Best Samsung TVs Buying Guide: Welcome to What Hi-Fi?'s guide to the best Samsung TVs you can buy in 2021.
Obviously it makes sense to shop around when buying a new TV. But if you've previously owned a Samsung and want to stick with what you know, there are some impressive screens out there.
From monster sets to more moderately-sized models, from very affordable to very expensive, Samsung has TVs to suit all tastes, spaces and budgets.
Before you lay down your cash, there are a few things to consider. 4K and HDR will improve the picture quality drastically, but only when fed compatible content, so check your source. And do remember that no Samsung sets support Dolby Vision – instead they feature Samsung's own rival format, HDR10+.
Samsung was also the first to sell 8K sets in the UK. While there's still no 8K content currently available, they do upscale 4K content using Samsung's processing tech, and generally do it very well.
Then there's which size to go for. Measure where you'll put it and see which size set will suit you best. Bigger isn't always better - if it towers over your sofa, you might need to reconsider.
You should also check the small print for things such as the number of HDMI and USB sockets. While these details might seem relatively minor, they make all the difference when it comes to getting set up. Keen gamers will require HDMI 2.1, too.
Samsung is tipped to launch its first QD-OLED TV, featuring a hybrid QLED-OLED panel, in 2022.
Right time for the fun bit: picking your next Samsung TV. Here's your best options...
- QLED TV: Samsung's TV tech explained
- Which 2021 Samsung QLED TV should you buy?
Samsung’s first flush of Neo QLED TVs has been nothing short of revolutionary to date. The extra-fine level of lighting control that mini LED brings has put LCD’s high peak brightness to sophisticated use. It’s added a care with contrast that’s led to a more nuanced on-screen image, with a more solid, three-dimensional depth than ever before. We’ve every reason to expect the same from the QN94A. (known as the QN90A in the US).
One of Samsung’s top 4K TV for 2021s, it's practically bursting with features as well as raw performance power. From next-generation gaming potential to a full suite of apps and services, it’s more than ready to impress. Picture quality is compelling and the sound is decent enough. There’s still no Dolby Vision support (Samsung backs it's own HDR10+ format) but you’ll be getting so much from HDR10 alone that it will hardly be on your mind. This is a great TV and a terrific buy at this price.
We tested the QN94A in its 65-inch size. It's also available as a 50-inch, 65-inch, 75-inch and 85-inch model. We've not yet reviewed these versions but you'll see the latest, lowest prices below.
Read the full Samsung QN55QN90A review
This 2021 set features Mini LED technology, combined with the company's existing Quantum Dot tech to create a range of premium TVs called Neo QLEDs. The QE65QN95A is the first Neo QLED we've tested and Samsung's flagship 4K set for 2021.
Performance is spectacular. The overall contrast offered is staggering, and the QN95A combines near-OLED black levels with awesomely crisp white highlights and fabulously vibrant colours, all while retaining an effortless sense of naturalism.
Throw in solid sound, the most app-packed operating system in the business and a full set of next-gen HDMI sockets and this is (a lack of Dolby Vision support aside) as complete a package as can be imagined. VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) is supported in all three options, so it's great choice for gamers too.
The QN95A is not quite as slim as some OLED sets (even with the power and connections houses in a separate box) but its elegant design and exceptional picture are a real delight. Want the best Samsung TV you can buy right now? This is it.
Read the full Samsung QE65QN95A review
The Samsung Q90T is a slightly tricky proposition. It’s the top 4K TV in Samsung’s 2020 TV range, but as a result of the company’s increased focus on 8K models, it’s also less of a flagship model than 2019s Q90R.
Whether you consider the Q90T to be the true successor to the Q90R or not, it is a better TV overall. It has a more natural balance, significantly better motion and a much-improved sound system. It’s true that it doesn’t go quite as bright or quite as black but, in fairness to Samsung, the Q90T is also more aggressively priced.
More important than how it fares against its discontinued sibling, though, is how it fares against similarly priced 2020 TVs such as the LG OLED55CX and Philips 55OLED805. These sets go blacker and, in the case of the LG, produce brighter highlights in otherwise dark images, but the Samsung is vastly punchier with almost everything you watch and images pop from the screen in a way that OLEDs still can’t match. It also has the best, most app-packed operating system by quite a margin, and a feature set that will keep it relevant for years to come.
There’s no doubt that the Samsung Q90T is an excellent TV. The firm's 2021 Neo QLED models offer a crisper picture but remains a brilliant performer for the money.
Read the full Samsung QE55Q90T review
This 2020 set is one of Samsung's cheapest 4K TVs. But fear not, it still boasts the company's core performance and feature set, at a smaller size and a lower price. In short, it's one of the best cheap TVs you can buy today.
Most 43in TVs offer about a tenth of the features of a bigger set, but not this one. The Tizen operating system is identical to that found on pricier sets, with the same winning UI and stacked app selection. It's 4K, naturally, HDR formats are well catered for (with the exception of Dolby Vision, which no Samsung sets support), and it supports Auto Low Latency Mode, which switches the TV to game mode when it detects a gaming signal.
The contrast ratio isn't as impressive as an OLED or QLED TV, of course, but that's to be expected. The blacks are actually surprisingly deep for a TV this affordable, and there's a hefty amount of punch. The TU7100 is a sharp and detailed performer, too, and it handles motion with a good balance of smoothing and authenticity. It's an excellent picture performance for a TV of this size, and you'd have to spend a fair bit more to get a significant improvement.
