Samsung's cheapest The Frame QLED TV model just got a big upgrade for 2023

Samsung The Frame QLED 4K Smart TV (2022) hung in living room
(Image credit: Samsung)

Samsung’s The Frame QLED TV is incredibly popular. It’s not yet a contender for the best TV, but it’s a great way to get an aesthetically pleasing display into a room because it can serve as art when not used to watch the best shows and movies. 

But thanks to a major overhaul last year, the Samsung 2023 TV lineup didn’t have many changes in store for The Frame — almost. Samsung’s smallest version of The Frame is a 32-inch display, and it is getting a couple of upgrades in 2023. 

According to Samsung’s online store (h/t SamMobile), the 32-inch Full HD version of The Frame will finally get the Motion Sensor feature. This feature works when The Frame is in Art Mode and detects if there are people in the room. If there are people in the room The Frame stays on. But if nobody is around, Motion Sensor will shut The Frame’s QLED display off to conserve power. That power saving can add up to money saving on your monthly utility bill, so this is a big win for those not wanting a massive display.

Samsung The Frame QLED 4K Smart TV (2022) in living room

(Image credit: Samsung)

Motion Sensor was already available on previous versions of The Frame in larger sizes but was noticeably absent from the 2022 version of the 32-inch The Frame. And it’s also not the only upgrade that the 32-inch 2023 The Frame is getting: According to What Hi-Fi, the smallest Frame is also getting a Dual LED backlight, improving the display’s brightness. Like with Motion Sensor, this feature was available on the large 2022 models but was absent from the 32-inch version of The Frame.

Buyer beware: Make sure you’re buying the correct Samsung The Frame

Aside from these upgrades on the 32-inch model, larger versions of The Frame (2023) only got a handful of upgrades. The Art Store got a revamp and now gives subscribers access to over 2,000 pieces to display in their Frame. There are also a couple of new accessories, from attachable metal bezels to rotating stands.

And if you want all these upgrades, the answer is simple — just buy the 2023 model. Just not the 32-inch model as those features will only be available in larger sizes.

In our breakdown of Samsung’s 2023 TV pricing, we highlighted a few places where Samsung’s pricing was odd, and the 32-inch version of The Frame was a major culprit. The good news? The 2022 version and 2023 version have the exact same price: $599. How can you tell them apart? The 32-inch version of The Frame is the only version that has two model years, 2022 and 2023. All other display sizes retain their 2022 model year, so there’s no confusion.

So if you want to buy a 32-inch Samsung The Frame with Motion Sensor, just make sure you’re buying this year’s version, which you can do from the Samsung store. That way, you can get an upgraded model for the exact same price as its predecessor, rather than spending your money on an outdated TV.

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Malcolm McMillan
Senior Streaming Writer

Malcolm McMillan is a senior writer for Tom's Guide, covering all the latest in streaming TV shows and movies. That means news, analysis, recommendations, reviews and more for just about anything you can watch, including sports! If it can be seen on a screen, he can write about it. Previously, Malcolm had been a staff writer for Tom's Guide for over a year, with a focus on artificial intelligence (AI), A/V tech and VR headsets.

Before writing for Tom's Guide, Malcolm worked as a fantasy football analyst writing for several sites and also had a brief stint working for Microsoft selling laptops, Xbox products and even the ill-fated Windows phone. He is passionate about video games and sports, though both cause him to yell at the TV frequently. He proudly sports many tattoos, including an Arsenal tattoo, in honor of the team that causes him to yell at the TV the most.

  • HankBuck!
    The only problem is the frame's motion sensors don't work. There are tons of posts on this in the Samsung support forums.
    Reply
  • pixel.fnq
    HankBuck! said:
    The only problem is the frame's motion sensors don't work. There are tons of posts on this in the Samsung support forums.
    This is right. I don't know how anyone can write a review about the frame TV without mentioning the software problems, that are rife.
    Reply