Whatever your reasons, if you are taking the first step on the OLED ladder, then the Samsung S85H is an excellent choice. It’s one of the best entry-level OLEDs we have tested – and it is currently available at a new lowest price of £1074 at Richer Sounds. That's £426 off the price from when we tested the TV in July!

To get this price, use the code RSTV50 to save £50 off the already discounted price and then claim £75 cashback from Samsung – full details are here.

A good, cheap OLED is hard to get right – but Samsung has made a lot of good decisions here, particularly with brightness. The brightness is particularly good for an entry-level OLED, which is ideal if your room has a lot of ambient light.

“Switching to Pan, our standard peak-brightness stress test due to its atypical 4000 nits mastering, it’s immediately clear that the S85H burns brighter than previous entry-level OLEDs we’ve tested and its main rival, the LG B6,” reads our Samsung S85H review. “The setting sun offers a wider range of reds and oranges that show up as pure white on its rival.”

Colours are a tad bombastic compared with the B6, but the solidity and three-dimensionality of the S85H’s picture meant it was the set our eyes were drawn to during a race scene in F1: The Movie.

The S85H comes with the latest-gen version of Samsung’s Tizen operating system, which is easy to navigate and automatically arranges apps based on your usage habits. As usual, all the major apps and services are present and running correctly, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV and more.

Gaming specifications are surprisingly impressive for the price, with four full-speed HDMI 2.1 inputs capable of carrying a 4K/120Hz signal, as well as VRR and ALLM. Even some flagship OLEDs have only two HDMI 2.1 sockets!

Dolby Vision Gaming is missing, however, as is the regular version of Dolby’s HDR standard. No Samsung set supports Dolby Vision, however, and HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG are all on board.

Our main gripe with the S85H is with the audio. The 2.0-channel, 20W Dolby Atmos system noticeably lacks bass, even though there’s a reasonable sense of direction and separation. It’s fine for daytime TV viewing, but you will probably want a soundbar for any form of movie watching.

The LG C6 and Samsung S90F offer a little more nuance, extra finesse, and a more natural picture if you do have a bit more money for a mid-range OLED.

But if you are restricted on price, then the Samsung S85H is one of the top options currently available. Its punchy, immersive and three-dimensional picture is a cut above most similarly priced rivals, and it is now enjoying a good £426 discount at Richer Sounds.

MORE:

Read our full Sony Bravia 7 II review

And our full Samsung S90F review

Our pick of the best TVs for every budget, including awesome OLED models

But that doesn't mean the deals have ended. Some are still live, new ones have sprung out of the woodwork, and some old classics are stubbornly clinging to their lowest prices.

Now that Prime Day is over, we're firmly on the road to Black Friday and peak shopping season, so we're going to see plenty of great deals over the coming weeks.

This week, we've got a trifecta of five-star TVs, an Award-winning soundbar system back to its lowest price and long-running headphones seeing a new low now that their successor is available.

As always, these are all products our team of experts have reviewed and rated themselves. We've been giving buying advice for 50 years, and we only recommend the best.

Let's take a look:

We only tested the 48-inch LG C6 last week, but we've already spotted a tasty discount. It's a stellar set and a night-and-day upgrade over the older C5, with significantly higher peak brightness, more balanced colours and better colour volume. Use the code GDTV50 to save £50 and then claim 10 per cent cashback from LG to get this deal price – cashback deals are here.

Prime Day may have ended, but this Amazon device deal is still going strong, perhaps due to the imminent arrival of the Amazon Alexa Tablet. The Fire HD 8 64GB was already incredible value at full price, so it's an absolute steal with 48 per cent off. The 32GB model is also available for £50 at Currys if you don't mind collecting it yourself.

Our TV and AV editor has long named the Sony Bravia 8 II as the best OLED around, but it's now been pipped by the Samsung S99H. It might be the best TV we've ever tested, thanks to its dazzlingly bright highlights, awesome contrast and excellent three-dimensional depth. Use the promo code RSTV100 and then claim £150 back from Samsung to get this price – full details here.

The Hisense AX125H is an Award-winner and perhaps the biggest Dolby Atmos bargain around, offering an immersive, fun and enthralling experience for under £200. If you're short on cash, this is the system to get.

The Sony WH-CH720N is a What Hi-Fi? favourite, routinely getting a recommendation during the sales and winning one of our coveted Awards. It's now at its lowest ever price, but only in pink. Its successor, the five-star Sony WH-CH730N, is now available and features several sonic upgrades, but will set you back nearly twice as much.

The TCL C8L earned five stars from our expert TV reviewers only days ago, so a 20 per cent discount is very welcome indeed. Use the code TCL20PERCENT to nab a Mini LED TV with outstandingly bright, colourful picture quality, advanced local dimming and great gaming performance.

MORE:

Our pick of the best wireless headphones you can buy

And the best TVs for all budgets

Interested in the bigger picture? Here are the best projectors we have tested

Despite some extremely frustrating bugs that were introduced with a recent software update, I still love the TV. And, in fact, it's still better than almost every TV that's launched since.

There is one that has defeated it, though.

No, it's not the Bravia 9 II or LG G6 – it's the Samsung S99H, and it's just hit its lowest-ever price to coincide with Amazon Prime Big Deal Days.

This deal isn't an Amazon deal, though. Instead, you can get the 55-inch Samsung S99H for £1849 at Richer Sounds, and the 65-inch model for £2399 at Richer Sounds.

The retailer says you can also claim additional cashback from Samsung, to the tune of £150 for the 55-inch model and £200 for the 65-inch version. For a TV this new and this awesome, that's exceptional.

I'll level with you, I was surprised that the S99H beat the Bravia 8 II. Sure, the Bravia 8 II is a 2025 TV, but it was so far ahead of its rivals last year, I really didn't think any of them would close the gap.

Samsung has a reputation for slightly overplaying things where brightness and colours are concerned, too, whereas the Bravia 8 II is perhaps the best ever example of Sony's subtle and authentic approach to all elements of picture quality.

It seems pretty clear to me, though, that the South Korean brand set out with the specific aim of overthrowing Sony's flagship OLED.

The S99H pushes QD-OLED panel technology to new heights in terms of brightness and colour reproduction, but this combines with a newfound restraint and subtlety to deliver a much more mature and refined picture than we're used to from Samsung.

This is a TV that can (and will) absolutely dazzle, if that's what you and your content require, but it also satisfies purists by delivering movies, TV shows and games as the creator intended.

Like its Sony rival, the S99H is exceptionally sharp, too, and this combines with its awesome contrast and colours to create an image with oodles of pop and three-dimensional depth.

Gaming specs are also exceptional, with all four of the integrated HDMI sockets supporting 4K/165Hz (and 4K/120Hz) signals, VRR and ALLM.

And if that's not enough HDMI ports for you, or you want to go wireless with your connections, the Wireless One Connect can be added. This features four HDMI sockets that can be used in addition to those already built into the TV.

Before you click the big red 'Add To Basket' button, though, there are three little niggles to the S99H that you need to bear in mind.

The first is, for me, the biggest: it doesn't support Dolby Vision. Yes, HDR10+ is on board, as is HDR10+ Advanced, but these aren't quite the same thing. That said, the TV's Filmmaker Mode is so well tuned, I would personally be prepared to do without Dolby Vision.

The second is the design, which looks great when the TV is wall-mounted, but a little odd when it's plonked on a piece of furniture using the cheap, plastic feet, as it would be in my house. Honestly, there's no real solution to this – it's just something you will have to put up with in the name of excellent picture quality.

The final flaw is the sound, which is pretty good by TV standards, but not good enough to accompany this level of imagery. Frankly, that's an issue for all TVs, though, including the Bravia 8 II, and the solution is the same as ever: make sure to budget for some sort of dedicated sound system, even if it's 'just' an entry-level Dolby Atmos soundbar such as the Sonos Beam Gen 2.

Ultimately, none of these niggles should be a deal-breaker as far as I'm concerned, and if I were to buy any TV in the world right now, it would be the Samsung S99H.

MORE:

Read the full Samsung S99H review

Here are all of the best TVs you can buy right now

And here are all of the best soundbars

Even with competitive pricing and specifications, plenty of soundbars fail to make much of a splash in the expansive home cinema ocean.

But will Samsung’s new model suffer the same fate? The brand is quite confident about its soundbar, stating that the HW-QS90H delivers “cinema-quality sound from one sleek soundbar”.

Those are bold words, but the brand has a strong history of offering immersive sound, as exemplified by the five-star HW-Q990H premium soundbar package. Can the newest entrant deliver on its promises?

Price

The HW-QS90H is widely available for £799 / $899 (around AU$1500).

That puts it in the same ballpark as the Award-winning Sonos Arc Ultra, which you can find for £849 / $899 / AU$1585. Immediately, this is tough competition for the Samsung bar, as the Arc Ultra scored highly for its impressive level of detail, clarity and precision.

The QS90H also has its sights set on the five-star Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9, which we liked for its solidity and dynamics. It is available for around £999 in the UK, although it comes in at a higher price of $1499 / AU$1799 in the US and Australia, respectively.

Design

If you have lived with a Samsung soundbar before, you will certainly feel at home with the QS90H. It mirrors the look of the HW-Q990H system’s bar, sporting a similar grey plastic grille on the top, while a perforated surface wraps around the side.

While it’s neat and practical, it's fair to say that the QS90H’s design looks a little bit too familiar. Samsung’s soundbar range could do with a glow up.

Still, the bar feels well-built and premium, and its inconspicuous design blends reasonably well into our test room.

The bar is 125cm long, which is almost the same width as the 65-inch TV with which we are testing it. It would still look perfectly acceptable with a 50- or 55-inch screen.

At 7cm tall, the QS90H will fit in front of the majority of TVs without blocking your view, but just make sure you have enough space under the TV if you are not wall-mounting.

Features

The Samsung bar offers flexible positioning. It can be placed flat on top of a media unit for a traditional soundbar set-up, or you can turn it 180 degrees and mount the base of the unit against the wall.

An onboard gyroscope determines which orientation it's in and adjusts which drivers are activated for their required task. For example, the front-facing and upward-firing drivers switch roles depending on positioning.

The QS90H boasts 13 drivers in total. These are configured in a 7.1.2-channel arrangement. Samsung states that there are nine wide-range drivers inside the bar, which are supported by four dedicated woofers.

The QS90H is compatible with a handful of Samsung-specific features, including Q Symphony, which pairs the bar with your Samsung TV's built-in speakers, and Eclipsa Audio, which is the company's own immersive spatial audio format – though it's currently limited to YouTube videos rather than movies and TV shows.

On the subject of immersive audio, the QS90H does, of course, support Dolby Atmos, with the dedicated up-firing drivers mentioned above allowing height effects to be beamed overhead rather than virtualised. On top of that, DTS:X is on board, which isn’t the case with the rival Sonos Arc Ultra.

Bluetooth 5.3 and wi-fi are also available. In terms of physical connectivity, there is one dedicated HDMI input as well as an HDMI eARC port, inside a cable cove around the back.

HDMI video passthrough is limited to 60Hz, not 120Hz, which will be a drawback for hardcore gamers who demand 4K/120Hz performance and lack spare HDMI 2.1 sockets on their TV.

You can connect the soundbar to the SmartThings app to customise your listening experience. That lets you turn on Smartfit Sound Pro, which uses the soundbar’s built-in microphones to automatically calibrate the sound to your space.

A plethora of AI features are present, too, including Active Voice Amplifier Pro, which enhances dialogue clarity in louder environments.

Of course, there is also the option to adjust the volume, output, and access advanced EQ controls through the app. It’s all pretty painless to navigate, and it connects to our various devices quickly.

If you don’t want to be looking at your phone too much while changing the settings, you can use the included remote control.

Sound

When we boot up the Samsung QS90H, we are met with a big, expansive sound that fills our test room.

Playing Top Gun: Maverick in Dolby Atmos (in the bar’s Surround mode), the thrum of jets zooming across the screen is delivered with an impressive level of width that feels like it wraps around us. The bar tracks the movement of the plane around the soundfield pretty well, resulting in a good sense of precision that adds to the overall sense of scale.

The sense of height is impressive as well, and the jets can be felt almost above the listening position – it sounds almost as if there’s a speaker in the ceiling.

Moving to Baby Driver (also in Dolby Atmos), dialogue is crisp and clean. When the titular Baby is chatting up his crush Debora at the diner, though, the soundbar lacks the dynamic finesse needed to make dialogue sound as realistic as rivals, and it comparatively struggles to capture the subtleties of their expression.

We turn on the Voice Enhancement feature, which brings vocals forward to make them clearer, but this causes the sound to feel less natural. We opt to keep it off.

The opening scene of Baby Driver is given an injection of energy from the soundbar’s bass delivery. The low end goes pretty deep, which means you can feel the revving of engines in your feet.

While the bass is strong, though, it is not the most refined. The Sonos Arc Ultra delivers its bass with greater subtlety. The Bass Enhancement feature makes the lower frequencies more prominent in the mix, but we leave it off as it results in a more overwhelming and off-balance overall sound.

There’s a fair amount of detail in the scene, as the squeak of windscreen wipers and the pressing of pedals are clear without being distracting.

