Samsung has unveiled a bunch of cool stuff at the Consumer Electronics Show 2024 in Las Vegas. The Samsung Music Frame is one of the latest products that it has announced at the trade show. My introduction to the Music Frame was similar to how the average user will perceive it, which is why it seemed like just the perfect product to me until I noticed a glaring shortcoming of the device.
First, a bit of background for those who still haven't heard of the Music Frame. Remember Samsung's Frame TVs? The televisions that look like picture frames and can display art when the TV isn't being used? They're quite popular as they help people achieve a more minimalistic look for their living spaces. The TV no longer becomes an eyesore in a chic living room, rather, it hangs on the wall like a piece of art, blending it perfectly with the overall aesthetic.
The Samsung Music Frame is a natural extension of that idea. It's basically a picture frame with a built-in powerful speaker system. Hang it on the wall and people will be none the wiser. It will look like a picture frame but deliver high quality audio from your TV or as a standalone smart speaker.
You can pair it with a Samsung TV or soundbar and create the perfect surround sound setup. There are two woofers, two mid-range drivers, and two tweeters integrated into the Music Frame. There's even support for Dolby Atmos. Measuring 12.9 x 12.9 inches and shaped like a square, the Music Frame is available in several different finishes, including black, white, and a dark wood grain. Pick whenever suits the aesthetic of your living space well.
No word as yet on how much the Music Frame is going to cost, though, in its current state. Samsung hasn't revealed that as yet and we'll likely get this information much closer to launch. We typically see Samsung release the products it unveils at CES a couple of months after the trade show. So let's hope that's the case for the Music Frame as well.
I hadn't read up on any prior coverage of the Music Frame so when it popped up on my feed, my initial impressions were likely the same as people who don't follow Samsung news for a living. It felt like just the perfect product. An awesome design, the power of Samsung audio, and an outlet for creative self-expression, what's not to like?
I say creative self-expression because at first I thought the Music Frame had a display in the middle but as it turns out, it's just canvas. You can swap it out with physical prints of photos but that's the extent of self-expression you'd get with this. Imagine if it had a display, wouldn't it be so cool if you could show off the cover of the song you're playing? Or having the ability to create a photo wall of your favorite Instagram posts? Having videos of your most precious moments looping in the background? The possibilities are endless!
My immediate reaction when I saw the Music Frame was that I needed to buy it right away. I could already see myself having one in the office, showing the Spotify covers of my awesome playlists. Alas, that's not to be. Even though I feel that the idea behind the Music Frame is brilliant, I'm going to skip on buying one, until they put a display in there.
That may very well happen at some point. As one of my colleagues pointed out, that's probably something Samsung has kept for future iterations. That's what the company does for many of its products, retaining some functionality to launch in future models. When that happens, I'll be the first in line to pick up a Music Frame.
