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Amazon—with its Fire TVs and popular Fire TV Sticks—has made notable headway in the world of media devices, but Ember Artline inches them closer into the world of artful televisions and challenges the competition.
Short of the Hisense CanvasTV and the TCL NXTVISION, there aren’t many products that compete with Samsung The Frame. Sure, there are ways of displaying images on your television like a gallery, and yes, flush mount hardware is getting better and better, but it simply has taken too long to compete with what The Frame has been delivering since 2017, let alone do it with newer tech with advanced features.
If you’re in the market, start comparing your options. Amazon Ember Artline is now available for preorder, with prices beginning at $899.99.
Television Technology Should Always Be This Good
The core pitch from brands touting high-tech, art-presenting, flush mount TVs isn’t complicated. When the TV is off, it shouldn’t look like a black rectangle.
Ember Artline uses a matte 4K display designed to cut glare and reflections. That matters more than you might realize. Glossy screens tend to give away the fact that it’s a TV, especially in bright rooms. A matte finish helps artwork look flatter and more like a real print or painting.
Amazon also includes a built-in gallery with over 2,000 pieces. The Frame television currently in my kitchen only offers 20 complimentary images without having a subscription to the Samsung Art Store. Amazon insists don’t (and won’t) have to pay extra to access it, which sets a different tone compared to subscription-based art libraries. And from what we gather, the selection spans classic styles and modern photography, so it’s not locked into one aesthetic.
(As expected, you can also upload your own photos and turn the screen into a rotating display, so you better start editing those photos from your spring break in Europe.)
Design Options That Check the Boxes
This is where lifestyle TVs live or die. A television doesn’t need to be a black framed box, and it doesn’t need to be on a TV stand, but we were stuck in that rut for decades.
Amazon is offering ten frame colors, with one included in the box. That’s a smart move on their part. It lowers the barrier to making the TV match your space right away instead of treating customization as an add-on.
There are a few practical details worth noting:
- The TV is meant to be wall-mounted, and a custom mount is included
- Legs aren’t included by default, so if you do need a table placement, prepare for it
- Frames can be swapped later if your style changes (we’d be willing to guess that dozens of colors and styles may eventually be available, if Amazon is coming as hard for The Frame as we think)
Smart Features, Easy Adoption
Underneath the art-first approach, it’s still a full smart TV.
The Amazon Ember Artline has a 4K QLED panel with Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support, so it’s not sacrificing picture quality just to look good when idle. Wi-Fi 6 is included, which should help with smoother streaming, especially in busy households.
The Fire TV interface has also been updated (in fact, Amazon just launched its all-new Fire TV Stick HD—slimmest and fastest yet). Leveraging the latest technology, the Ember Artline is designed to surface apps and content faster, so you have more control over what shows up front.
Alexa plays a bigger role here too, and wouldn’t have expected otherwise. Just like with other Fire TVs, hands-free voice control allows you to:
- Pull up shows or movies quickly
- Start a photo slideshow
- Adjust smart home devices
- Ask for art recommendations
There’s also a feature that suggests artwork based on your room, which is interesting but something I’d really want to try for myself before insinuating it works as well as I’d hope. You upload a photo, and the system will try to match colors and style. It’s a small touch, and it leans into the idea that this TV is part of your space, not just something you use.
So, Is This a Real Competitor to The Frame?
Short answer: yes, but we think it’s coming at the audience from a slightly different angle.
Amazon isn’t reinventing the category. The concept of a TV doubling as art is already established. What it’s doing is lowering some of the friction that comes with it. You can choose the frame surround you want, right from the start. Integration with your Alexa+ and Fire TV ecosystem. We love that it has a bigger art library, and two sizes that have the potential to change your home into an incredible art-gallery-meets-media-center.
The real question isn’t whether Ember Artline can compete, it’s whether enough people like Amazon’s ecosystem enough to switch, or if their muscle memory is already fixed to Samsung or Hisense technology.
I think what’s clear is that lifestyle TVs aren’t a niche anymore, and it’s about time we saw more competition for The Frame. This technology is becoming a standard option for anyone who doesn’t want their living room centered around a blank screen, and we know consumers are demanding it more than ever.