The soundbar can reach pretty high volume levels. But when pushed hard, it becomes uncomfortably harsh and edgy. This is not a problem at most sensible listening levels; just don’t crank it up to its maximum limit.

We turn to music by connecting to Qobuz via Bluetooth, and switch to Standard mode to make the presentation more direct.

Listening to At Least I’m Hot by Renee Rapp, the bass gives the track a strong foundation and immediately gets our toes tapping. Rapp’s vocals sound a touch harsh at the loudest moments, though, and compared with the Sonos Arc Ultra, the delivery does not sound quite as emotive and musical.

While the Sonos bar cannot go as deep as the Samsung model, it counters with a more expressive and cohesive overall sound that hangs together more effectively.

Verdict

The Samsung QS90H is a solid performer that will provide a big jump in quality for people currently relying on their TV's built-in speakers.

It’s not as refined or dynamically expressive as the rival Arc Ultra, but it still delivers an engaging and expansive sound experience that is well worth considering, especially if you find it discounted.

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Design 5
• Features 4

MORE:

Read our review of the Sonos Arc Ultra

Also consider the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 9

Read our Samsung HW-Q990H

Best Dolby Atmos soundbars: our reviewers' five recommendations

The Galaxy Tab S12+ and Tab S12 Ultra are set to deliver "Samsung’s most capable and versatile tablet experience yet", and the spec sheet reveals a flagship portable experience that should be ideal for on-the-go movie watching. Curiously, the lineup doesn't feature a "standard" Tab S12, only "Ultra" and "Plus" versions.

Both tablets feature Dynamic AMOLED 2X displays with variable refresh rates up to 120Hz, and Samsung says they can reach up to 1600 nits.

The difference is size and resolution: the S12 Ultra sports a large 14.6-inch display with a 2960 x 1848 resolution, while the S12+ features a 12.6-inch screen with a 2800 x 1752 resolution.

They also support Samsung's Vision Booster system, which can adapt the display brightness in real time depending on the ambient lighting conditions.

Interestingly, Samsung hasn't referenced its excellent ProScaler picture upscaling feature, and considering its removal from the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Z Fold 8 smartphones, it's possible that the Tab S12 series is also missing it.

Both versions also feature quad speaker systems, which Samsung says support four-channel spatial audio, and while Dolby Atmos hasn't been specifically mentioned yet, Samsung has an established history of supporting it on its tablets and smartphones for many years now.

The S12 Ultra and S12+ are both powered by Samsung's MediaTek Dimensity 9500 chipset, with either 12GB or 16GB of RAM depending on the storage configuration, and they run Android 17 with Samsung's OneUI 9 platform running on top. That unlocks the wide array of Galaxy AI features also found on the brand's flagship smartphones.

Samsung also touts 11,600mAh and 10,600mAh batteries on the S12 Ultra and S12+, respectively. That equates to a claimed 23 hours of video playback on the S12 Ultra and 21 hours on the S12+.

Both models launch on the 7th of October, with the Tab S12 Ultra starting at £1399; that undercuts Apple's 13-inch Tandem OLED-sporting iPad Pro, which starts at £1499. The S12+ starts at £1199, which matches the 11-inch iPad Pro.

MORE:

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra review

As well as our Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra review

And check out our list of the best tablets

In the UK, Samsung’s top OLED is the S99H. It’s a glorious TV that takes OLED performance to new heights, wrapped in a fancy, somewhat divisive frame design.

Elsewhere in the world, though, this TV is known as the S95H.

Not too confusing yet, right? But get this: in the UK, we also get an S95H, and it’s different to the S95H found elsewhere in the world.

So, what is the UK S95H? Prevailing wisdom says that it’s essentially the S99H with a wired One Connect box and the large metal frame removed.

We were excited about this prospect: we like the S99H’s frame when the TV is wall-mounted, but it looks rather awkward when the TV is set on the – let’s face it – rather cheap, plastic feet.

If we could get a version of the TV with the same performance, a more typical design and a lower price, that would be a winner, right?

Well, it would, but that isn’t what the UK S95H is.

With both models set up side by side in our test room, there’s an instantly appreciable difference in brightness and vibrancy, with the S99H being clearly better in both regards.

Samsung is always (infuriatingly) coy about which of its models feature what panel tech, but we do know that the S99H is a QD-OLED model. Given that the UK S95H is less vibrant and less bright, you might assume that it’s a WOLED, but while I can’t be 100 per cent sure, I don’t think that’s the case.

The S95H’s screen has a very similar matte coating to the S99H, and while it’s less bright and vibrant than the S99H, it looks more ‘step-down QD-OLED’ than ‘WOLED’ to me. In fact, it looks remarkably similar to Samsung’s 2025 OLED flagship, the S95F.

To be clear, the S95H looks like a very good TV, and, having tested all of the brand’s OLEDs and several of its backlit models as part of our Awards process, I think it’s probably the second-best Samsung TV you can buy this year.

It isn’t, though, in the same league as the awesome S99H.

Frankly, no TV we’ve seen so far this year is in the same league as the S99H, but our Awards testing isn’t quite finished yet. Could anything else knock it off the top spot? Find out when we announce the What Hi-Fi? Awards on 13th October.

MORE:

Here are the best TVs and best soundbars you can buy right now

Here's our Samsung S99H review

As such, I've had the pleasure of testing a crop of compact OLED TVs, and this is a particular area of interest for me both inside and outside of the testing room.

While I love OLED TVs of all shapes and sizes, I've had my eye on a sub-55-inch OLED ever since I first laid eyes upon the LG C2 during my very first year on the What Hi-Fi? team.

Every year since, I've fawned over the 42- and 48-inch OLEDs that we've tested from the likes of LG, Samsung and Panasonic.

As a keen gamer with a love of competitive shooters, getting "up close and personal" with my screen is a must, and these desktop-friendly sizes are ideal monitor replacements, and they often pack in way more features that appease my AV enthusiast side too.

Four years on, however, I still haven't bitten the bullet and bought one. "The time has never been right" and "they're still quite expensive even during Black Friday" are my two favourite excuses, hence why they've sat in my browser tabs on checkout screens that I've never completed.

However, after testing the 42- and 48-inch Samsung S90H and LG C6, I now have a rather smug sense of self-satisfaction, as my patience (or commitment issues, depending on how you look at it) has paid off.

Without spoiling the upcoming reviews or the coveted Awards list, all four TVs are pretty fantastic, and they prove that you can get a large-scale cinematic experience from a TV that doesn't require loads of space.

All of them offer punchy, rich colours, excellent motion, and perfect black depths, and the smaller screen sizes give them an edge when it comes to detail and sharpness, thanks to their greater pixel density compared with their 55- and 65-inch counterparts.

Focusing directly on the LG C6, as we've reviewed the 65-inch model (we have a review of a larger Samsung S90H in the works), we find that the 48-inch version simply feels like a smaller version of that five-star TV.

We affirmed that the C6 has a "brighter, richer and more refined picture quality" than its predecessor, the C5, at this larger screen size. From experience, the 48-inch seems to have taken a very similar path, as I was instantly struck by how bright, crisp and balanced this TV looked this year.

While I've thoroughly enjoyed previous versions of this TV, such as the 48-inch C4 and C5, they've not jumped out at me in the same way this year's C6 has.

Furthermore, the 42-inch C6 and S90H are two truly exceptional TVs, and while I won't divulge who is taking home a What Hi-Fi? Award, they're practically on par when it comes to picture quality and features.

Simply put, I could happily sit and watch a movie on these TVs, despite being used to having an expansive 65-inch at home. They don't feel like compromised versions of larger TVs, but actually great alternatives in their own right.

Now, will any of these TVs make it into my upgraded gaming setup? With the likes of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 and Grand Theft Auto VI launching very soon, I could have the perfect excuse to finally pull the trigger.

MORE:

Check out our full Samsung S90F 48-inch review

As well as our LG C5 48-inch review

And read our full list of the best OLED TVs

To give the Korean AV giant some credit, it joined Hisense to be among the first manufacturers to release a TV sporting the latest backlit panels last year, although its model was only available in a ginormous 115-inches.

Much like its Chinese adversary, Samsung has scaled down the panel technology this year, which brings us neatly to the R95H we have before us today.

This is the brand’s flagship "Micro RGB" (we’ll explain that shortly) TV for 2026, and it’s essentially a backlit counterpart to the superb S99H OLED.

As most tech-obsessed people are aware, Samsung spent years refusing to produce OLED TVs (and even campaigning against them) before doing a full one-eighty, embracing the tech, and going on to produce some of the finest OLED TVs around.

In fact, its OLED models are now so good that this alternative, backlit flagship TV really struggles to make a case for itself.

Price

The 65-inch Samsung R95H – MRE65R95H in the UK, MRN65R95H in the US, and MRA65R95H in Australia – launched at an eyebrow-raising price of £3299 / $3200 / AU$5299.

Given Samsung’s track record of aggressively discounting its TVs throughout the year, it's unlikely you will need to pay that much for it if you're a little patient. In fact, we've already seen the TV dip below £3000 in the UK.

Fascinatingly, the company's S99H OLED launched in the UK and Australia with an identical price tag of £3299 / AU$5299, while it was slightly higher in the US, at $3400.

This is intentional: Samsung hasn’t been shy about how it’s positioning its premium TVs this year, saying that customers can choose from two sides at the top end, with the S99H and R95H being two sides of essentially the same coin.

The R95H also has other RGB Mini LED TVs to contend with, of course, most obviously the Sony Bravia 9 II (which is more expensive at £3499 / $3600 / AU$5999) and Hisense UR9 (a cheaper alternative at £2999 / $2000 / AU$3999).

The battle to be crowned the king of this freshly waged RGB war is heating up, but it also may be futile, as we’ve tested three (four, including this Samsung) and none has held a candle to our favourite OLED models.

Design

Samsung knows how to build TVs that look good and feel high-quality, and the R95H is no exception.

Despite being a backlit TV, it's surprisingly slender at just 3cm thick and the uniform flat back should make it an easy TV to wall-mount.

This slim design is paired with super-slim bezels and a central pedestal that sports a reflective panel to give the illusion of a floating screen. The effect is a touch more rudimentary than Sony’s clever lenticular solution on the Bravia 9 II and Bravia 7 II, but the thought process is essentially the same.

What we really must commend Samsung on is how easy this TV is to assemble. The stand slots together with ease, and it clicks onto the main chassis of the TV akin to an oversized LEGO set – all of that with no screwdriver required.

As such, setting this TV up (in its tabletop orientation, that is) takes very little time and effort, although it's worth noting that the stand can only be set up at one soundbar-friendly height.

The only element of the design and build that we don’t approve of is the bundled remotes. It's the same simple smart remote and button-heavy handset duo that has come with Samsung TVs for years, and at this price we really think that Samsung could include a nicer-built remote with backlit buttons.

We do like the USB-C charging port and solar panel, though; anything to avoid fussing with batteries.

Features

Samsung’s 'kitchen sink' approach to loading its TVs full of features continues with the R95H, but the most interesting feature is the new panel technology – so we’ll start there.

Each competing brand has put its own spin on the naming of its take on RGB Mini LED tech, with Samsung opting for "Micro RGB".

As the name suggests, Samsung claims that its LEDs are smaller than those used by its competitors – under 100 microns to be exact. For those without a microscope and a tiny ruler, that’s roughly the width of a human hair.

This has allowed Samsung to increase the density of the LEDs, essentially meaning that the R95H should have more distinct red, blue and green LEDs packed into the backlight.

In theory, this should greatly improve contrast and local dimming capabilities, but, interestingly, we counted 1344 dimming zones on our 65-inch R95H sample, which is fewer than the 1530 we counted in the 65-inch Sony Bravia 9 II.

Panel tech aside, the R95H is packed with features. HLG, HDR10, HDR10+, HDR10+ Advanced, HDR10+ Gaming and HLG are all on board, for starters, and this suite of HDR formats is being bundled under what Samsung is calling its Micro RGB HDR Pro system.

Samsung’s stance against Dolby Vision remains, as it prioritises its own HDR10+ system instead. Thankfully, Dolby Atmos support is on board, and the company’s Eclipsa Audio format is also now supported – though it’s only available via YouTube at the time of our review.

The R95H's Tizen OS software platform and picture processing are powered by Samsung’s new Micro RGB AI Engine Pro. This encompasses a plethora of picture processing features, including Real Depth Enhancer (contrast enhancement), AI Motion Enhancer Pro, Micro RGB Colour Booster Pro, Auto HDR Remastering Pro, Ultimate Micro Dimming Pro, and 4K AI Upscaling Pro.

Samsung’s Tizen system is also home to a wide array of smart apps, both global and terrestrial. We find coverage across movie, gaming, and lifestyle apps to be stellar, with no noticeable omissions.

Speaking of gaming, Samsung remains dedicated to serving gamers only the finest selection of features, with four HDMI 2.1 sockets all capable of handling gameplay up to 4K/165Hz with VRR and ALLM. The inclusion of Xbox, Amazon Luna, NVIDIA GeForce Now and many more gaming apps also allows you to stream games directly to the TV – just add a Bluetooth controller.

