I've used a Samsung The Frame TV for years, and here's why The Frame Pro is a huge upgrade

Date:
Thu, 08 May 2025 21:00:00 +0000

Description:
Samsung's The Frame Pro is now shipping, and here's why I think it's a huge upgrade as someone who's used the original Frame TV for years.

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Samsungs The Frame has long stood out from the list of the best TVs available for you to spend your hard-earned money on, basically since its inception.
Not necessarily for its picture quality or the tech onboard, but more so due to the fact that its extremely aesthetically pleasing.

When its off, its not a big, black rectangle on your wall or propped up on a cabinet instead, it displays artwork or photos, and rather than a thick
bezel around the screen, its wrapped in a bezel that makes it look like a picture frame.

Its been a winning combo, and with the screen gaining the same matte finish
as the flagship Samsung S95D OLED TV in recent generations, works of art now look even more realistic as screen reflections are blocked.

And thats what makes The Frame Pro such an interesting addition to Samsungs lineup it replaces the larger-screen sizes of the standard Frame with much
of the same feature set, plus offers two key upgrades.

The standard QLED screen is replaced with NeoQLED, which features Mini-LED backlighting, and there's now a Wireless One Connect box for wirelessly connecting sources. Its an especially appealing upgrade for folks who already have a standard Frame TV and are after a better quality picture or those who have always been interested, but were waiting for the image quality to be kicked into a higher gear.

It also keeps a premium price tag. Heres how the Frame Pro breaks down by size: 65-inch The Frame Pro for $2,599.98 / 2,099 / AU$3,499 75-inch The
Frame Pro for $3,599.98 / 2,999 / AU$4,499 85-inch The Frame Pro for
$4,699.98 / 3,999 / AU$5,999

Even so, in typical Samsung fashion, its already discounted. The 65-inch is $2,199 , the 75-inch is $3,199.99 , and the 85-inch is $4,299.99 .

Ive been using a 55-inch The Frame with the matte finish and a Disney
metallic silver frame bezel for a few years as my bedroom TV, and after spending some time with the Frame Pro, heres why I think its a significant upgrade over the original. Disconnecting the One Connect Box is a bigger deal than it sounds (Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

Part of the appeal of the Frame TV was that one cable connected to the TV itself, and it came from the external One Connect Box, which serves as a central hub for the HDMI, optical, and other ports, allowing you to more effortlessly, and effectively, cable manage your home entertainment setup.

While the Frame Pro still requires a power cable, albeit a thinner one, thats the only connection youll make anywhere near the TV. The One Connect Box is wireless, and a good bit slimmer, and can be placed up to 30 feet away from the TV itself. This infinitely frees up placement options for the Frame Pro either on the included stand or mounted using the included bracket and it doesnt mean any shortcoming for picture quality. It can stream up to a 4K resolution picture at up to 120Hz refresh rate as long as its within 30 feet of the Frame Pro. (Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

The new box itself takes up considerably less space than the previous One Connect Box, as well, meaning it should be easier to find a spot, and you get the freedom of placement. I have a feeling many folks with a current Frame TV will be jealous of the wireless box, though Samsung has made it clear that it is exclusive to the Pro. The jump to NeoQLED should be a big one, and it looked sharp in early testing (Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

Now, I only spent about an hour with the Frame Pro, and unfortunately, it wasnt alongside the standard Frame but instead a competing model likely Hisenses Art TV. Even though I couldnt do any side-by-side comparisons, the NeoQLED upgrade is noticeable on its own, just as it was when I saw it at CES 2025.

The Frame Pro delivered excellent picture quality with high brightness and popping colors in some tests. Future Labs also conducted some early benchmarking and found that it reached 1,000 nits of brightness at its peak, which is 400 nits over the standard Frames brightness.

Samsungs testing room was pretty dim, and the Frame Pro got quite bright. It was great for some test content, ranging from YouTube videos of varying quality levels to Netflix shows.

Its a much more solid TV overall, with better hardware to deliver stronger contrast and more vivid color. I really look forward to spending more time with the Frame Pro, which also provides a bit more value within the Frame lineup.

The Frame, now Frame Pro, has always cost more than Samsungs core QLED TVs
and was priced at the same level or more than some NeoQLED models, so having
a much-improved display type is a delight here. Its still a great-looking TV that does the not-a-TV trick (Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

The Frame has always been the most aesthetically pleasing TV, and the Frame Pro takes this up a notch. It still displays art very well with great detail and realism. Especially if you pay extra to wrap the Frame Pro in the frame bezel, which completes the look.

I ran through more than a dozen pieces of artwork, all available from
Samsungs Art Store, which is built into the TV and costs extra ($4.99 a month or $49.99 a year in the United States). All looked particularly sharp and vivid well, at least if thats how the artist intended it.

And to keep the realistic approach, so you might do a double-take, Samsung switches off local dimming and 120Hz display so as not to up the brightness too much when in Art Mode. This can also help with energy consumption.

All in all, the Samsung Frame Pro is still one to watch. If youve been
waiting for a substantial upgrade to the Frame, this is the tech giants answer. Its more than the equivalent leapfrog of when Samsung added the
matte, anti-reflection coating.

Plus, that Wireless One Connect Box will make finding a home for the Frame
Pro a little less challenging. The only downside would be the limited sizing for the Frame Pro anything smaller than a 65-inch, and to get the Frame effect, you'll need to be alright with the standard QLED picture and a hardwired One Connect Box, but at least you'll get a boosted refresh rate as well. You might also like I'm very impressed with the Samsung S95F's anti-glare technology, but I'm far more excited for the other TVs of 2025 here's why Samsungs Ballie robot companion still comes in yellow, but has
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debut? Samsung sets May 12 for virtual Galaxy Unpacked



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/televisions/ive-used-a-samsung-the-frame-tv-for-year s-and-heres-why-the-frame-pro-is-a-huge-upgrade


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