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The European Union on Wednesday announced retaliatory trade action with a series of duties on U.S. products, responding to the Trump administration rise in tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports.

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Memos obtained by NPR show a key federal agency has paused orders of zero-emission vehicles and some federally owned EV chargers will be turned off.

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The Demokraatit Party won the most votes in Greenland's parliamentary elections, a surprise result in an election in the shadow of President Donald Trump's stated goal of taking control of the island.

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Towards the end of 2024, there was one word that dominated conversations more than any other. Growth. It’s an ambition that has featured as frequently in boardroom discussions across the country as it has done in the new UK Cabinet Office. It comes as the economy has found itself trapped in a cycle of marginal gains, matched by similar losses, and collectively there’s now a deep ambition to see the trend reversed and the UK’s economic course corrected.

The UK’s scale-ups are taking on their fair share of the burden too. Emerging from our high-growth industries, like life sciences or technology, these organizations are intent on accelerating innovation with skilled talent. The likes of Faith in Nature and Touchlight Genetics have become proof points for their industry, and so as businesses seek to replicate this success, it’s no surprise that, according to SAP’s recent research, as many as 86% of scale-ups have indicated growth is a priority for the year ahead.

But connecting aspiration to reality is no straightforward task. They need to be digitally equipped to navigate a plethora of internal and external business challenges, like supply chain disruption or productivity decline, and be ready to embrace the benefits of emerging AI tools. This will not just aid their own growth journey but will support the wider UK economy as well.

In the way of progress

Just as with the country’s largest enterprises, the UK’s high-growth organizations acutely feel the effects of global economic disruption, with supply chain challenges, skills shortages and inflation all impacting growth. While these pressure points are not necessarily new, as businesses have faced a notable rise in costs, battle for talent, and trade disruption since the onset of the pandemic, they have become exacerbated in the last 12 months by cost-of-living and geopolitical crises.

Globalization, often the fuel for growth, has been rocked by conflict in the Red Sea, trade tariffs, slow exports and high transport costs. When asked, 15% of the UK’s scale-ups ranked supply chain weaknesses and disruption as their most significant barrier to growth. This was followed by a lack of talent and skills (13%), siloed operations (13%) and low-quality data (10%).

With UK productivity flatlining, and behind the economies of its peers, like France and Germany, the growth agenda is at real risk of never getting off the ground. The UK’s scale-ups need to be productive and operate efficiently, unencumbered by legacy processes and backed by the right IT infrastructure, grounded in AI.

Unlocking the freedom to scale

To begin with, the UK’s high-growth leaders need to realize that AI transformation can be tailored to their needs. Understandably, the conversation can feel alienating when a quick search will find the world’s largest enterprises are steering investment or driving deployments. It’s a consequence of the ‘mass hype’ that has emerged as applications like Generative AI have directed VC investment, product launches and the ‘future of work’ debate.

But the hype is cooling and AI with real utility has emerged as critical to future-proofing organizations, of all sizes and growth ambitions, and addressing the biggest challenges to resiliency and scale. For instance, the UK’s high-growth businesses have outlined the development of skills and talent (40%), automation (39%) and improved supplier and partner networks (38%), as critical to growth plans, and AI can directly lend itself to these ambitions.

As a starting point, AI can augment roles to relieve employees of routine or administrative tasks so resources can be allocated effectively and to more pressing or sensitive work. This means that talent is not under-utilized in roles that do not influence growth and can be deployed across the business to offset skills shortages and drive productivity.

But where AI is arguably most valuable is in unblocking siloed data to drive high-quality business insights across functions like supplier and partner relations. Over the last 12 months, AI co-pilots have emerged as a strategic business partner, providing comprehensive and real-time insights from across different units to allow decisions to be taken with the right context in mind.

Backed with the right, and reliable information, the UK’s high-growth organizations can confidently navigate the most pressing challenges to scale and productivity. For instance, in the context of further geopolitical disruption, businesses can use AI to strengthen their grip on their supply chains; delivering smart contingency plans, increasing their supplier options to better suit their needs, and improving visibility into the availability of their goods and services.

In a similar context, AI can also automate and adjust financial insights based on new trade tariffs and international compliance or regulatory requirements. On the path to growth, this helps scale-ups ensure they are not caught out by unexpected disruption and costs. In turn, this ensures a constant level of service availability, boosting customer experience and providing a competitive advantage.