Samsung has also implemented a handful of AI platforms (including Perplexity and Microsoft Copilot), and Art Mode is available for displaying a range of artwork from galleries around the world while your TV is in ambient mode.

The 65-inch model that we’re testing sports a 70W 4.2.2-channel sound system, which is compatible with Samsung’s Active Voice Amplifier Pro, Adaptive Sound Pro, 360 Audio and Object Tracking Sound+ features.

If you have a Samsung soundbar, you can also pair the TV’s sound system with it using Q-Symphony, though we advise caution with this feature. Generally speaking, your soundbar will sound better without the heavily compromised speakers of your TV getting in on the action, but do experiment with your specific TV and soundbar combination to establish what sounds best to you.

Picture quality

The R95H has to prove itself a worthy alternative to the five-star S99H, which we have set up as a direct comparison for our testing. Our S99H is 55-inches, so we do have to account for a slight difference in pixel density, which will impact sharpness and contrast to a degree; however, we expect the 65-inch S99H to perform very closely to its 55-inch counterpart.

We’ve hooked our Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player up to both TVs, and raided our 4K disc library to put the R95H through its paces.

We should start by saying that the R95H has some positive attributes by backlit TV standards. Black levels are very impressive, with letterboxing bars and shadows in darker content (think Blade Runner 2049 and The Batman) looking suitably solid and deep.

Black levels remain mostly uncompromised by blooming; our go-to stress test scene from Oppenheimer highlights this, with spotlights lighting up the testing site at night featuring a small halo that looks like an intended glow rather than unwanted blooming.

Colours are also handled well, with slightly more subtlety than the already excellent S99H, particularly in foliage and skin tones. Ultimately, we feel that a truly perfect colour balance sits somewhere between the subtle delivery of the R95H and the more vibrant S99H, but of the two, we find that the R95H looks slightly truer to our eyes.

We also find that in its most dynamic settings – either Standard or Vivid – the R95H can seriously push brightness limits. We find that it outshines the S99H in these modes, but that’s somewhat of a hollow victory considering we recommend avoiding these picture presets.

Unfortunately, Samsung’s flagship Micro RGB falls noticeably behind its OLED counterpart in nearly every other picture aspect.

In our preferred Movie and Filmmaker Mode presets, which are designed to prioritise authenticity over bombast, the R95H struggles to compete. Those Oppenheimer spotlights look dull against the dark night, especially compared with the punchy pinpoint highlights produced by the S99H, and that unfortunately carries forth to the rest of the image.

Switching to the 4K restoration of The Matrix to see if we can push the R95H to outshine its OLED alternative (it’s mastered to 2000 nits), we find that the sequence of Morbius explaining how the simulated world works to Neo on an all-white backdrop is simply more dazzling on the S99H. A panning shot introducing the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar ship also highlights some unpleasantly smeary motion from the R95H, too.

There is also a sense of flatness and dullness to this TV that is genuinely surprising to see. The R95H lacks the three-dimensionality found on the S99H, and we find that the QD-OLED is almost constantly drawing our eyes away from the Micro RGB throughout our testing.

Civil War’s forest fire sequence really sums up the shortcomings of the TV quite efficiently. Simply put, black depths, the intensity and brightness of the flames, and the sharpness and depth of the image are all clearly superior on the OLED.

Crucially, though, this isn't purely a backlit TV being beaten by an OLED, which is something we've seen time and time again, particularly this year: while the Sony Bravia 9 II also struggles against its Bravia 8 II OLED sibling and the S99H, it gets closer than Samsung's R95H does, delivering a picture with more three-dimensionality and a better balance of punch and authenticity.

Sound quality

The R95H also feels like a step back when it comes to sound. Revving up Blade Runner 2049’s tricky chapter two sequence, the TV instantly spirals into distortion, with warbly and mushy bass dominating the scene. This is at odds with the S99H, which holds back on piling on weighty bass in favour of a more controlled delivery.

That unruly bass is emphasised by a recessed midrange, which creates an unbalanced delivery throughout this sequence, with dialogue and several effects lacking the attention they deserve.

Thankfully, the R95H makes up some ground in less bass-heavy sequences. As Officer K heads back home after a stressful day of being slammed through a wall by Dave Bautista’s Sapper Morton, we find that the TV can produce a big, broad and spacious sound. The city's audio advertisements are presented with a solid sense of height, and the general bustle of the street is well preserved.

The conversation between K and Joi in the apartment is delivered with clarity and a semblance of low-level dynamics that ensures the voices aren’t completely devoid of character and emotional inflexion, too.

However, the R95H brings back a critical issue we’ve found with other Samsung sets recently: it’s just too quiet. Even cranked up to maximum volume, we find it easy to speak over this TV without raising our voices, and this is only partly rectified by applying the Amplify sound mode, which boosts volume at the expense of some dynamic compression.

Verdict

We’re not entirely sure what wrong turn Samsung has taken here. The brand stunned us with the S99H, which is a true flagship TV that justifies its price thanks to its sublime picture performance, excellent feature set and improved sound.

While the R95H retains that unquestionably superb feature set, it’s a considerable step backwards in the other two crucial categories. Impressive black depths for a backlit TV can’t make up for the flattened picture and heavy-handed approach to sound.

Some will point to the R95H's peak brightness potential as an important factor, but with the best new OLED TVs – most notably Samsung's own S99H – now capable of going vastly brighter than almost any room and the vast majority of content requires, we simply don't see that as a fundamental issue.

And, what's more, the R95H isn't even the best TV of its type – that crown currently rests on the head of the Sony Bravia 9 II.

SCORES

• Picture 3
• Sound 3
• Features 5

MORE:

Read our review of the Samsung S99H

Also consider the Sony Bravia 8 II

Read our Sony Bravia 9 II review

Best TVs: flagship OLEDs and budget Mini LED sets tried and tested

The iPhone Duo is Apple's answer to Samsung's dominant Z Fold range, which includes the recently reviewed Z Fold 8 – a five-star phone that convinced me foldables have reached the point where I could happily switch from a slab phone to a bendy one.

Apple's effort, however, will convince any remaining holdouts that this is the case. Like it or not, Apple's influence is so huge that this new foldable will win over naysayers who would never have taken a second look at a Samsung foldable simply because it runs Android.

Thankfully, the iPhone Duo is an exciting announcement for AV enthusiasts, especially those who rely on their phone for entertainment on long flights and train rides, such as myself.

While Apple barely spoke about the AV capabilities of the handset during its presentation, we do know that it has a 5.4-inch outer display and a 7.6-inch inner display, 3000 nits peak brightness on both displays, and stereo speakers that support spatial audio.

It even has an under-screen front-facing camera for uninterrupted video, which is a concept that Samsung used on its Z Fold phones a few years ago.

For reference, the Z Fold 8 has a 5.5-inch cover display and a 7.6-inch main display; now I won't point fingers at who is copying who here, but there have been years of leaks and rumours pointing towards the then-called iPhone Fold adopting this form factor. Samsung was the first out of the gate with this design though, so it's a tricky one to call.

Regardless, I think this is the correct move. While Apple hasn't confirmed the iPhone Duo's aspect ratio yet, it appears to follow the Z Fold 8's lead with a display that squashes letterboxing bars. This should make it pretty fantastic for watching movies and TV shows on the go, and it has an edge over the Samsung thanks to the inclusion of Dolby Vision HDR.

Interestingly, Apple has matched the aspect ratio on the outer and inner displays for a more "continuous" experience, which seems like a smart move, but I'll need to compare the iPhone directly to the Z Fold to see how this works in practice.

Apple also said that it has taken direct inspiration from the iPad lineup during its event, which also saw the iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max and AirPods 5 break cover, and that could hint towards the iPhone Duo being a follow-up to another Apple product we've previously championed.

The bendable Super Retina XDR OLED display with the Nano Texture anti-reflectivity coating sounds like a chip off the iPad Pro block; and while it looks like Apple has left Tandem OLED to the iPad Pro, the iPhone Duo could be our closest thing to an OLED iPad Mini.

Now, Samsung's latest foldable smartphone really did impress us; so much so that it earned a well-deserved five-star review. That's not to say it's completely perfect, though, and there is some room for improvement where audio is concerned.

Given Apple's stellar reputation for sound, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Duo outperform the Z Fold 8 in this category, as Apple's tuning leans more towards a warmer, more spacious hi-fi sound that's hard to beat.

That said, picture could be a closer race, and these smartphones might be heading towards a ferocious bendable battle, especially as we close in on our Awards testing process...

MORE:

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 review

As well as our Apple iPhone 17 Pro review

And our Apple iPhone 17 review

Here, our reviewers once again look back at all the great products that passed through our test rooms this month.

As you'd expect, these products have all been put through the proverbial wringer by our dedicated testing teams. Only devices that earned five stars are included here, with a whopping seven joining the club this month.

So luckily, we've done the hard work of sorting the wheat from the chaff – so take a look, and we'll explain why we rate them so highly below.

• Quiz! I made a TV tech crossword to test your knowledge - can you get 100%?

The Apple iPhone 17 Pro may have a successor in only a matter of days, but we still highly recommend it, especially now that it's available discounted. It's the best iPhone yet for movies and music, with a gorgeous but balanced picture and superb sound.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is a pricey but brilliant portable movie machine with a bright, punchy and detailed picture and a new content-friendly aspect ratio. If you've been considering a folding phone, this is the most compelling option we've reviewed so far.

The smallest speakers in Dali’s new Sonik range follow in the footsteps of their floorstanding sibling, the five-star Sonik 5, with expressive, well-balanced sound and solid build quality. The Dali Sonik 1 will also forgive less than ideal placement, making them a strong choice for music lovers without a dedicated listening space.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra is as close to cinematic as a tablet can get, with a huge Dynamic AMOLED 2X display screen and a peak brightness of 1600 nits. You'll want to make use of broader performance features and beefy specs for this price, but this is the Android tablet to beat for movies and music on the go.

Amazon's Fire Tablet range has long been incredibly good value, and the Amazon Fire HD 8 is no different. Available for well under £100 when on sale, the Fire HD 8 absolutely nails the basics when it comes to movies and music – and regularly surpasses them.

Yamaha continues one of head-fi's greatest comebacks. The Yamaha YH-C3000 sets a new standard in their high-end class, with a fast, clear, natural sound and fluid, expressive dynamics.

The Roksan Caspian 4G Streaming Pre-Amplifier/Caspian 4G Power Amplifier has some big shoes to fill, but does so effortlessly. The pairing is a refreshingly forward-looking combination with the sonic talent to worry the class leaders, and makes us highly excited for what Roksan does next. You'll have to purchase them separately – the Caspian 4G Power Amplifier is at Richer Sounds for £2999.

MORE:

Our pick of the best wireless headphones you can buy

And the best TVs for all budgets

Interested in the bigger picture? Here are the best projectors we have tested

The UX1 bundles a soundbar, wireless subwoofer, and two wireless satellite speakers for a true surround sound experience, and Hisense claims it can output a staggering 1840W across the whole system.

The ethos behind this premium package is that Hisense wants to up its audio game to bring it in line with its premium TV offerings.

The company now sells made-to-order Micro LED sets and 116-inch RGB Mini LED TVs, so naturally it wants a premium audio offering that reflects its flagship products.

Hence the UX1's title – Hisense already offers the UX range of premium TVs, so this has been conceived as a dedicated audio companion for that range.

Generally speaking, Hisense is really paying attention to audio this year and, from what we've seen, next year, too – the Chinese tech giant's stand in Berlin had a whole section dedicated to soundbars, party boomboxes, and portable wireless speakers, so it looks as though the brand is taking sound seriously.

And the UX1 is clearly the most serious product of this new range, and I've walked away from the Hisense booth with three key thoughts on why it could be a genuine competitor for Samsung's dominant HW-Q990H system.

1. It's packed full of drivers

Hisense proudly touted the driver tech within this system during my stand tour, and I can see why.

This is an 11.2.6-channel system, and Hisense has packed 26 individual drive units into the soundbar, subwoofer, and surround speakers. 14 of those drivers appear to be in the main soundbar unit alone, with the rest embedded within the other components.

That includes side-firing and up-firing speakers within the soundbar and the surround speakers, which means that the UX1 should (in theory) have no issue presenting Dolby Atmos height effects.

We're anticipating the "bubble of sound" effect we look for in all premium soundbar systems here, so we're hoping the UX1 delivers.

2. It's taken some big bass inspiration

The subwoofer bundled with the UX1 uses an almost identical setup to the Samsung system. It sports dual opposing 8-inch woofers, which Hisense says will help to reduce unwanted bass distortion.

While I didn't get a chance to listen to the soundbar outside of some looping branded demo content, I have relatively high hopes for the bass performance, based on the specs.

That said, Hisense has taken a different approach to the design of its sub. Unlike the petite and polite Samsung subwoofer, this Hisense has quite the presence.

I think it wears its heft well, though: it combines sharp lines with smooth edges, and if the design facilitates better bass performance, then it makes sense to me.

3. It could be a high end version of a system we already love

Hisense struck gold with the AX5125H budget Dolby Atmos soundbar system, so think what it can do with a proper flagship version of that concept.

