind the wall, but that's a lot more effort than I was willing to put out.) There are four different styles of bezels to choose from (white, teak, brown, and gold metal), which snap around the screen, further adding to the "frame" illusion.
The screen itself is designed to resist any glare and mimic a canvas-like finish using subtle texture, so it doesn't come across as a screen at all, especially when Art Mode is on. There's also an ambient light sensor, which senses the light of the room and adjusts the screen brightness accordingly.
The picture quality is top-notch
I'm not normally one to be knocked off my feet by new technology, but I could immediately tell that this was a nice TV the second we turned it on. And honestly? We had a pretty damn good TV before (my fiancé takes his sports watching very seriously). But the picture quality on The Frame is unlike anything I've ever experienced before—it's just unbelievably crisp, and the colors are so vivid. I've since learned that's because it has 4K QLED resolution, which basically means it uses ultra-teeny little dots (also known as quantum dots) to produce a wide range of colors that regular LED TVs can't. Respect!
There's so much art to choose from
No, really. The Samsung Art Store has over 3,000 art pieces to choose from, and it's constantly being refreshed with new works, often spotlighting different artists, photographers, and museums around the world. My fiancé leaves for work before me every day, and now he always changes the art to something new for me to see when I wake up. Sometimes it's some alarming abstract art, but most times it's a pretty painting of flowers or a snapshot from Slim Aarons (my favorite).
It's available in a variety of sizes
No matter the size of your wall, there's a Frame TV for you. Models start as small as 32 inches and go as large as 85 inches, which is honestly massive.
It's a smart TV
Once you go smart TV, it's hard to go back, so I was thrilled when I learned that The Frame is well-equipped with all the latest and greatest technology. Specs and stats tend to scramble my brain, so I won't bore you with all the techy details, but just know that it comes with pre-loaded streaming apps, built-in voice assistants, and can easily connect with other smart home devices. It also uses Samsung Vision AI to enhance the picture and sound quality of whatever you're watching.
Cons
It's more expensive than the average TV
If you're shopping for your first TV or are on a tight budget, The Frame might not be for you. Depending on the size you're looking for, these bad boys can go for up to $4,000, which, of course, isn't chump change. But if you're looking for an upgrade, or are down to fork over a couple thou in the name of aesthetics, you won't be disappointed.
The bezels are sold separately
Unfortunately, the bezels—which make The Frame look like, well, a framed piece of art—come at an additional cost. They'll set you back as little as $99.99 (for a 32-inch TV) or as much as $299.99 (for the gold metal bezel for the 85-inch TV). This extra investment can come as a surprise to a lot of buyers, so just keep it in mind when you're budgeting.
The art is subscription-based
If you want full access to the Samsung Art Store, you'll have to shell out $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year, which is a small sum, but adds up. That said, you do get access to 370+ free pieces annually, so you definitely don't need to subscribe if you'd rather save some dough.
The bottom line
The Frame isn't cheap, and I get that. It can be hard to justify paying the price of rent for a TV. But if you (a) love beautiful things, (b) spend a good chunk of your life watching shows and movies, and (c) have been debating taking the plunge on this fine piece of tech for a while now, I say go for it.
Samsung's Frame TV really does what it says it does, and, in my opinion, lives up to all the hype. I admire it every time we're bingeing a show, and seeing fresh art on my way to work every morning is the best way to start my day. Don't blame me if your bank account gets drained as a result of your purchase, but dear reader, you deserve nice things. You really do.