Read the full Samsung UE43TU7100 review
This new Samsung QLED set a formidable benchmark for mid-range TVs in 2020, offering a high-end performance at a fairly mid-range price.
The Q80T looks much like any other Samsung QLED, although it is a little bit chunkier than the Q90T. There's nothing wrong with the specs of the connections, either: the four HDMI inputs support the key features of HDMI 2.1, such as eARC, VRR and HFR.
4K HDR streaming is available via the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and Apple TV+. In fact, the app support is superb, with pretty much every video and music streaming site you can think of on offer here.
A simple TV to set-up when it comes to getting the best possible picture, the Q80T ultimately delivers a brilliantly dynamic image with deep black levels, excellent contrast and neutral but vibrant colours. While there are rare occasions when watching HDR that a skin tone seems slightly overcooked, the colour balance is a great strength overall, while motion is handled confidently and smoothly throughout our testing. And while we'd recommend a soundbar or some speakers, Samsung's Object Tracking Sound technology provides open, engaging audio.
As well as being great at 55 inches, we've also now tested the 65-inch version of the Q80T and it's equally great at that size.
Read the full Samsung QE55Q80T review
Read the full Samsung QE65Q80T review
This monster 75-inch Neo QLED 8K TV is proof that you don’t need 8K footage to enjoy an 8K TV. The Mini LED lighting system and increased resolution means that this fabulous TV manages an awesome sense of scale but with a crispness of detail that we’d normally associate with a smaller 4K set.
Samsung has one of the best TV operating systems in Tizen. There's now a Smart Trainer app to go with Samsung Health platform to give you feedback on your home workout sessions, plus a choice of three smart voice assistants (Bixby, Google Assistant and Alexa).
The design features an impressive edge-to-edge glass pane and a Samsung's brilliant One Connect box, meaning you’ll only need one small cable running between the TV and the box with all of your HDMIs. It even comes with a solar-powered remote control.
As we said in our review, this What Hi-Fi? Award winner is one of the first 8K TVs we'd actually like to own. We look forward to prices dropping and the technology becoming more widespread – 8K is ready whenever you are.
Read our full Samsung QE75QN900A review
Samsung's 8-series has traditionally been positioned just below the company’s glamorous range-topping QLEDs. In the past, it has proven to be the sweet spot where picture quality and price intersect to maximum effect. And so it proves once more.
The TU8000 is astonishingly good value. For comparatively very little money you're getting a 55-inch TV that performs brilliantly, particularly with HDR content, and boasts the best, most app-laden operating system available at any price.
It's sound is only so-so and it's lacking the outright brightness and next-gen HDMI features of its premium siblings, but it's still undeniably brilliant for the money.
Read the full Samsung UE55TU8000 review
This is the price where TVs tip over from budget to mid range. As such, you get a more impressive set of features, with ALLM, eARC, 4K and three formats of HDR supported. There's no VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), but at this price, that's hardly surprising. Samsung's user interface is slick and provides access to apps galore.
It comes with Samsung's standard remote, plus its One Remote, which is more ergonomic and has a stripped-back selection of buttons that cover all of the bases. Voice controls are handled by Amazon's Alexa or Samsung's Bixby personal assistants, with Google Assistant due to land soon via a firmware update.
Picture-wise, it blows most of the similarly priced competition out of the water, with deeper blacks and bright white highlights. On the motion side of things, it displays a satisfyingly natural degree of smoothing, and manages to dig up plenty of detail. At this price, this model is hard to beat.
Read the full Samsung UE50TU8500 review
Right now, 8K content is thin on the ground. But if you're happy to spend the money, an 8K set could be a sound investment – it'll also play 4K content, after all, and if you don't want to buy another TV when 8K takes off, paying once could be the smart option.
The 2020 Samsung QE75Q950TS is not only a wise investment for 8K, it also manages to improve on 4K content thanks thanks to Samsung's Quantum Processor 8K and its 8K AI Upscaling feature, which succeed in making non-8K content look better than ever: watching a 4K Blu-ray, we can’t recall a sharper 4K picture, with nothing looking artificially enhanced or exaggerated – it simply pops from the screen more than we’ve previously seen.
Blacks are deep and insightful, while motion is handled with aplomb. Away from the picture, the TV itself is stylish, super slim, and the bezels are amazingly thin. The new 75-inch QE75QN900A (above) is better still thanks to its Mini LED display, but it's also twice the price.
Read the full Samsung QE75Q950TS review
The Q95T shares the top spot in Samsung's 2020 4K TV range with the Q90T. The only differences between the two are that the Q95T gets a more stylish, metal remote and the One Connect system, which sees all connections (including power) routed through a separate box that can be easily hidden away.
Somewhat disappointingly, the Q95T and Q90T have fewer dimming zones and go less bright than the Q90R, but they're otherwise better in every meaningful way. They deliver a richer, more solid and more natural picture, as well as better sound.
The Tizen operating system is largely unchanged, and that's no bad thing. No other operating system has as much content or more quickly gets you to what you want to watch.
If you're after Samsung's top 4K model, the sensible money would be spend on the Q90T, but if you like the idea of extremely clever and neat One Connect solution, there's nothing wrong with spending the extra money on the Q95T.
Read the full Samsung QE65Q95T review
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