While that isn't always the case – sometimes budget products aren't indicative of their premium counterparts and vice versa, even when they come from the same company – I think it's fair to say that expectations are high based on our experience with the Award-winning budget package.

If Hisense can scale up the AX5125H into a flagship sound system, then Samsung could have a problem on its hands.

Pricing is, of course, crucial to figuring that part out, and with this being a 2027 product, we don't have that information right now.

That said, if I were Samsung right now, I'd be nervous. The HW-Q990H is a stellar soundbar system, but with fresh competition coming in 2027, the next version of that package might need to be more than an iterative update.

MORE:

Read our full Samsung HW-Q990H review

As well as our Hisense AX5125H review

And check out our picks for the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

Quiz! I made a TV tech crossword to test your knowledge - can you get 100%?

Two versions of the Canvas soundbar are available with this particular TV model – the standard Canvas with 1000W of Class D amplification, or the larger Canvas L with a staggering 1500W.

The Samsung HiFi S99H will make its debut at IFA 2026 in Berlin this week, and will be available in 55-, 65-, 77-, and 83-inch sizes.

Prices start at $7,999 (UK and AU$ are TBC) – we tested the 55in version of this TV at £2499 / $2500 / AU$3999 back in June, so you can see this HiFi version is very much a premium product.

A fixed floor stand or wall mount is included, and there's an optional rotating floor stand available in aluminium or black.

Samsung has described the S99H HiFi as "more than simply the combination of a TV and a sound system.

The ambition is to create a new category in which true HiFi, picture quality and furniture design are developed as one integrated solution — developed for consumers who do not want to choose between performance and interior design."

We've previously tested the Canvas HiFi 65 soundbar and were very impressed by its clear, detailed sound and excellent handling of voices. We're yet to test the Canvas L, which Canvas HiFi has marketed as the "world's first audiophile soundbar".

Both Canvas soundbars are stereo, but include Baach's 3D audio processing to create a wider and more immersive soundstage.

In our Samsung S99H review, we gave the flagship OLED five stars, but noted that the audio lacked volume and bass weight. The HiFi S99H looks to rectify this shortcoming.

The Samsung HiFi S99H will be available in selected Canvas showrooms from October, with the Canvas L version available later this year.

MORE:

Read our Canvas HiFi Canvas 65 review

Our pick of the best TVs you can buy for every budget, from flagship OLEDs to budget Mini LED sets

And here are the best soundbars you can buy with your own money

And I couldn't be happier; that's what home cinema is all about in my opinion, and I'm always keen to host so that I can preach (and more importantly show off) the benefits of OLED to my not-so-AV-savvy mates.

While I usually get met with raised eyebrows when I mention the price of OLED TVs, after demonstrating the inherent benefits of OLED, the unanimous sentiment amongst my friends is along the lines of "yeah... I need one of these".

While I have convinced a couple of friends to splurge on an OLED TV already, at the end of the day that price factor is the hardest sell, especially to a group of twenty-somethings living in cramped London house shares.

That said, I usually end up getting a message shortly after they return home to their LCD TV complaining that I've ruined every other TV for them; and no, I am not sorry.

That's why I'm almost always urging them to save up and treat themselves to an upgrade, and I now have a secret weapon to tempt my mates into joining me on team OLED.

My friends and I are all keen gamers, and there's this little game launching in November that we're all quite excited for; it's called Grand Theft Auto VI, you might have heard of it.

As such, the current buzz in our group chats is upgrading our gear to experience the game at its best, including its stunning visuals. This conversation has ramped up since Thursday night's Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look, which premiered on Netflix and gave us a glimpse at the vibrant visuals of Rockstar Games' latest flagship title.

Frame rates and fidelity have now become major talking points, and the few friends of mine that don't already own a PS5 are now locked into purchasing one ahead of the 19th of November.

My advice to friends who already own a PS5 but want to upgrade a key component for GTA VI is to upgrade their TV or monitor; and of course, I'm pushing them towards OLED.

The perfect blacks, pixel-level contrast control, and superb response time of OLED make it a perfect panel technology for gaming, and I think the most anticipated game of the decade is a good excuse to take the plunge.

I've also touted the benefits of upgrading to a newer HDMI 2.1-equipped TV, too; most of my friends didn't know what VRR and ALLM were, let alone that their consoles had these features. And, of course, I've already assured them that these sets will exceed expectations when it comes to movies and sports too.

My recommendations are currently down to these three models, all of which are perfectly suited to all content:

The LG C6 is my current top pick; it comes in a range of sizes including a desktop-friendly 42-inch version, and it's one of the best-equipped TVs on the gaming market.

However, a stellar budget alternative is the Philips OLED760, which sports an impressive set of gaming specs and Ambilight, and it's under £1000 for the 55-inch model currently.

And the Samsung S99H is probably the most impressive TV I've seen this year. It happens to support up to eight full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 sockets if you purchase the wireless One Connect system, and the picture performance is simply stunning. That said, the price will put many (my friends included) off.

If you're eyeing up a home cinema upgrade in preparation for GTA VI later this year, then my advice remains: you'd be hard-pressed to go wrong with any of the OLEDs I've mentioned above.

Now, my next task is to talk them into getting Dolby Atmos sound systems, but that's a discussion for another day...

MORE:

Read our full LG C6 65-inch review

Check out our picks for the best OLED TVs

Find the best OLED TV deals here

While Bank Holidays are best known for long weekends away, late evening plans and general relaxation, they're also a great time for deals.

We've seen plenty pop up already, from last year's Product of the Year TV to 2026 contenders, to cinematic tablets and projectors. You can see them all below.

These are all products we've tried, tested and reviewed ourselves – regardless of the discount, we'll only recommend a product if it has earned four stars or more.

So sit back, relax and browse some deals as the weekend begins...

Even if you're not an audiophile, there's a good chance you've heard of the Sony 1000X series before. As a tenth anniversary present, the Japanese tech giant released Sony 1000X The Collexion, which combines the line's technology with a sonic signature that prioritises scale, detail and clarity.

If your budget only stretches to an entry-level OLED, then the Samsung S85H is an excellent contender. It features good peak brightness at this price level, as well as a punchy, three-dimensional picture and solid feature support. Use the code RED20 at checkout to get this deal price.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra has a huge, bright 14.6-inch screen that's ridiculously immersive for a tablet. It also boasts enough power to function as a laptop replacement. Use the code BH15 to save an extra 15 per cent this Bank Holiday weekend.

The Sony Bravia 8 II is our TV product of the year at its lowest price yet. Need we say more? We'd currently recommend not updating the system software due to current issues, but otherwise this is an exceptionally bright, vibrant and three-dimensional TV. Save £250 with the code TRADE250.

Finally, the Hisense C2 Ultra is designed with convenience in mind, but we still found the pictures to be bright and punchy and the sound often outstanding for a projector. We only reviewed the 4K projector this week, but there's already a £200 discount.

MORE:

Our pick of the best wireless headphones you can buy

And the best TVs for all budgets

Interested in the bigger picture? Here are the best projectors we have tested

The new model sports a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels and a 120Hz refresh rate. That’s slightly bigger than the 6.3in screen used in its more expensive sibling, the Samsung Galaxy S26.

In terms of peak brightness, the S26 FE can go up to 1900 nits, and when we had a chance to get up close with pre-production models during Samsung’s launch event, its display seemed colourful yet balanced while watching test footage under bright lighting.

This is most likely helped by the Samsung Vision Booster, a technology that improves screen visibility and colour reproduction.

We'll have to see the phone under natural outdoor lighting to see how it truly performs, but we are hoping its well-sized screen and solid specs could make it a promising contender for movie lovers on the go.

Its camera setup includes a 50MP primary camera, a 12MP ultrawide camera, and an 8MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom on the back of the phone. At the front, you will spot a 12MP selfie camera at the top.

The S26 FE also offers 45W charging, which the brand claims can get your phone to 70 per cent in half an hour. You can get up to 28 hours of video playback from a single charge, which is only two hours less than the S26.

The processor has been given a boost, offering Exynos 2500. That’s still not on par with the more premium Exynos 2600 found in the standard S26, but it is an upgrade from the previous FE iteration. On top of that, the new model also runs on Android 17 and offers seven generations of updates.

The phone weighs in at 193g and, based on our first impression, it seems impressively lightweight and well-built.

The S26 FE will set you back £699 for the 128GB model, £799 for 256GB of storage and £949 for the top 512GB handset. This is slightly higher than the previous S25 FE, which started at £649 for the cheapest model, but that could be down to the RAM crisis, which has hiked up smartphone prices across the board.

There are three colours to choose from: Pistachio, Graphite and Blueberry.

When we reviewed the top-of-the-range Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, we were dazzled by its feature-packed software experience and contrast-rich picture. If the S26 FE can offer a chunk of that five-star performance for a fraction of the price, then it could be a great contender for film fans on the move.

MORE:

Check out the best smartphones for every budget

Read our full Samsung S26 Ultra review

Sony’s latest budget smartphone claims to double the brightness of its predecessor

Well, that's exactly what you get with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, which we dubbed "as close to cinematic as a tablet can get".

Our review only came out last week, but we're already seeing discounts from the 'tested at' price of £1089 – the Wi-Fi-only, 256GB version is now £969 at Samsung.

If you want a device to watch your movies on the go in the very best quality possible, while also doubling as a laptop replacement, then this is the tablet for you.

At 14.6 inches, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra is certainly big – and, given that it uses an AMOLED 2X display, it offers a highly cinematic experience, while remaining portable enough to pack away in a rucksack.

The 16:10 aspect ratio gives you much slimmer black bars than its main rival, the iPad Pro, making movies look considerably bigger and more immersive.

"There’s been a peak brightness boost to 1600 nits too, which matches that of the iPad Pro, and that really comes into its own in HDR scenes," our Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra review reads. "We’re comparing it against the iPad Pro 13-inch M4, but HDR highlights certainly have a bit of extra punch on the S11 Ultra, and overall brightness levels are also slightly higher too.

"In the fight between K and Sapper in Blade Runner 2049, the bright windows pierce into the gloomy room with noticeably more intensity on the S11 Ultra, and there’s also a touch more subtlety in the light reflected onto their faces."

Despite the large screen size, the S11 Ultra is only 5.1mm thick. It is lighter than its predecessor at 692g, but it can be rather heavy to hold one-handed for extended periods. Thankfully, the pricey tablet feels premium, and it's also hardy with an IP68 water- and dust-proof rating.

If you're looking at the S11 Ultra purely for movies and music, then the Samsung isn't cheap and should probably be thought of as a potential laptop replacement too.

The flagship tablet has a beefy MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ chip, which means it has no problems running apps, streaming, multitasking or using Samsung’s window-based desktop system, DeX.

There are three cameras on board – one selfie and two on the rear – and an 11,600mAh battery, which we found could last well into a second day with medium to heavy use.

The S11 Ultra's four external speakers can go loud and big, with support for virtualised Dolby Atmos that widens the soundstage further. The audio is much more assured with headphones, though, with a punchy, clean, upfront sound.

The only other tablet around this price range is the iPad Pro, which does offer more natural images and fuller-bodied sound but is even more expensive. It may be a better choice if you are already invested in the Apple ecosystem, however.

If you've got the budget and the space, though, the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra has a bright, sharp screen that is more immersive than just about any other tablet we've tested. Now £120 off at Samsung.

MORE:

Also consider reading our iPad Pro 13-in M4 review

These are the best tablets for movies and music across a range of prices

Read our Samsung Z Fold 8 Ultra review

However, Samsung's latest entry-level model makes a solid case. The S85H is a neat entry point to the world of OLED, and is also one of the cheapest new options – especially now the 55-inch model is down to £1199 at Richer Sounds.

This is the lowest price we've seen so far, dropping from the previous low of £1259 we spotted only three weeks ago.

Make sure to use the code TRADE100, and you can save an extra £100 on one of the brightest entry-level OLEDs available.

The S85H sits in the same family as the S99H, which we declared to be the best OLED Samsung has ever produced. A very fine pedigree indeed.

However, with the S99H costing over a £1000 more at the time of writing, the S85H has a much more palatable price and is a good entry point if you're upgrading to OLED for the first time.

Brightness is particularly good for an entry-level OLED, which will be a boon if you're watching in a room with lots of ambient light.

"Switching to Pan, our standard peak brightness stress test due to its atypical 4000 nits mastering, it’s immediately clear that the S85H burns brighter than previous entry-level OLEDs we’ve tested and its main rival, the LG B6," our Samsung S85H review reads. "The setting sun offers a wider range of reds and oranges that show up as pure white on its rival."

Upon further comparison with the B6, we found that the colours of the S85H were a tad bombastic, but it was the TV we were drawn to during a screening of F1: The Movie thanks to the picture’s solidity and three-dimensionality.

The specification is also impressive for the price, with Samsung's ever-reliable Tizen platform packed with apps including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV and more. The latest-gen version is easy to navigate too, with a content bar that automatically curates based on your watching habits.

There's plenty of gaming features too, with four full-spec HDMI 2.1 inputs (even some OLED flagships only have two), each capable of carrying a 4K/120Hz signal, as well as VRR and ALLM.

HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG are all supported on the HDR front, with only Dolby Vision missing. That's hardly surprising, however – the format is absent from all Samsung TVs, including pricier flagships such as the S99H.

The audio, however, lets the S85H down. The 2.0 channel, 20W, Dolby Atmos system offers a reasonable sense of direction and separation, but the lack of bass is immediately apparent. You'll want to invest in a soundbar or sound system for movie watching, but for normal daytime viewing the Samsung should suffice on its own.

If you've got a bit more of a budget, we'd recommend looking at mid-range OLED options such as the LG C6 and Samsung S90F for a little more nuance, extra finesse, and a more natural picture overall.

But if you're very much looking at entry-level, the Samsung S85H is one of the top options right now. It's a brand-new 2026 OLED that's a cut above most similarly-priced rivals, and is now 20 per cent off at Richer Sounds.

MORE:

Read our full Sony Bravia 7 II review

And our full Samsung S90F review

Our pick of the best TVs for every budget, including awesome OLED models

Not to worry, though – there are deals on two great waterproof speakers that will be sure to survive a downpour if you still have outdoor plans, as well as plenty to keep you occupied inside should a thunderstorm emerge.

As always, our recommendations are all based on first-hand testing. All the below products have received at least four stars, the minimum required to get the What Hi-Fi? deals thumbs up.

So take a look below – you can finally stop thinking about buying more fans and air conditioning units...

If you're a regular What Hi-Fi? reader, you've likely heard us praise the JBL Xtreme speaker line numerous times. The robust speakers have no problem with water and dust, and the Xtreme 4 model offers clear, detailed sound, tight, weighty bass and a straightforward user experience. Now nearly half price.

The Sonos Era 100 SL doesn't have the microphone of the Sonos Era 100, but otherwise it's identical, with the same big, open sound, crisp, clear detail and pleasing way with rhythm. Add in a ton of streaming features and a lower price than the original model, and you've got yourself quite the bargain.

The Grado SR325x have won five What Hi-Fi? Awards in a row thanks to their excellent detail and dynamics, hugely entertaining performance and a rugged build. Now under £200, an excellent price for one of the best headphones we've tested in the last 20 years.

The 43-inch Samsung U8000F is a good all-rounder for both gaming and video, with impressive motion handling in particular. It's a fine pick if you're heading to university next month, but also a great value budget TV if your student days are behind you.

The Sony Bravia Projector 8 (VPL-XW6100ES) is definitely pricey even with a £4,500 discount, but its What Hi-Fi? Award proves it's worth the money. With excellent contrast and detail, stunning black depth and two HDMI 2.1 sockets, it's a top pick for anyone with deep enough pockets.

The Bose SoundLink Max combines a rugged, ergonomic design, a lively, energetic sound and powerful, tight bass. Its IP67 dust- and water-proof rating will also protect you from rain, shine or whatever else the weather has in store for us this year.

MORE:

Our pick of the best wireless headphones you can buy

And the best TVs for all budgets

Interested in the bigger picture? Here are the best projectors we have tested

Quiz! Take on our turntable-themed crossword for a spin and see how quickly you can solve the clues

LG Display, which produces the OLED panels used in all OLED TVs sold by LG Electronics and in many TVs sold by brands such as Samsung, Sony and Panasonic, has just announced a new “dream” panel technology called ‘FLiPP’.

That funky name stands for the decidedly less funky ‘FMM-Less innovative Pixel Patterning’, which actually explains how this new technology works.

For the past decade or so, OLEDs have been manufactured using fine metal masks (FMMs). These are essentially sheets covered with microscopic holes, through which the red, green and blue OLED materials are placed.

The problem with these FMMs is that they add cost and they are hard to manufacture, particularly at very large screen sizes.

Now, “after a year of concentrated R&D”, LG Display says it has managed to develop a manufacturing method that eradicates the need for these FMMs.

More affordable super-sized OLED TVs?

Why should you care? First up, LG Display claims that because FLiPP improves the aperture ratio of OLED, it can “increase display brightness by 1.6 times, extend lifespan by 2.4 times, and reduce power consumption by 13 per cent”.

But I think there is potentially a more interesting point here. FLiPP apparently reduces material costs and significantly improves the efficiency of using large OLED sheets to produce panels for different products, and that means that manufacturing costs should decrease, potentially resulting in cheaper OLED TVs.

This could be particularly beneficial where very large OLED TVs are concerned. Big OLED panels are difficult and expensive to produce, so very large OLED TVs tend to be disproportionately expensive. FLiPP could change that.

LG Display flags that FLiPP is “free from panel size and resolution constraints”, and can be used for producing panels from 1-inch in size (for AR/VR headsets, for example) right up to 100 inches.

But when will we start to see FLiPP-based OLED TVs in shops? Not for a while, it seems: the tech is being officially unveiled at the International Meeting on Information Display (IMID) this week, and LG Display says it will first be used in “IT applications such as tablets and monitors”.

Rollout for “ultra-large TVs” is explicitly promised in the press release, though.

We have contacted LG Display for more information, and have reached out to TV manufacturers for their thoughts on the announcement.

We’ll follow up with more on FLiPP as we get it. In the meantime, those who want more of an explanation of how it works should check out LG Display’s own video explainer:

MORE:

Here are the best OLED TVs you can buy right now

Check out our LG C6 review and LG G6 review

Leaving home does indeed mean ensuring you have the essentials, which, at least in our eyes, includes a TV.

We're well aware that a student budget and lifestyle don't quite align with a premium OLED, but we can recommend a model at a fraction of the price that still delivers a surprisingly capable 4K picture: the Samsung U8000F.

The 43-inch model will be big enough to satisfy a student living room or dorm but still small enough to slot into a family car, and is a great value all-rounder for nights off and move nights.

The Samsung U8000F is one of the most affordable TVs we currently recommend, but that doesn't mean it skimps on any of the key areas.

The 4K LCD panel boasts three forms of HDR, with HDR10, HLG and HDR10+ all supported. Dolby Vision is missing, but not even the premium Samsung sets support this format.

All the usual streaming and catch-up TV apps are included on Samsung's Tizen smart platform, so there'll be no shortage of options for downtime from studying.

For gamers, there's Samsung's dedicated Gaming Hub screen, as well as support for ALLM and VRR.

There's also a nice matte-black bezel design, and while the set is a bit chunky at the back, the U8000F has an overall understated and modern look.

And the all-important picture quality? Impressive, considering the low price.

"Pictures enjoy a relatively balanced look, where colours all seem to exist in exactly the same tonal universe for whatever movie or TV show you’re watching," our Samsung U8000F review reads.

"In other words, no tones look either unduly exaggerated or relatively washed out versus the rest. This sort of consistency is crucial to delivering an immersive and compelling picture – and, happily, it holds up well across all three of the main picture presets we recommend: Standard, Movie and Filmmaker Mode."

Motion handling is impressive at this level too, with panning shots, action and general motion looking as good as we’ve ever seen from a budget TV.

However, as a budget LCD set, there's the occasional backlight clouding in and a lack of three-dimensional "pop" compared to pricier, more advanced sets. The picture is far more balanced and immersive than that of your average budget TV, though, and more than up to the task as a university dorm-room companion.

The 43-inch Samsung U8000F isn’t the most dynamic picture performer, but it's a top choice and great value at this price of £229 at AO.com. It's an impressive all-rounder that punches above its weight and likely the right price level if you're after a TV that will have to withstand a student house.

MORE:

Read our review of the TCL 43P7K

Also consider the Sharp 43GM6345K

Best TVs: flagship OLEDs and budget Mini LED sets tried and tested

At first glance, that pitch continues with the Z Fold 8 Ultra, which offers a refined take on its Z Fold 7 predecessor – including a huge boost to both its screens' peak brightness levels and upscaling powers.

And were it not for one key issue, we would wholeheartedly be praising it as the best foldable for our discerning readers. But sadly, thanks to the appearance of a wildcard from Samsung, the Ultra is, ironically, not the ultimate option for Android AV enthusiasts; its cheaper sibling, the Samsung Z Fold 8, is.

Price

The Z Fold 8 Ultra is undeniably a premium product. The cheapest 256GB model we have in for review costs £1899 ( $2099 / AU$2999). The 512GB model will set you back £2069, while the top-of-the-line 1TB model sells for £2049. The extra increase for the 1TB model is also due to it having more RAM.

To put that in context, you could easily pick up enough entry-level Android phones and tablets to equip a family of three, or 2.4 Award-winning iPhone 17s, for the same price.

That also makes it over £100 / $100 more expensive than the older Z Fold 7 was at launch, £200 more expensive than the entertainment-focused Z Fold 8 and £620 more than Samsung’s flagship non-folding phone, the five-star Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Build

The price will be a hard pill to swallow for some, but there is no denying the Z Fold 8 Ultra feels premium and, dare we say, rugged (at least compared with past foldables we’ve tested).

The final point is a particular surprise for the team, one of whom had the joy of watching his first-generation Z Fold handset break in his hand when he first tested the folding mechanism many moons ago.

This is mainly thanks to Samsung’s Flex Titanium Technology display tech. The tech places a thin alloy mesh and flexible titanium plate under the AMOLED screens, which lets the firm reduce the phone’s size while improving its folding mechanism’s usability and durability.

Gone are the days when you would wince and pray to the tech gods whenever you opened it up. Now the Z Fold’s mechanism feels solid and suitably easy to use without requiring uncomfortable levels of force.

Uniformity is also improved, and unlike past Samsung Fold phones, the inner display’s crease is close to unnoticeable, resulting in a more immersive experience, especially when playing media.

The rigidity, smaller dimensions and generally polished design make the Ultra feel premium – though be warned, its IP45 rating means it's still not beach or pool-ready, and won’t survive most aquatic adventures.

The only other downside is that it retains the Fold’s atypical form factor, which, while having benefits for movie fans, is still firmly focused on 'power users' who want to have multiple apps open at the same time.

The 21:9 aspect ratio 6.5-inch outer display is thinner than most normal phones and has intuitively placed power and volume controls on its side, and also houses its fingerprint scanner.

But its 8-inch inner screen is still decidedly square-shaped, and the two side-facing speakers are pretty easy to block if you turn it on its side to make the most of the extra real estate. Doing so will also force the internal hole-punch-design selfie camera to block part of the screen, even when watching 21:9 content.

This makes the smaller Z Fold 8 feel fresher and more attuned to media consumption, thanks to its new passport-sized 10:16 aspect ratio outer screen and 7.6-inch 4:3 landscape interior display.

Features

Despite the power-user focus, the Fold 8 Ultra still houses several treats for movie and TV fans in particular.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chipset and 12GB of RAM ensure our review unit never stutters and is a speed demon with most processes – you’ll be able to game, edit spreadsheets and reels with zero issue. This is further aided by both screens’ variable refresh rate (VRR) 120Hz support.

For media, the phone doesn’t have the same Samsung ProScaler tech that wowed us on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Instead, it relies on Samsung’s mobile Digital Natural Image engine (mDNIe) hardware. Rather than upscaling content, as ProScaler does, mDNIe uses advanced image processing to help the Ultra deliver more subtle and lifelike colours. Samsung specifically claims it’s “four times more accurate” than the older Z Fold 7.

Outside of this, both the Fold 8 Ultra’s screens support Samsung’s HDR10+ standard. The internal screen also has a staggering 3000 nits peak brightness. That’s 400 nits more than the older Fold 7. Combined with the handset’s Vision Booster feature, which adjusts contrast and the screen’s settings based on ambient light conditions, we never struggle to see what is onscreen, even in direct outdoor sunlight.

Dolby Atmos support is also included, both for the inbuilt speakers and connected headphones – though you have to activate it in the Ultra’s settings.

Despite its 4.1mm slimness when unfolded, the phone’s battery is also reasonably sized. The 5000mAh cell is quoted as offering 27 hours of video playback from a single charge. That figure requires some sacrifices to the display’s brightness, but we still find ourselves only losing an average of four-to-seven per cent of the phone’s charge watching Netflix on our hour-long commute home each day, which is solid by mobile standards.

Samsung’s One UI software sits over its base Android 17 OS. The skin brings some useful features, but they’re mostly to do with AI and making the most of the second screen. These include the ability to have multiple apps open on the inner display, which can be a boon.

Whether it’s chatting on Slack with the spreadsheet you’re discussing open on the other side of the screen, or WhatsApping your friends with Google Maps open as you try to navigate your way to the pub you’re meeting at, there are plenty of moments it's useful – though we do occasionally find ourselves hankering for a stylus like the one seen on the S26 Ultra, especially when working with spreadsheets.

Outside of the split-screen functionality, Now Brief and Now Nudge are probably the most used features. The first feature pushes contextual information throughout your day, while Now Nudge, rather creepily, raids data from all the apps on your device and the cloud to offer contextual replies.

Finally, the Ultra comes with a competent camera set-up. On its back you’ll find a 200-megapixel main camera, a 50-megapixel ultra-wide (up from 12 megapixels on the Fold 7) and a 10-megapixel telephoto. It also features the same ProVisual Engine with advanced AP processing for Nightography video.

The Fold 8 has a downgraded set-up, featuring a basic 50MP main and secondary 50MP ultrawide lens. Both feature 10MP selfie cameras with a hole-punch design embedded in each screen.