Powering the ‘Growth Agenda’

As the UK has its sights set on the growth agenda, it can appear a near insurmountable task given current levels of productivity, fluctuating business output and a challenging global operating environment. But putting too much energy into these concerns alone can stifle progress, and so the UK’s high-growth sector needs to focus on the variables it can control. These organizations need to consider how they can operate efficiently and best utilize resources in the face of skills shortages and supply chain disruptions to unlock growth.

As many have indicated that barriers to growth revolve around data availability, weak supply chains and talent acquisition, they need the right digital infrastructure to offset these pressure points. This begins with AI adoption, not to just buy into the hype, but to drive real value throughout the business with improved visibility, decision making and resource allocation. That’s how they’ll scale faster, and more sustainably, and boost the UK economy in turn.

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• Orange is offering free ChatGPT Plus for a year with its 5G+ plan in Europe
• The Special Series 180 Go 5G+ plan also includes 180GB data, calls, and Netflix
• It costs €41 a month, but younger customers get reduced pricing

ChatGPT gives users free access to OpenAI for general conversations, answering questions, generating content, and the like, but if you need more, there’s the premium version, offering access to GPT-4 alongside benefits like priority access and faster performance during peak usage periods, which can be useful for those who use the service a lot.

ChatGPT Plus costs $20/€23 per month, but mobile users in Europe can now get it free for a year. As you’d expect, this isn’t something that everyone can benefit from.

The 12 months of free ChatGPT Plus – worth nearly €280 – comes as part of Orange France’s 5G+ consumer plan, and is the first such promotion in Europe.

New ChatGPT Plus users only

Orange’s Special Series 180 Go 5G+ plan costs €41 per month with no commitment.

As well as the free ChatGPT Plus it also includes 180GB of mobile data, unlimited calls, SMS, and MMS in mainland France, and dedicated bandwidth to help maintain service quality during periods of high usage. Six months of Netflix Standard with ads is also included.

Younger users aged 18 to 26 benefit from reduced pricing – Orange charges them just €25 per month – as well as stronger data protection features.

There is another catch for anyone interested in making use of the year’s worth of free ChatGPT Plus, and that’s you need to be a new ChatGPT Plus user. You'll also need to activate the offer within three months of subscribing, so don't forget. After the first year, standard ChatGPT Plus billing applies unless you cancel, which is standard practice for this kind of offer.

“With its 5G+ launch, Orange France’s key go-to-market message is the promise of ‘dedicated access’ in busy coverage areas," noted Emma Mohr-McClune, Chief Analyst – Telecoms Practice, Technology at GlobalData.

"The wireless market has operated on a 'best effort' basis for decades, and real customer education is required here to help end-users understand the benefits. They need to understand precisely how and when these benefits will materialize to effectively capitalize on the monetization opportunities available. It’s not clear that Orange France has done enough in this respect.”

“One angle that Orange France is tacitly exploring is the pairing of 5G+’s superior uplink capability with AI experiences," Mohr-McClune added. "Certainly, a faster and stronger wireless uplink is required for satisfactory experiences, and with a theoretical maximum of 200 Mbps upstream, Orange 5G+ promises just that.”

While Orange’s new Special Series 180 Go 5G+ plan will give the telecom provider the edge in Europe for now, it’s not expected to last. As Mohr-McClune noted, “Free Mobile flagged up the launch of its own standalone 5G network last September and Bouygues Telecom is already marketing offers for enterprises.”

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I spend a lot of time poking, prodding, and generally tormenting AI agents to see what makes them tick, and I've developed a keen eye for what’s genuinely useful and what’s merely shiny tech hype.

Recently, my curiosity led me to test ChatGPT's latest feature, Deep Research, and I have to admit – I’m genuinely impressed. But before we jump into why, let’s briefly unpack what exactly this feature is and how it works.

Deep Research is the brilliant librarian addict you always hoped to be paired up with in school. It can gather, analyze, and repackage huge amounts of information in useful and even fun ways. Unlike a typical quick Q&A session, Deep Research takes its time. That can mean anything from five minutes to, theoretically, a full half hour. It will then deliver detailed, trustworthy insights tailored precisely to your query.

I've spent a lot of time with it and genuinely think it's the best bit of ChatGPT right now. If you're unsure whether it's worth the hype, I've put together a handful of reasons you might want to stick a toe in Deep Research.

