Want to watch Snapchat, Instagram or TikTok videos on a big-screen TV? Samsung has designed a product just for you — though it’s still not clear if the company’s Sero TV is a proof-of-concept gimmick or an idea that will have legs.
Samsung Electronics, at its CES 2020 “first look” preview Sunday in Las Vegas, showed off the Sero — a 4K television that can turn itself counterclockwise 90 degrees with the push of a button to change from traditional horizontal orientation to vertical mode for viewing videos made for smartphones.
Sero (which means “vertical” in Korean) initially rolled out in South Korea last year, and in 2020 the company plans to launch it in several global markets. Samsung did not announce pricing; in Korea, the Sero TV has sold for around $1,600.
Users can mirror content on their phones to the Sero’s 43-inch display (and for those using a Samsung Galaxy the TV will automatically adjust to how they’re holding the phone). According to the company, the Sero is targeted at millennial and Gen Z consumers who are more likely to use smartphones as their first screen.
“Consumers can expect to enjoy a variety of content – including social media, YouTube and other personal videos – in whatever display orientation mirrors their mobile device,” Samsung said in its announcement. “The Sero combines the cutting-edge functions of Samsung’s top-level displays while providing a new approach to home entertainment technology that meets the needs and habits of the growing mobile viewing audience.”
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Other announcements from Samsung’s CES 2020 preview:
- Samsung introduced the modular MicroLED line, available in 75-, 88-, 93-, 110-, and 150-inch display sizes. Consumers can connect multiple MicroLED panels together to create video walls in different configurations. At CES, Samsung built a massive wall with the panels — a video display measuring 292 inches, stretching over 20 feet wide.
- The new Q950TS QLED 8K TV features the “Infinity Screen,” with a screen-to-body ratio of 99%, and a slim form factor of just 15 millimeters thick. The LCD display has built-in upscaling that can automatically upscale non-8K content and can also optimize the screen to both ambient conditions and individual images.
- Samsung plans to integrate Amazon Alexa and the Google Assistant directly into its lineup of 2020 smart TVs.