Given our AV focus, we won’t delve into too much detail here, but the cameras are good, though not the best you’ll find at this end of the market. The Ultra can take captivating shots and is more than good enough for shooting video for social media – as evidenced by a number of Reels we've posted on our channels using it.

Stabilisation is solid, and low-light photography looks good and is generally noise-free. But Samsung’s processing is still a smidgeon aggressive for those who value realism. Unless you go full manual, it still can oversharpen slightly, especially compared with a modern iPhone or Pixel, and colours occasionally look a tad overbaked.

Picture

The big question is, how does the Ultra perform as a home cinema in your hand? And here the answer is interesting. Our reviewers tested both of this year’s Fold phones and, despite the phones having the same nit count and upscaling powers, ended up using them fairly differently.

Side by side, playing Crime 101 in HDR10+ on Amazon Prime Video on the unfolded screens, it is immediately clear both are cut from the same cloth. Colours are nicely rich, despite the low-light scene’s tricky nature, and there’s a pleasing level of dark detail throughout the cityscape.

But interestingly, the basic Z Fold 8 goes a smidgeon brighter in certain parts, with the night-time sky initially offering a tad more contrast than the Ultra.

We make next to no adjustments to the screen settings, outside of turning off the ambient light and colour temperature controls, to ensure uniformity, as Samsung has refreshingly set the screen to its natural, not vivid mode, out of the box.

Moving to Ready Or Not 2 on Disney+, the phone’s AMOLED screen does a stellar job, delivering dark details that are lost on cheaper handsets, but it's the Fold 8 Ultra’s ability to retain colour volume, even in low light, that steals the show.

Avoiding spoilers, the viscera during a heated scene, mixing intense sections of light and dark elements, retains a pleasing level of realness, without ever being oversaturated. Skin tones as characters creep through the shadows retain a realistic warmth, never looking jaundiced or flat as they often can on phone screens.

Masters Of The Universe, on Prime Video, continues the strong performance, with the intentionally bright, almost cartoony, colours of Eternia popping, but never veering too far toward becoming oversaturated.

If anything, the screen feels like it could go harder, especially when pushing the numerous explosions billowing around He-Man. Here, interestingly, the base Fold 8 appears to be willing to push the brightest part of the picture a little harder than the Ultra. But, as always, we’ll take finesse over bombastic artificiality any day of the week.

The upscaling is also solid. Switching to Batman Begins, the phone admirably sharpens the Caped Crusader, giving the film a wonderfully three-dimensional but never artificial feel. Movements in particular retain their weight, as we feel every one of Batman’s precise but heavy blows. It’s only when he switches to the Batmobile and begins racing across Gotham that we detect a hint of oversmoothing.

With episodes of One Tree Hill on Netflix, the upscaling can’t completely remove the fuzzy grain from the ageing millennial melodrama, and some black crush does creep into certain scenes. But the show looks leagues sharper, more three-dimensional and ultimately immersive than that which we find on most rivals.

Were it not for one big elephant in the room, we would wholeheartedly say that, for the most part, it feels like we’re watching a shrunk-down Samsung OLED. That elephant in the room is the aspect ratio. The tablet screen only offers a smidgeon more real estate than its smaller sibling. And taking advantage of it means putting up with giant black bars on the upper and lower edges, with the hole-punch camera intruding on what you’re watching.

Before, this was easier to put up with. But with the standard Fold 8 being cheaper and having a more entertainment-focused aspect ratio, for people who just want to watch media, it makes the more expensive Ultra a harder sell.

In fact, the lack of extra real estate garnered from unfolding the handset means that at times, especially when commuting (unless, say, we are reading a comic or book on Kindle), we regularly just use the front screen, with its much more movie-friendly 21:9 aspect ratio.

Sound

Audio performance is an area where Samsung phones have proven to be good, but not best in class for a while – hence the four-star (and below) 'Sound' ratings on every handset we’ve reviewed since the Galaxy S23.

And this is largely because, outside Atmos and Spatial Audio, the firm doesn’t seem too bothered about improving its phones' musicality. This is a key reason Apple iPhones have dominated our Awards recently.

Does the Fold 8 Ultra reverse this trend?

Testing the audio with a pair of wired headphones using a USB-C to 3.5mm converter, the handset leaves a positive opening impression playing Philip Glass’s Floe on Apple Music.

There is a pleasing separation to every instrument as the demanding, rhythmically driven, harmonic progression strides forward. And the sound never feels out of control – an impressive feat considering how easy it is for the low-end, heavy bass synthesiser to overpower the more subtle string and flute sections.

As we move to 16 Horse Power’s Sinnerman, the phone’s focus on control continues. The handset accurately articulates the mid-heavy nature of the piece, retaining the track's intentionally swampy, raw, gritty Gothic Americana tone without pushing its own sonic signature on it.

But switching gears to the more energetic Good To Your Earhole (the all-analogue remaster, of course) by Funkadelic, the performance is a bit too tame. The attacking funk guitar doesn’t land with the intended scooped tone or have the rhythmic drive and precision we want. Our reviewers' feet remain firmly on the floor, rather than tapping along as they normally would, as a result.

Shifting to Led Zeppelin’s Whole Lotta Love, the phone once again plays it a little too safe; the crash of John Bonham’s drums entering the composition doesn’t have the weight and impact it should, showing the phone’s middling handling of dynamics and, dare we say, a lack of fun in the sound.

There’s nothing disastrously wrong with the audio. We just wish the Fold 8 Ultra was a bit braver, a bit more confident and ultimately a bit more exciting to listen to.

Switching to the handset’s speakers, the Fold 8 Ultra offers a nicely wide soundstage by phone standards.

The cars in F1: The Movie feel like they’re zig-zagging left to right with a precision and speed lacking on many phones. But the speakers are underpowered, lacking the low-end heft required to do the rumbling engines justice.

Musically, the sound is also too thin for enjoyable listening. Nine Inch Nails’ The Day The World Went Away sounds hollow and lacks its intended lumbering menace – though this is the case on nearly all the phone speakers we review.

The combination of factors makes the Z Fold 8 Ultra a reliable, albeit unremarkable, phone for audio.

Verdict

The Galaxy Fold 8 Ultra is a competent phone that’s ideal for its target market: power users and ’80s-style business folk who need to edit spreadsheets on the go. It’s also a competent mobile entertainment device for people who like to watch films and TV while out and about.

But thanks to its productivity-focused form factor, the benefits to AV fans of the second, foldable screen aren’t as pronounced as they are on its cheaper sibling, the Galaxy Z Fold 8. Its safe but unremarkable audio also puts it behind modern iPhones for anyone on the hunt for a phone that can double as a portable music player. This all adds up to make it a good, but not perfect option for AV fans.

SCORES

• Picture 4
• Sound 4
• Features 5

MORE:

Read our review of the Samsung Z Fold 8

Also consider the iPhone 17

Read our Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra review

These are the best smartphones for music and movies

Having an expanding, tablet-style display that can neatly fold away and slip into a pocket should be a sure-fire hit for us; the concept lends itself well to taking movies on the go, in theory. But there’s been one sticking point that stops us from going all-in on ditching our “slab” phones in favour of these foldables: the aspect ratio.

That all changes with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, which has gone more movie-focused with its screen dimensions.

That’s not to say we haven’t enjoyed previous Samsung foldable phones – the Z Fold 6 and Z Fold 7 were both impressive handsets for movies – but this totally redesigned smartphone takes Samsung’s Galaxy Z series in a whole new AV-focused direction, and it’s all the better for it.

Price

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold smartphones have always been expensive, and the Fold 8 is no exception. At £1699 / $1899 / AU$2699 for the starting 256GB configuration, this phone is best avoided if you’re looking to stick to a strict budget.

Samsung also offers the handset in a 512GB storage option for £2069 / $2100 / AU$3299, and a 1TB option for £2239 / $2700 / AU$3599. It’s worth noting that the 1TB model is the only one to feature 16GB of RAM, while the others sport 12GB of RAM.

Interestingly, the Z Fold 8 launches at a slightly lower price than the Z Fold 7 (£1799 / $1700 / AU$2899); however, that is because the Z Fold 8 isn’t technically this year’s equivalent of the Z Fold 7. That honour goes to the Z Fold 8 Ultra, which starts at £1899 / $2099 / AU$2999.

Looking at the wider smartphone market, we reviewed the five-star Galaxy S26 Ultra at £1279 / $1300 / AU$1799, and the iPhone 17 Pro (review incoming) can be found for £1099 / $1099 / AU$1199. For a more like-for-like foldable comparison, Google’s new Pixel 11 Pro Fold starts at £1799 / $1899 / AU$2799.

Design

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is the biggest departure from Samsung’s foldable formula to date. The slender folded and square(ish) tablet-style unfolded form factor is traded for a stockier, more compact design this year.

When folded, the Z Fold 8 takes on a passport-like shape, which is surprisingly charming and satisfying to use. The 5.5-inch cover display is ideal for brief tasks – think quickly typing out a text or finding a track on your streaming service of choice – whereas the internal 7.6-inch screen is best suited for entertainment and web browsing.

We’ll dig further into the displays shortly, but for now we have to marvel at how thin the phone is. At 9.7mm when folded, the Z Fold 8 is only slightly thicker than the Galaxy S26 Ultra, and at just 4.7mm unfolded, the phone is barely thicker than the USB-C socket on the bottom of the device.

On the other edges you’ll find a combination power/lock button with an integrated fingerprint sensor and a volume rocker.

Samsung is also challenging the notion that foldable phones are fragile, as it's clad the Fold 8 in tough materials that should ward off dings and scratches. The cover display features a Gorilla Glass Victus Ceramic 3 coating, whereas the back glass is covered in Gorilla Glass Victus 2.

The metal frame is constructed from Samsung’s upgraded Armour Aluminium material, so the phone should resist the odd drop, but we won’t be throwing our review unit on the floor any time soon.

Samsung has drastically reduced the crease that runs down the centre of the display. This is thanks to the new Flex Titanium Technology display structure, which now incorporates a thin titanium mesh layer and flexible titanium plates below the AMOLED panel.

This has been implemented to improve display uniformity, enhance structural rigidity, and reduce air pockets beneath the display. While it’s difficult to say in the short term, this should ensure that the display isn’t compromised by a deep crease the more it's used.

Here is where we should also mention that the Z Fold 8’s new hinge feels much smoother and slicker to operate than the Z Fold 7’s. Less force is required to pry the two halves apart, and the folding mechanism feels buttery smooth.

The Z Fold 8 comes in four finishes; ours is the calming Lavender shade, though you’ll also find the Graphite and Cream finishes widely available. Samsung also sells a Pistachio version through its official channels.

Features

Stop us if you’ve heard this before, but this is yet another feature-packed handset from Samsung.

We’ll begin with the AV-focused specs, starting with the displays. The Z Fold 8’s 5.5-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X cover screen sports a 1248 x 1972 resolution with a pixel density of 428ppi and a 1-120Hz variable refresh rate.

The more compelling of the two displays, however, is the interior one. It’s a 7.6-inch Foldable Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X display, with a 1848 x 2448 resolution and a 404ppi pixel density. Samsung claims that it can reach an impressive peak brightness of 3000 nits, and its 1-120Hz variable refresh rate makes for smooth scrolling and gaming.

However, the new aspect ratio is what truly makes this a killer portable AV machine. Samsung has switched to a 4:3 aspect ratio on the Z Fold 8, which means that the letterboxing bars above and below most content have been significantly shrunken down compared with the previous generation of Z Fold devices.

While the size of the content on screen isn’t drastically different to the Z Fold 7, the smaller bars mean that content fills more of the screen, resulting in a more immersive experience, and it generally means that more of that big internal screen is put to use.

And while it may not be the most common use for this phone, older 4:3 content (think TV shows from the early 2000s and before) looks absolutely fantastic, as it fills the entire display with no black bars at all.

HDR10+ and Dolby Atmos – the latter supported via headphones and the stereo speakers – flesh out the AV features, and while we don’t have Dolby Vision support here, that’s to be expected given Samsung prefers to push its HDR10+ rival.

The Z Fold 8 is powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy processor, backed by either 12GB or 16GB of RAM depending on your storage configuration. This underpins the Android 17 software experience, which is delivered via Samsung’s One UI 9 software platform. It’s worth noting here that Samsung is promising up to seven years of software updates.

In practice, the Z Fold 8 is very responsive and slick to use. Apps load quickly, and the 120Hz refresh rate makes scrolling and app animations buttery smooth.

One area in which the Z Fold 8 lags slightly behind the other Samsung smartphones we’ve tested recently is in the number of cameras. It features just four cameras: two rear cameras and two selfie cameras.

The duo of rear cameras includes a 50MP main sensor and a 50MP ultrawide camera, while the main display’s selfie camera is a 10MP ultrawide camera. The cover display features a 10MP wide camera, although we found very little use for it when the main cameras are on hand for selfie duties.

Unfolding the phone and flipping it around allows us to use the cover screen as a viewfinder, which has been a godsend for selfies with friends, and even for shooting videos for our social channels.