The perfect vacation

(Image credit: Pixabay)

I've spent more time than I like to think about scrolling through travel blogs, Reddit threads, and outdated TripAdvisor reviews just to plan a simple getaway. Planning vacations, especially if you want something beyond the standard tourist traps, is something Deep Research is quite good at. For a test, I asked the AI to "Plan a two-week trip to Portugal, emphasizing local culture, hidden gems, authentic cuisine, and avoiding crowds."

Deep Research’s response was genuinely impressive. After about 20 minutes, it came back with a carefully planned itinerary filled with interesting recommendations, like a quiet day exploring the historic fishing villages along Portugal’s Silver Coast and sampling fresh seafood in lesser-known local restaurants. It included thoughtful touches, such as attending a small-town festival celebrating traditional crafts, and practical logistics, such as ideal transport options and lodging suggestions outside major tourist hubs.

I gave it another go with, "What’s the best month to visit Costa Rica for wildlife viewing, especially if you’re hoping to see sea turtles?"

Again, Deep Research produced a thorough report. It neatly summarized the nesting and hatching seasons of various turtle species and described weather conditions and tourist patterns month by month. It provided useful tips about where and when to find volunteer opportunities with conservation projects.

Health help

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Deep Research can be a real boon if you've ever had that middle-of-the-night headache and discovered that, according to WebMD, it's a rare tropical disease.

Reliable online health information sometimes takes more than a little digging to work out which bits apply to your hypochondriac moment. Deep Research can personalize your answers while avoiding the more nonsensical suggestions like combatting viruses with crystals. The same goes for more lifestyle-related health queries. For instance, I asked Deep Research to "Investigate whether intermittent fasting has significant long-term health benefits and if it’s safe for everyone."

Instead of sensational headlines, Deep Research returned an extensive, measured overview of clinical studies and expert opinions. It outlined potential benefits like improved metabolism and weight loss. Still, it balanced it with thoughtful cautions about groups who should avoid fasting, such as pregnant women and people with certain chronic health conditions.

Hobbying

(Image credit: Netflix)

Taking on a new hobby can be exciting until you realize the first steps usually involve wading through conflicting advice on YouTube or outdated instructional articles. Here, Deep Research acts like your patient, knowledgeable guide.

I asked the AI to "Create a beginner’s guide for someone who wants to start baking bread from scratch, including common mistakes to avoid."

It took a while, around 15 minutes, to get the report. I presume this is because there was a massive glut of people writing about their experiences with baking in 2020.

Still, I eventually had an accessible yet comprehensive bread-baking guide that even included troubleshooting tips for issues like overly dense dough or uneven rising. It suggested easy starter recipes, explained the science behind yeast fermentation in simple terms, and even included advice on necessary equipment that wouldn’t cost too much.

Purchase power

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

The infinite ocean of online shopping choices can instantly overwhelm the most decisive person. I love the idea of a personal shopping guru who can show their work on what to buy.

So I started by asking Deep Research to, "Compare the top-rated robot vacuums under $300, considering user reviews, battery life, cleaning ability, and ease of maintenance."

Deep Research dove into the specs, scoured customer experiences, and filtered through the noise to deliver a report that helped. It laid out the differences between leading models with real clarity. Within minutes, I knew exactly which vacuum would keep my floors spotless without emptying my wallet. With Deep Research, you might finally get rid of much of that shopping stress.

Nerding out

(Image credit: Andrew_t8 / Pixabay)

We've all spiraled down internet rabbit holes chasing our curiosity, emerging bleary-eyed but fascinated hours later. Deep Research offers a much more efficient and satisfying way to scratch your intellectual itch. It's probably one of the best parts of ChatGPT.

For instance, I was thinking about early printing compared to today's flood of digital content, so I asked Deep Research to "Give an accessible but detailed overview of how the printing press influenced European society and culture in the 15th century."

After half an hour, Deep Research produced an engaging summary highlighting key historical events across the Renaissance and Reformation. It detailed how printed texts democratized knowledge, spurred literacy, and even reshaped politics and religion, all explained clearly enough to satisfy casual history buffs without overwhelming them.

I decided I wanted another flavor of nerdy fun on an intriguing subject, without totally grasping it. I requested that the AI "Simplify and explain quantum computing and its possible impacts in everyday life over the next decade."

After a surprisingly shorter time than the printing press request, ChatGPT had a report that could help me understand things like quantum bits and entanglement. It thoughtfully speculated on near-future applications like drug discovery, cybersecurity, and even predicting traffic patterns, basically delivering a compact TED Talk tailored just for me.

