Samsung reveals new vertical TV so people can watch videos like they do on phones

Television is turned the wrong way to allow it to show videos from the likes of Snapchat and Instagram

(Samsung)

Samsung has revealed a new TV that is unexpectedly turned on its side.

The vertical television is intended to let people better watch content that was filmed on mobile phones. A growing number of people shoot videos in that orientation, and many apps have started showing footage that way.

Samsung refers to the TV as "The Sero", and it is now on sale in Korea.

The company said it had created it specifically for younger people, who watch more and more content on the vertical screen of their phones, according to Samsung. The new TV mimics that display, turning a normal television on its side.

The tech giant said younger people would be more "familiar" with a screen laid out in this way, but the screen could also be rotated to watch TV in the standard, horizontal manner.

Content created and watched in such a manner has become increasingly popular, led by the rise of Snapchat and Instagram Stories and other viral videos.

Snapchat is among the platforms now creating its own original programmes in the format, announcing earlier this month that it plans to release at least 10 new shows specifically made for watching on mobile phone-shaped screens.

The Sero TV can also be used to display photos or a clock when not being watched, and includes a built-in microphone, which Samsung says will enable users to summon its voice-based, artificial intelligence assistant Bixby from within the device.

It is set to be first released in Korea at the end of May, costing 18.9 million won (£12,500).

It remains unclear if the device will be released beyond the technology giant's home country.

The television comes as Samsung suffers problems with its other attempts to put screens into unexpected and new arrangements. The Galaxy Fold – which includes a bendy screen – has had its release delayed after multiple reports that the display kept breaking.