As this is a modern Samsung smartphone, you can expect a raft of Galaxy AI features. This includes the expected suite of auto translation, writing prompts and photo editing tools, as well as Samsung’s Now Brief app, which can deliver contextual information based on your routines and information from throughout your calendars, texts, email inboxes and more.

There's an exhaustive list of features, and they can sound overwhelming, but Samsung has done a good job of integrating them into the operating system fairly naturally.

However, there’s one AI-backed feature that seems to have been removed this year, and unfortunately it was the best aspect of recent Samsung smartphones. ProScaler – the video upscaling feature we’ve raved about on other Samsung handsets – hasn’t been mentioned in the same breath as the Z Fold 8 by Samsung, and while we’ve quizzed the brand a couple of times to check if it’s been quietly included on the Fold 8, we’re yet to get an answer.

Finally, we should mention battery life and charging. Samsung has implemented a new 4800mAh silicon carbon battery, which is split across the two halves of the Fold 8, and it can be charged quickly with 45W wired USB-C charging or 20W wireless charging.

Battery life has been incredibly solid throughout our testing, with the phone lasting well over a day even under our video-heavy testing procedures.

Picture

This is a phone that’s been designed for content consumption, which has naturally inspired us to put it through its paces to ensure its picture performance is worthy of its considerable price tag.

The good news is that watching movies on that expansive foldable screen really is a joy; however, we need to make a few tweaks from the default settings to ensure that it performs at its best. We switch to the natural colour profile for our testing, and turn off auto brightness in favour of the extra brightness.

With these settings dialled in, the Z Fold 8 delivers a sharp, colourful and solid image that is impressively impactful considering it can easily fit into your pocket. Streaming Superman on HBO Max reveals a bright, punchy image that suits the exciting content well; the blues, reds and yellows of Superman’s suit are especially eye-catching.

These colours can sometimes be a touch too excitable, especially when it comes to the slightly rosy skin tones of some characters. That said, the Samsung’s natural colour preset is definitely more balanced than the vivid alternative.

As Superman zips around the air above Metropolis, we find that motion – a noted shortcoming of the Z Fold 7 – is handled very well. We don’t find judder noticeable throughout any of our testing, and we could even accuse the Fold 8 of being a little too slick at times, though that doesn’t break our immersion.

Switching to the dark and gritty Crime 101 on Amazon Prime Video in HDR10+, the Fold 8’s contrast capabilities become quickly apparent. The shimmering lights of Los Angeles offer punchy bursts of brightness against the night sky, and there is a tangible sense of depth and solidity to the city skyline that makes it all feel impressively immersive.

Much like the Galaxy S26 Ultra, the Z Fold 8 feels like a little Samsung OLED TV here, as it shares some characteristics with the brand’s five-star S99H TV.

Interestingly, the Z Fold 8 handles dark detail like a Samsung TV too. That’s to say that some detail is sacrificed to maintain the solidity of shadows and general black depths.

While a touch more dark detail would be nice, it does mean that the moody shadows present throughout the opening sequence of this film are conveyed with integrity.

Overall, the Z Fold 8 serves up a very enjoyable cinematic experience that almost makes us forget that we can snap the screen closed at any moment.

Sound

As is the case with many recent Samsung smartphones, the sound performance isn’t quite on par with the picture. That’s not to say that the Z Fold 8 gets things explicitly wrong, but it doesn’t go above and beyond in the same way that Apple and Sony smartphones do.

Plugging a pair of wired headphones into the Fold 8 via our trusty USB-C to 3.5mm adapter – unsurprisingly there’s no headphone jack built in here – and streaming from Apple Music, we find that this Samsung phone really doesn’t put a foot wrong.

Detail levels and the clarity of vocals and instruments alike are all very impressive, and the placement of sounds is also handled well. There’s generally a good sense of space and openness to the sound; however, switching on Dolby Atmos makes this even more evident. You do sacrifice some focus with this setting applied, but it’s not a detrimental tradeoff by any means.

Timing is solid, and dynamics are good too. Even so, the Samsung doesn’t feel like it's trying all that hard to impress.

Swapping to an Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max or the Sony Xperia 1 VIII (review coming soon) reveals a warmer, richer and more textured sound, with a particular focus on dynamics that Samsung seems to neglect in its smartphones.

Swapping to the speakers, and the Z Fold 8 does have a smattering of positive attributes worth celebrating. The sheer size of the device means that the stereo speakers are separated to an extent that sound has a surprising sense of scale and punch, and the speakers can also go quite loud.

Switching Dolby Atmos on once again, we find that the Z Fold 8’s positioning of sounds is really quite impressive

At their maximum volume, a little bit of fuzz and distortion can creep in, but this is only really evident with the volume cranked all the way up.

Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is the most compelling foldable phone we’ve tested to date. The fun and functional new form factor is a pleasure to use, and the enhanced screen uniformity and durability should soothe the nerves of those reluctant to embrace the folding format.

It also happens to be a stellar portable movie-watching device. That bright, colourful and contrast-rich OLED display makes up for a few audio-related shortcomings, although it’s hard to ignore that substantial price tag.

SCORES

• Picture 5
• Sound 4
• Features 5

MORE:

Read our review of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra

Also consider the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

Read our Apple iPhone 17 review

Thes are the best smartphones for music and movies

Perhaps you’re watching something on your handset and want to transfer it to the bigger screen in your living room; maybe you want a big display to show off the snaps from your latest holiday; or you might want to play some music via your TV.

Whatever you’re trying to achieve, there’s generally a way to do it. Allow us to show you how.

Cast video from your phone

If you want to watch a video from your phone on the big screen, casting is usually the easiest and best way to do it.

Rather than sending everything on your phone's screen to the TV, casting tells the TV to play the content itself, with your phone essentially acting like a remote control. That means you can usually carry on using your phone without interrupting playback, and in many cases you can even turn its screen off while the video continues playing.

Google's technology is now called Google Cast, although you might still see it referred to as Chromecast.

Google Cast is built into Chromecast devices, the Google TV Streamer and TVs running Google TV or Android TV. In the UK, that includes compatible TVs from brands such as Sony, Philips and TCL.

Other manufacturers have also added Google Cast to some models: newer LG TVs support it, for example, while compatible Panasonic Android TVs do, too.

But don't assume that every TV from a particular brand supports Google Cast: Samsung’s Tizen TVs, Hisense's VIDAA TVs and Panasonic's Fire TV models, for example, use different systems.

If your TV doesn't support Google Cast, don't worry: you may still be able to send content to it using AirPlay or the manufacturer's own casting/mirroring system.

How to cast a video

First, make sure your phone and TV are connected to the same wi-fi network. Then open the app containing the video you want to watch and look for the Cast icon – it's a little rectangle with three curved lines in the corner.

Tap it, select your TV from the list of available devices, and the video should start playing on the TV.

Once you're connected, your phone becomes a convenient remote control: you can pause, skip and adjust playback from the app, while the TV does the actual streaming.

The catch is that the app needs to support casting. Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, YouTube, BBC iPlayer and many other popular streaming services do, but you won't necessarily find a Cast button in every app.

If there isn't one, you might be able to use screen mirroring instead, but some apps restrict this, too. Sky Go, for example, doesn't support casting of any kind, so you can't simply send its live football or other content from your phone to a Cast-equipped TV.

What about iPhone?

iPhone users can also use Google Cast with compatible apps and TVs, but Apple's own AirPlay system is also an option if you have an AirPlay-compatible TV or an Apple TV 4K streamer.

The principle is much the same: start playing a video, tap the AirPlay button (a rectangle with a triangle pointing into it) and select your TV. Your iPhone and TV generally need to be on the same wi-fi network.

So, as a rule of thumb: if the app has a Cast or AirPlay button, use it. It's generally a better option for watching video on your TV than mirroring your entire phone screen.

Mirror your phone screen

If the app you want to use doesn't support casting, or you simply want to show something that's on your phone rather than stream a particular video, screen mirroring is the next option.

As the name suggests, mirroring shows what's happening on your phone's screen on your TV. Open a website, look through your photos or start an app on your phone, and you'll see the same thing on the big screen. It's particularly useful for things that don't have a dedicated TV app or don't offer a Cast button.

The exact method depends on your phone and TV. iPhone uses Apple's AirPlay system, while Android phones can use different systems depending on the manufacturer. Samsung calls its version Smart View, for example, while LG uses Screen Share on compatible models.

How to mirror your phone

On an iPhone, make sure your phone and TV are connected to the same wi-fi network, then open Control Centre, tap Screen Mirroring (the icon with two rectangles, one in front of the other) and select your AirPlay-compatible TV or Apple TV 4K. If a passcode appears on the TV, enter it on your phone.

On Android, look for a screen-mirroring option in your phone's quick settings. The name varies: Samsung phones use Smart View, while other manufacturers may call it Screen Share, Cast, Wireless Display or something similar. Select your TV from the list of available devices and accept the connection on the TV if prompted.

You'll generally need the phone and TV to be connected to the same wi-fi network, although the exact requirements vary between devices.

Mirroring generally isn't the best option for video

There's a reason we recommend casting where possible. With mirroring, everything on your phone is replicated on the TV, so a notification, incoming call or change of app can appear on the big screen.

And some streaming services restrict mirroring of protected video content, so don't assume that an app without a Cast button will necessarily work when mirrored.

For watching Netflix, YouTube, iPlayer and other supported services, casting or using the app directly on your TV is generally the better solution. Use mirroring when you want to show something that's actually on your phone, such as your photos or a presentation.

Play music through your TV

If you're listening to music, you're generally better off sending it directly to a wireless speaker, soundbar or AV system than using your TV. But there can be good reasons to put your music on the big screen, particularly when you're listening with other people.

The simplest option is to use your music service's TV app, if it has one.

Spotify, for example, has apps for many smart TVs, and you can use Spotify Connect on your phone to control what's playing. The TV can then display album artwork, track information and the playback queue, while everyone can see what's playing and take part in choosing the music.

But you don't necessarily need a TV app. Services including Spotify, Tidal and Qobuz can send music from their phone apps to compatible TVs using Google Cast, while AirPlay provides a similar option for iPhone users with a compatible TV.

So if your TV doesn't have a native app for the music service you use, check whether its phone app supports Google Cast or AirPlay before assuming you're out of luck. You may still be able to get your music onto the big screen.

Connect your phone with a cable

If a wireless connection isn’t an option, you can always connect your phone to your TV with a cable.

It's not as convenient as casting or mirroring, but a wired connection can be useful if you want a direct connection between your phone and TV, particularly if low latency is important – for example, when playing games.

Most modern phones use USB-C, so you'll generally need a USB-C-to-HDMI adaptor or cable, with the HDMI end connected to an HDMI input on your TV. Older iPhones with a Lightning connector require a suitable Lightning-to-HDMI adaptor instead.

Just bear in mind that not every USB-C phone supports video output, so check your phone's specifications before buying an adaptor.

Once connected, your phone will usually mirror its display on the TV, although the exact behaviour depends on the phone and adaptor.

And while a cable removes some of the potential complications of a wireless connection, it doesn't necessarily get around content restrictions: some streaming services can still block video output, or require the adaptor and TV to support the appropriate copy-protection standards (which they often don’t).

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Samsung could soon be throwing its hat back into the over-ear ring, if recent reports are to be believed. According to a leak from Samsung-dedicated site SamMobile , the Korean company is currently developing a set of over-ear headphones to accompany its in-ear Galaxy Buds models, with a new pair of cans – codenamed 'Galaxy H1' – spotted in the Galaxy Wearable app.

That probably won't end up being the final official name of the upcoming headphones, though it's likely that the word 'Galaxy' will feature somewhere to keep the cans in line with Samsung's established ecosystem of mobile and audio products.

Aside from the headphones being Bluetooth-based, details are thin on the ground. SamMobile predicts that these will be premium headphones designed to do battle with the likes of the Apple AirPods Max 2 (£499 / $549 / AU$999) or Sony WH-1000XM6 (£400 / $450 / AU$699), though as we don't have official pricing figures, we can't be sure exactly where the Galaxy H1 will be positioned within the premium market.

In terms of features, we're once again in the realm of speculation, but active noise cancelling, some form of AI assistant integration, and support for Samsung's hi-res SSC UHQ audio codec from compatible devices would bring the prospective over-ears in line with their in-ear counterparts.

That SSC UHQ codec, for instance, was a key part of the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro's repertoire, so we'd expect to see it transfer over to the over-ears.

These won't be Samsung's first-ever over-ear headphones. The Korean titan released the 'Level One' back in 2015, but we haven't seen it release much in the way of over- or on-ear cans since then.

That could be set to change. We don't have an official release date for the Galaxy H1, but with most outlets speculating a release date sometime in 2027, it could yet be a while before we see if Samsung can challenge the likes of Sony and Apple for over-ear supremacy.

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And now it’s possible to place one, two or more in your home thanks to a AU$300 discount at Samsung direct as part of its 48-hour-only Secret Sale. This isn’t the first Samsung Secret Sale to ever exist, and in previous examples there have been huge savings on TVs and soundbars (some of which are also available this time around), but it is the first time I’ve seen the new speaker model on sale. If you’re a hi-fi fan on a budget and are looking for a simple, convenient and fuss-free speaker, the Music Studio 7 could be the one.