Now, of course, Deep Research isn’t without limitations. It can occasionally stumble, serving up overly confident but incorrect responses. Deep Research’s dependency on publicly available internet content means controversial or rapidly evolving topics may present challenges. But these shortcomings don’t overshadow the immense practical value and ease of use this feature offers

In a world increasingly overloaded with questionable information and digital noise, having a reliable, thorough, and easy-to-use tool like ChatGPT Deep Research genuinely feels like having a brilliant, ever-ready assistant waiting at your beck and call.

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Samsung Music Frame: One-minute review

I love the idea of hiding a speaker in plain sight – in fact, I refuse to have bookshelf speakers because I really don’t like how they look on my, well, bookshelf and, despite offering great sound, I’m not too enthused by the design of the best wireless speakers either. Call me fussy, but when Samsung launched the Music Frame, it looked like something that would fit right into my home – playing my tunes and potentially showcasing my photography as well.

I’m impressed by how well built the Samsung Music Frame is, but weighing in at close to five kilos, I’m hesitant to wall mount it. Moreover, as a renter in Sydney, Australia, I’m not allowed to bore a hole in my wall, so I can’t really comment on how well it would perform with sound waves bouncing off a hard surface directly behind it. That said, Samsung thoughtfully provides a dampener in the box precisely for this purpose. It still looks lovely on its stand.

Changing the artwork is easy, but you have to have photos or images that would look good within a 8x8 inch square space – as a nature photographer who typically shoots in a 4:3 aspect ratio, it was hard to find one of my own prints to fit within the Music Frame.

To match its lovely design, Samsung has managed to make a speaker that fills a large room with sound. The Music Frame can get quite loud, much louder than the Ikea Symfonisk Picture Frame Wi-Fi speaker, with strong, expansive sound. And there are plenty of wireless streaming options to choose from, so it doesn’t have to be part of Samsung’s SmartThings ecosystem to work as a standalone speaker, but the app is necessary for the initial setup.

What it lacks is detailed and dynamic sound. While it’s just bassy enough for the average listener who isn’t too fussed about the soundstage to enjoy some tunes or pair with a Samsung The Frame TV, it will be a disappointment to anyone who cares about sound quality and wants to use it as a standalone speaker.

Also taking into consideration that the front panel isn’t a digital screen that would display, say, album art or double as a digital photo frame, I am struggling to justify its price.

There's no denying that the Samsung Music Frame has 'presence' (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar) Samsung Music Frame review: price & release date

• Made its debut at CES 2024; launched in April 2024
• List price: $399.99 / £399 / AU$699

The Samsung Music Frame isn’t brand new – it made its public debut at CES in January 2024, then was released to select markets in April that year. It became a bit more widely available later in 2024 and can be picked up for $399.99 / £399 / AU$699 at full price.

Samsung was offering a discount in some countries when the Music Frame launched and, since then, we have seen offers that make the speaker a little more affordable. For example, I’ve seen the price drop to as low as $150 in the US and AU$499 in Australia.

While you can display printed photos within the Music Frame, compatible acrylic panels can be ordered from select third parties for an additional cost, plus shipping, but note that you may need to keep the rear studs safe or source more to reattach the new artwork panel back into the Frame.

Samsung Music Frame review: specs Samsung Music Frame review: features

• SmartThings app required for setup
• Dolby Atmos support with two-channel output
• Built-in Q-Symphony support

The Music Frame’s feature set is quite impressive on paper, perhaps exactly what you want from a “lifestyle” product (as Samsung calls it) to widen its appeal. From plenty of wireless streaming options – including AirPlay 2 and Google Cast – to built-in voice assistant support for Alexa but, strangely, not Samsung’s own assistant Bixby, there's a lot going on here.

You can’t get things started without Samsung’s SmartThings app, though, and that requires you to create a Samsung account or use an existing one. Setup from there on in is very simple and I had no issues when using a Samsung phone or an iPhone – just following the onscreen steps will take you about 30 seconds to get going.

You’re also going to need the app to get the best sound setup too. You can play around with the seven-band equalizer in the Standard mode within the app, but if you opt for the Music or Adaptive Sound mode, you only get bass and treble controls.

