Samsung's The Frame 2021 update makes art TV slimmer and more personal

Samsung is giving one of its most distinctive TVs an upgrade, with The Frame 2021 promising to blend into your decor even more seamlessly, while also adding some new tech features. Latest iteration of the lifestyle TV first launched in 2017, this year's update to The Frame trims the thickness while throwing in more personalization features.

Though opinions of the TV were mixed when Samsung first announced it, the company says that sales have borne out its decision. Indeed, The Frame is apparently Samsung's most popular lifestyle TV.

For 2021, it's getting slimmer, with the thickness of the TV cut by 50-percent. It's now 24.9 mm thick, closer still to the picture frame that Samsung based the design on. There'll be more bezel choices this year, too. That will include everything from slim and neutral, Samsung says, to more ornate and bold versions, to better integrate the TV into your room. Third-party bezel accessories will also be available.

As before, there'll be multiple sizes of screen to choose from. The stand will now support adjustable height and width, again for more flexibility. In the 43-inch The Frame, there'll be support for rotating the TV to either portrait or landscape orientation.

One of the most charming features of the TV has always been Samsung's Art Store, which means that, rather than a blank, black screen when you're not using it, you get a virtual piece of artwork instead. For 2021, the Art Store is getting new partnerships with extra museums and artists, to increase the number of options you can display. Samsung says its AI auto-curation system is improving, too, and will do a better job at picking out artwork from the 1,400+ pieces on offer, depending on your preferences.

Like the Neo QLED and MicroLED sets Samsung announced today, the 2021 The Frame will support features like Google Duo and Screen Mirroring, Remote Access Plus, and Multi-View. As before, Samsung will be boxing up The Frame in its eco-packaging, which is designed to be both easier to recycle and support repurposing as a pet or kid plaything, or even as cardboard furniture.

Pricing and availability for the 2021 iteration of The Frame will be shared closer to launch, later in the year.