Samsung's The Frame Pro: Major Enhancements Revealed at CES 2025

Innovative Display and Wireless Connectivity Revolutionize Art TV

Samsung's The Frame TV has proven highly successful since its introduction, allowing users to integrate a television seamlessly into their home decor while displaying artwork when not in active use. Despite its popularity, the original model lacked in delivering an optimal experience for traditional TV activities like watching shows or gaming. With the emergence of competitors over the recent years, including those seen at CES 2025, Samsung is keen on solidifying its market presence with the unveiling of The Frame Pro.

The Frame Pro introduces two key advancements that promise to transcend its precursor's limitations. Foremost among these is the integration of a Neo QLED display, employing the same Mini LED technology that powers Samsung's premium QN900 series. Notably, Samsung's application of Mini LEDs in The Frame Pro diverges from conventional designs; it employs a bottom-row LED setup promising localized dimming, eschewing the usual practice of back-of-display dimming zones.

At CES, Samsung's demonstrations prioritized The Frame Pro’s prowess in displaying art, deferring detailed evaluations of the Mini LED's performance in diverse content settings. However, comparative tests revealed The Frame Pro excels in brightness, detailed imagery, and richer blacks compared to its predecessor, enhancing both static art and cinematic visuals. Furthermore, Samsung upgraded the refresh rate to 144Hz, catering to gaming enthusiasts, with support for variable refresh rates to ensure fluid gameplay, a feature anticipated to be embraced by the 2024 Frame lineup.

A significant secondary enhancement is the introduction of the Wireless One Connect Box, echoing solutions that have been championed by competitors like LG's M-series. Resembling a compact gaming console, Samsung's device streamlines connectivity using Wi-Fi (capable of up to Wi-Fi 7). This enables transmission of content and audio over a distance of up to 10 meters without requiring direct cable connections, offering newfound flexibility in TV placement.

In replacing the original, bulkier One Connect Box that compelled a singular cable connection to The Frame, the Wireless One Connect Box grants users the ability to position their televisions more freely within living spaces without compromising signal integrity from HDMI sources.

While The Frame Pro promises noteworthy improvements primarily due to its Neo QLED panel, its applicability to general television use remains to be thoroughly evaluated. Moreover, consumers should anticipate a higher price point compared to the base model, currently starting at $600 for the 32-inch version.