Image 1 of 2

You need the SmartThings app for initial setup, whether on Andriod or iOS... (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)Image 2 of 2

..then choose the best options and settings for your use case (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

That done, you have the choice to pair the speaker with your phone or tablet via Bluetooth 5.2 or cast via the built-in Chromecast. iPhone or iPad users will immediately see AirPlay as an option when they open the Apple Music app, but you also get Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect support, all of which are better than using Bluetooth connectivity due to a slight lag that’s evident when using the SmartThings app as they pass control of streaming to the speaker itself rather than using the phone. Despite this tiny lag, I never experienced any connection dropout during my weeks-long testing, which probably says something about how well Samsung has executed the connectivity options.

There’s Dolby Atmos support too, although it comes with a major caveat: it’s received only via Wi-Fi – there’s no HDMI ARC/eARC port here and the optical input isn’t Atmos compatible – and works with only select Samsung TVs with a two-channel output. That means you can’t use this as a soundbar alternative, but you can set it up as an additional speaker for Samsung The Frame TV or the Samsung QN95D, even as a pair if you have the cash to spare for a second Music Frame.

Samsung's Adaptive Sound feature didn't work when there were power-tool noises just outside the window (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Tap-to-Play is also available but, again, it only works with compatible Samsung phones. I had the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 during my testing, which is supposed to be compatible, but no amount of tapping anywhere on the Music Frame triggered the functionality. Another feature Samsung promises is on board is its AI-powered Adaptive Sound technology, which adjusts clarity and volume in real time to any changes in ambient sound and, once again, I didn’t notice any changes when a landscaper outside my window was using a power tool.

What I did enjoy, however, is playing music through both my Ikea Symfonisk Picture Frame and the Music Frame for bigger stereo sound. Thanks, AirPlay!

• Features score: 4 / 5

Samsung Music Frame review: sound quality

• Loud, room-filling sound
• Decently bassy, but lacks the meatiness offered by other brands
• Sound lacks detail and nuance

To match the impressive connectivity and streaming options, the Music Frame has a heck of a lot of power, although Samsung doesn’t reveal how much. However, the six drivers with built-in amplification in the Music Frame belt out a lot of volume. The first tune I played on the speaker immediately after setting it up – Gimme All Your Love by Alabama Shakes via Google Cast from the aforementioned Galaxy Z Flip 5 – it was LOUD with the volume set at level 17, enough to make me want to turn it down a notch. The louder it got, though, the muddier the audio sounded.

It looks like there are just two speakers in the rear of the Music Frame, but there are, in fact, six (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Several music streaming apps, like Apple Music and Tidal, don’t have built-in volume controls and I found that, when using the Samsung phone’s controls, each incremental increase or decrease made a significant difference. It was a different experience when using an iPhone 13 Pro’s volume control (streaming via AirPlay 2), where the changes were smoother and more appealing.

Out of the box, the Music Frame offers decent bass but, compared to the 2024 Beats Pill Bluetooth speaker and the Ikea Symfonisk Picture Frame, it can sound airy (or tinny if you prefer) with the high-mid frequencies being the focus. You can adjust this via the bass control or the equalizer in the SmartThings app, but I struggled to find my sweet spot.

Pro Tip

I got the best sound using the Music mode within the SmartThings app, along with the SpaceFit Sound feature turned on.

The Music mode on the SmartThings app adds warmth to the music, while SpaceFit Sound uses the speaker’s built-in mic to analyze the room and adjust the sound accordingly. It will work wonders for the average listener by improving the vocals on a track, but it might still disappoint if you really care about good overall audio as it lacks detail. For example, Ellie King’s Ain’t Gonna Drown sounds good but not great as it doesn’t deliver the dynamic contrasts in her vocals. JJ Cale’s Magnolia sounds flat, lacking the wistfulness and melancholy I normally associate with it.

I accidentally also found out that there’s some muffling due to the front artwork panel. This happened when I was listening to KD Lang’s After The Gold Rush, and decided on a whim I would try to swap out the artwork while still playing. The track lacked depth but, once the front panel came off, it sounded better.

I like the look of the Samsung Music Frame (right), but prefer the audio quality of the Ikea Symfonisk Picture Frame (left) (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Listening to Dolby Atmos tracks like M.I.A’s Marigold and Freddie Hubbard’s Weaver of Dreams is immersive, but I’ve experienced better from the Sonos Era 300, although Sonos is known for putting details front and center. This is exacerbated by the fact that, when playing a Dolby Atmos track, its volume level dips significantly – I had to bump up the volume by five levels to get the same effect when listening to other tracks. The best way to enjoy Dolby Atmos here would be to make it part of an existing setup, combining it with a soundbar.

