Samsung is making a vertical TV for all your Instagram Stories

The Sero
Image Credit: Samsung

Continuing the trend of creating new form factor screens, Samsung has announced a new TV for the South Korean market called 'The Sero' that can swivel to display videos vertically, similar to how you watch content on your phone. 

The Sero, a close cousin to Samsung's Serif and The Frame TVs, will be part of the manufacturer’s 2019 Samsung TV lineup and will also use a quantum dot screen similar to the ones we’ve seen in its other QLED TV series.

According to the specs provided by Samsung, the TV is 43-inches across from corner-to-corner and features 4.1-channel audio through its 60w speakers.

The Sero will also include Bixby. Because a TV this strange wouldn’t be complete without Bixby.

The Sero will be available exclusively in Korea for now with no international release in the near future – which is a shame, because at just 1.9 million won (around $1,600, £1,260, AU$2,300), there are plenty of influencers who'd buy it ironically.

 Vertical screens: fad or functional? 

Admittedly, even to us the idea of a vertical TV sounds a bit laughable - especially considering the TV’s eye-watering price tag.

And yet, while Samsung is really taking vertical screens to their limit, other tech companies are behind the idea of smaller vertical screens. Just look at the Facebook Portal, a Google Home Hub-type display that connects you with friends and family members on Facebook. 

Whether vertical screens will take off outside of the computing world remains to be seen, but you can't blame Samsung for not trying.

Nick Pino

Nick Pino is Managing Editor, TV and AV for TechRadar's sister site, Tom's Guide. Previously, he was the Senior Editor of Home Entertainment at TechRadar, covering TVs, headphones, speakers, video games, VR and streaming devices. He's also written for GamesRadar+, Official Xbox Magazine, PC Gamer and other outlets over the last decade, and he has a degree in computer science he's not using if anyone wants it.