As much as I appreciate its room-filling performance, I expected better overall sound quality from a premium wireless speaker that costs more than several of its competitors.

• Sound quality score: 3 / 5

The stand for the Samsung Music Frame is demure and not an eyesore (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar) Samsung Music Frame review: design

• Beautiful design with thin bezels and hidden controls
• Removable frame panel to change artwork, but cost of customization can add up
• Can be wall mounted, but the cable might be an eyesore

I might have been disappointed by the sound from the Music Frame, but I really love the design. It’s not as square as it appears, measuring 35cm along the base and stands 36cm high. It’s about 14cm thick and has a heft to it, tipping the scales at over 9lbs / 4.5kg. I’d be hesitant to wall-mount it as Samsung provides just the one screw for it to hang off, but its corners are sharp too. If it gets nudged off its perch for any reason – even if it’s on its stand – it can cause injury to toddlers and pets.

I love that stand, though – it’s easy to slip on but not remove (which is probably a good thing), and it doesn’t stand out, if you get my drift. So all your attention is on the actual Music Frame.

The thin black bezels surrounding the matte acrylic panel makes for a great aesthetic, but if you don’t like the dark border, Samsung will sell you white snap-on panels for an additional cost – although this is only available in select markets.

Image 1 of 2

Removing the art panel isn't difficult... (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)Image 2 of 2

..and it doesn't take much effort to change the print inside, if you have one that will fit (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

Removing the top panel to change the artwork isn’t difficult, but it requires a little elbow grease and best done by placing the speaker flat on its back. People with slim fingers will find it easy to get a grip on an edge, but I wish Samsung had included a pry tool to help those of us with sausage fingers. The panel is held in place by ball studs that fit into sockets on the black frame, and a removable plastic sheet on its rear allows you to change the artwork. While the panel measures 13x13 inches, only the central 8x8 inch cutout will showcase the artwork. Samsung says you can use 8x10 or 8x8 inch prints, but I suspect that using a print smaller than the actual size of the panel will give it room to slide around inside and look misaligned.

The Music Frame comes with a generic image pre-installed, but you’ll find an extra one in the box. I had hoped to use a print of one of my own photos, but none that I had handy would fit the frame. Samsung has partnered with some third parties to make custom acrylic panels that you can order and get shipped to you but, again, this customization will cost extra and you’ll need to bear the shipping cost too.

Image 1 of 3

You can barely see the indicator lights as they're practically hidden in the gap between the art panel and the frame (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)Image 2 of 3

You can use a SmartThings Dongle (middle port) here, but it needs to be purchased separately (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)Image 3 of 3

The visible part of the power cable is a light one, but it does have an adapter and a thicker cable (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

I asked Samsung why the front panel wasn’t a digital screen to use as a photo frame or at least display album art of the track being played, and I was told the cost would increase. I’m not entirely sold on this argument, but if we can have smart displays like the Amazon Echo Show 15, it’s doable and would likely broaden the appeal of the Music Frame. The Frame TV already has the ability to display digital wallpapers and I wish Samsung had figured out how to carry that over to the speaker too.

It’s important to note that the Music Frame will need to remain plugged into the mains to work, so you get a thin, kinda translucent cable in the box that will go into a small power brick connected to a thick black power cord. While I’m really not a fan of power bricks, I appreciate that the thin cable isn’t as noticeable as the one of the Ikea Symfonisk Picture Frame, and the heavy cable and adapter can be tucked away.

The physical controls, in the form of four buttons are hidden away on a rear edge, which makes them hard to see. They’re also extremely sensitive and even the lightest touch can change the volume, switch the mic on or off, or switch sources (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, optical). Plus, every time you press one, indicator lights that are also tucked away between panel and the frame light up. There is no play/pause option here, so you are left with using the app’s controls for that.

The back of the unit looks like it only has two speakers, but there are six hiding underneath, playing through two channels. Plus there are three ports: the optical input, a USB port for the SmartThings dongle to connect to an existing smart home setup, and the power input.

• Design score: 4.5 / 5

The Samsung Music Frame looks lovely no matter where you place it (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar) Samsung Music Frame review: value

• Retails for a price higher than several premium big-brand wireless speakers
• You’d expect excellent performance at this price point
• Falls short against the competition in both price and performance

With a retail price of $399.99 / £399 / AU$699, the Samsung Music Frame doesn’t come cheap. When discounted, though, it might be worth considering, provided the offer available at the time of purchase undercuts the competition significantly.

That said, if you’re an audiophile or, at the very least, a discerning listener, you might well be disappointed by the lack of detail from the Music Frame. In comparison, the Ikea Symfonisk Picture Frame Wi-Fi Speaker with Sonos sound is only $199 / £179 / AU$249 and, while not as loud as its Samsung counterpart, offers a more balanced and dynamic soundstage that’s also bassier.

Even some of the other best wireless speakers that the Music Frame is contending with are cheaper at full price. In our Sonos Era 100 review, for example, we said you’d get sound quality with “lots of clarity and punch” for a list price of $249 / £249 / AU$399.

Perhaps if Samsung had added a digital screen with a SmartThings interface or even just made it into a digital photo frame, it might have been easier to justify the price. If the sound quality and functionality were to be improved, I think the second-generation Music Frame could likely give the likes of Sonos a run for its money.

• Value score: 2.5 / 5

Should you buy the Samsung Music Frame? Buy it if...

You want a wireless speaker for a small space

The Music Frame is a 2-in-1 device – you don’t need an additional picture frame for your memories, and you get a speaker too.

You own a Samsung The Frame TV

Setting it up as an additional speaker for a compatible Samsung TV will make the most of the Music Frame, offering you a more engaging home cinema experience.

Don't buy it if...

You’re an audio purist

If you’re after a speaker with excellent audio, you’ll need to forgo the good looks for a speaker that was made for a more dynamic soundstage.

You’re on a tight budget

It might be hard to recommend the Music Frame at its current retail price, but if you want a good speaker sans the frame, there are plenty of options that cost less.

Samsung Music Frame review: also consider

If you’re looking for alternatives to the Samsung Music Frame, the most similar ‘lifestyle’ or ‘arty’ product would be the Ikea Symfonisk Picture Frame Wi-Fi Speaker, which is still available at most Ikea stores around the world. However, if you’re after better wireless speakers, consider the two options listed below.

JBL Authentics 200
If it’s detailed sound you’re after, the JBL Authentics range is where you should be focusing. While there’s an expensive model that would be out of reach for most people, the Authentics 200 balances price, features and sound performance marvelously well. While it costs less than the Music Frame, it does have a rather retro boxy look that may not be to everyone’s liking.

Read our full JBL Authentics 200 review for more details

Sonos Era 100
For a smaller speaker that won’t look too out of place in most homes, consider the Sonos Era 100. It packs quite the mighty punch, though, with detailed sound and boosted bass, not to mention a plethora of sources available too. And it will cost you a lot less than the Samsung Music Frame too.

Read our in-depth Sonos Era 100 review to learn more

How I tested the Samsung Music Frame

• Listened to it nearly every day for six weeks in different rooms
• Used AirPlay 2 on an Apple iPhone 13 Pro and cast using the SmartThings app on a Samsung Galaxy Flip 5
• Predominantly streamed from Apple Music, but also tried Spotify and Tidal

(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)

I’ve had the Samsung Music Frame in my apartment for about six weeks at the time of publication and, in that time, tested the speaker in various rooms, including an open-plan living and dining area. During this time, the Music Frame became my primary speaker, replacing the Ikea Symfonisk Picture Frame Wi-Fi Speaker. I also had the opportunity to compare the audio with two Bluetooth speakers – the 2024 Beats Pill and the JBL Charge 4.

While I predominantly listen to the blues, I played a wide variety of genres through the Music Frame, mostly via the Apple Music app on an iPhone and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5. I also briefly streamed via the Spotify and Tidal Android apps.

I tweaked the settings in the SmartThings app – both on iOS and Android – across various genres to see how the audio changed, and even tried various bass and treble adjustments.

While I tried out as many of the features as possible, I didn’t use the built-in Alexa support very much, and there were a few other things I wasn’t able to test due to the lack of additional hardware, namely the SmartThings Dongle and a compatible Samsung TV. And due to restrictions placed on wall-mounting it in my home, I wasn’t able to test how the Music Frame sounds when hung up against a wall. I did, however, prop it up against a wall (without its stand) to emulate wall-mounting as best as possible.

Read more about how we test

[First reviewed March 2025]

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