The Music Studio 7 launched in April this year, alongside the Music Studio 5, after an official unveiling at CES 2026. Samsung hasn’t had a huge stake in the wireless speaker market, it must be said, other than with its slightly disappointing Music Frame. But you can bet we were still keen to see and hear if and how the company could improve upon that previous effort.

Well, my colleague Jez Ford has recently published his Australian review of the Music Studio 7 and, to put it simply, he loves it. And while he admitted its AU$749 RRP could be considered “a low price” given its talents, I’m of the opinion that it’s a little high considering the Award-winning Apple HomePod 2 is available for AU$549 RRP, while the excellent and versatile Sonos Era 300 retails for the same AU$749. That’s big competition.

Which is why a AU$300 saving on the Music Studio 7 makes it much easier to recommend, especially since you’ll get the absolute best performance if you own two and set them up as a stereo pair.

The Music Studio 7 — and smaller Music Studio 5, which is also on sale — benefits from tech developed at the company’s Audio Lab in California — which is also where the company’s award-winning soundbars have been developed. While Samsung hasn’t explicitly said which technologies they are, we reckon some “patented Immersive Waveguide technology” is highly likely. This proprietary tech claims to “deliver uniform directivity, spanning from 1kHz up to an ultra high-frequency of 35kHz”.

It can conceivably be compared to the Sonos Era 300 and Apple HomePod in both size and feature set. While it can function perfectly fine as a standalone unit, its multi-driver setup only reveals its true power when you wirelessly pair two together. It is possible to group up to 10 Samsung audio devices together, though we haven’t had first-hand experience of such a configuration.

It supports Dolby Atmos thanks to dedicated upward-firing and side-firing drivers, along with Samsung’s own Eclipsa Audio spatial audio format, which it developed in collaboration with Google — though we would note that there’s just not a whole lot of Eclipsa Audio content out there right now.

In our Samsung Music Studio 7 review, we found the speaker really did perform at its best with a second unit (which is why the AU$300 saving is so enticing, as it lets you pick up a pair for under AU$900) and when connected via HDMI, with audio coming from a TV source or media-streaming device.

Streaming initially presented a few issues, but we later found that ‘grouping’ the speakers, rather than just ‘pairing’, produced better results. When grouped, both speakers operate in stereo mode individually. When paired, each speaker adopts either a left or right channel configuration. And after switching, we found that turning on the ‘Space Fit Pro’ automatic calibration setting produced a noticeable, positive effect. As Jez notes, it “filled in exactly the midbass we had been missing from vocals and presented all that material with a warmer heart”.

When connected via HDMI, though, and with Jeff Buckley’s ‘Grace’ album playing, Jez found “the stereo combination had an unerring ability to handle the highest dynamic peaks at the end… without any hint of congestion”.

And as for its spatial audio prowess, we said the Music Studio 7 pair “had a genuinely immersive experience, even hearing stuff from behind, when there was nothing there”.

Of course, you don’t just have to play music through them (despite the name), as the HDMI input means they can be used instead of a TV soundbar. In this mode, we found using a pair “did seem to genuinely push crowd sound around us in the opening live number” in A Star Is Born. It “emerged absolutely massive, the guitar solo clearly panned left, and bass content rather too much, even if loaded up for effect on this opening”.

While you’re certainly not short of options for mains-powered wireless streaming speakers, Samsung’s latest entry is absolutely worth considering as a noteworthy contender against Audio Pro, Sonos and even as a most cost-effective alternative to the likes of KEF, especially if you already own Samsung AV gear.

With a significant discount applied when you use the code SECRETAUG, a duo becomes considerably more attractive.

You’ll need to hurry, though — this 48-hour sale ends this Wednesday (August 19) at 10am AEST.

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Luckily, we have some good news for you – firstly, it's the weekend, and secondly, temperatures are set to drop next week.

So there's no better way to celebrate than to check out some of the top hi-fi and home cinema deals of the week.

This includes record lows on some of the biggest new products of the year so far – the Sony Bravia Trio, the Sony Bravia 7 II and the JBL Xtreme 5 – as well as some savings on some older favourites.

As always, these are all products that our expert testers have reviewed and rated themselves. They've all earned at least four stars, the requirements for a What Hi-Fi? recommendation.

So why not have a browse...

With a main soundbar and two front-facing satellites, the Sony Bravia Theatre Trio is an unusual design that essentially splits a soundbar into three separate speakers. The result, however, is a much bigger and more immersive soundstage than a regular soundbar, and one of the finest Dolby Atmos systems you can buy today.

The Arcam AVR31 might be a few years old now, but the imminent arrival of Arcam's new AV receivers means there's now a phenomenal £3300 off. Despite its age, the AVR31 is a sophisticated, premium amplifier that offers both high-class sound and impressive connectivity features, with seven HDMI 2.1 inputs and three outputs.

The Triangle AIO Twin can play just about anything thanks to its myriad connectivity options. But most importantly, the sound is enthusiastic and capable despite fitting wi-fi streaming, Bluetooth and built-in amplification into one affordable, compact speaker system.

The Sony Bravia 7 II is one of the more affordable ways to get hold of the new RGB Mini LED technology, especially when you use the code SONYRGB15 to get 15 per cent off. It's one of the best backlit TVs we have ever tested, with its RGB Mini LED panel producing vibrant, natural and balanced colours while also boasting excellent depth and solidity.

The JBL Xtreme 5 is one of our favourite products of the year so far, offering the usual impressive build quality but also an impressive sense of scale and excellent clarity. Ideal for tunes outside in the garden when temperatures are more sensible.

For only £69, the Award-winning Sony WF-C710N offer a great sense of musicality as well as fulsome, controlled bass, 30 hours of battery life and capable noise cancelling. Glass blue, pink and white are all available at this discounted price.

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We don't want to sound too down, as we've tested a few truly impressive 2026 TVs. Take the Samsung S99H and LG C6 as examples. Both delivered stunning picture performances during our testing. But the two TVs are refinements on their five-star predecessors, so that isn't a huge surprise.

Elsewhere, the hot new panel technology of 2026, RGB Mini LED – and all its accompanying names from various manufacturers – has shown promise, but it hasn't blown our socks off quite yet.

Sony's duo of True RGB TVs, the Bravia 9 II and Bravia 7 II, impressed us in many ways but fell short in some crucial aspects of picture performance. Then Hisense's flagship UR9 produced impressive local dimming results, but at the expense of viewing angles.

However, all is not lost, and RGB Mini LED can certainly make a comeback, which is where the Samsung R95H steps in. It's the latest TV to be hauled out of its box and onto our testing benches, with testing commencing first thing next week.

Samsung's approach differs slightly from Sony's and Hisense's, as the Korean tech titan has created its own version called Micro RGB.

Not to be confused with the company's self-emissive Micro LED display technology, Micro RGB follows the same principles as RGB Mini LED, in that it trades a white backlight and colour filter for dedicated red, blue and green LEDs, but Samsung's managed to shrink said LEDs down even further.

Samsung's Micro LEDs, once again, not to be confused with Micro LED technology – blame Samsung's confusing naming convention for that one – reportedly measure in at under 100 microns. For reference, that's the size of a typical grain of table salt.

This has allowed the company to pack even more LEDs in, with the increased density expected to deliver enhanced contrast and light control.

Samsung could be the saving grace of the RGB Mini LED TV tech, and it really impressed us when we saw it during a Samsung hands-on event earlier this year. You can read our early Samsung R95H impressions here.

However, one of Samsung's biggest adversaries also shared some news this week, and we have an inbound TV that is special for a different reason.

Hisense, in partnership with Dolby, announced that its range of 2026 TVs will be the first to support Dolby Vision 2, with the higher-tier Dolby Vision 2 Max version being supported on all four of the premium models announced.

This includes the new UR8, the step-down model to the UR9 that we reviewed recently. It's also an RGB Mini LED, but unlike the Samsung we're about to review, it will support Dolby Vision 2 Max.

This technically makes it the first Dolby Vision 2-enabled TV to enter our AV testing room, which is certainly a milestone.

There is, however, one issue. Dolby Vision 2 content is, at the time of writing, slim to non-existent, especially here in the UK. Out of the three services announced – those being Canal+, Peacock, and iQIYI (a streaming service dedicated to Asian TV and movies) – only the last member of that trio is accessible here in the UK.

However, Dolby claims that "Hisense TV owners will immediately notice a difference across all Dolby Vision content", which means we should see the benefit of the new format even with existing Dolby Vision content. We'll be testing Dolby Vision streams and 4K Blu-rays to thoroughly test Dolby's claims.

With RGB LED panel technology and Dolby Vision 2 being the two headlining TV features of 2026, we're excited for the week of testing ahead, as we're hoping to put both to the test in the coming weeks.

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This includes the new Samsung S85H, which we only reviewed last week and is already in our deals coverage thanks to a tasty £241 discount.

That's not all, however, as the deals continue to be as scorching as the weather outside – there's a new lowest price (just about) on What Hi-Fi?'s favourite AirPods, as well as a truly unique Dolby Atmos soundbar from JBL.

Whatever the product is, you can be sure we've tried and tested it if it appears on this page. We review before we recommend, and every product here has earned at least four stars from our expert testing team.

So without further ado, here are this week's deals...

If you're after an entry-level OLED TV, then the Samsung S85H is one of the best we've tested. We anticipate it will go down further for Black Friday, but if you want to buy some of the latest 2026 tech now, the S85H offers a punchy, three-dimensional picture and impressive brightness for an OLED at this level. Use code SAMS10PERCENT to get this deal price.

The Focal Aria Evo X No3 have plenty of appeal, especially now they're cheaper than on Prime Day. The tall towers offer a refined, full-bodied sound, a classy, stylish appearance, and a price that has collapsed to its lowest-ever level.

The five-star Apple AirPods Pro 3 are our favourite AirPods, improving on the already impressive Pro 2 when it comes to sound quality and ANC especially. There are plenty of intuitive features too, including a built-in heartbeat monitor, live translation and the usual snappy connectivity with iOS devices.

Not sure if you want surround speakers taking up your living room space? The JBL Bar 1000MK2 comes with detachable surrounds that can snap back onto the soundbar if you'd prefer, or can even be taken into other rooms to act as a wireless speaker. Now at a new lowest price.

New to vinyl? Or just want an affordable Bluetooth turntable? Either way, we highly recommend the Sony PS-LX3BT. It's effortlessly easy to use, supremely affordable and produces an accomplished, enjoyable sound.

As the first TV with Primary RGB Tandem OLED panel technology, the LG G5 boasts a generational leap in performance. It's also a great choice for gamers thanks to four full-speed HDMI 2.1 inputs. Use the code LG200JL to save £200 on the price shown, and you can also claim back an extra 10% (£179) from LG after purchase. Ts&Cs here.

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This year is no different, with its biggest TV shake-up in years. There’s new flagship display tech, for a start, joined by refreshed OLED, Neo QLED, Mini LED and lifestyle ranges.

There’s quite a bit to cover, so without any further ado, let’s dive into all the 2026 Samsung TVs worth knowing about. Oh, and just so we’re covering all the bases, feel free to check out Sony’s 2026 TV lineup and LG’s 2026 TV lineup as well.

The Samsung tech headlines for 2026

Before we dive into the 2026 Samsung TV range, here are the headlines across the board:

Micro RGB

Micro RGB is stealing the headlines this year – a new premium LCD technology that sits above Neo QLED in the company's range.The backlight is formed from individually controlled red, green and blue LEDs, which Samsung says can deliver more accurate colours and finer light control

Game on

Samsung is continuing to push gaming performance across its TV range. The flagship models now support refresh rates of up to 165Hz, while features such as VRR, ALLM, FreeSync Premium Pro and Samsung Gaming Hub are available across much of the lineup.

Format wars

Samsung's 2026 TVs introduce support for HDR10+ Advanced and Eclipsa Audio while, unsurprisingly, continuing to omit Dolby Vision. Whether either format becomes a meaningful selling point will depend on wider industry support, but both represent Samsung's latest attempt to strengthen its own ecosystem rather than adopt Dolby's tech.

Samsung 2026 TV range breakdown

Samsung makes a lot of TV’s. Below, we’ve covered the latest H-series models, though you’ll still find some older F-series TVs available at some retailers.

Samsung R95H

The R95H introduces Samsung's new Micro RGB technology and sits at the top of the company's 4K LCD range for 2026. Rather than using a conventional LED backlight, it employs micro-sized red, green and blue LEDs, which Samsung says deliver its widest-ever TV colour spectrum. The new Micro RGB AI Engine Pro is designed to optimise colour, depth and motion in real time, while Micro RGB Precision Colour aims to make the most of the panel's expanded colour capabilities.

On paper, it promises to produce a vibrant, richly coloured picture with impressive brightness, though we'll reserve our final judgement until we've been able to test it in our dedicated viewing rooms.

Elsewhere, the R95H receives Samsung's premium feature set, including Wireless One Connect for a cleaner installation, Motion Xcelerator 165Hz for PC gaming, and Samsung Gaming Hub for cloud gaming services.

Samsung R95H specs

• Sizes: 65-inch, 75-inch, 85-inch
• Display type: Micro RGB
• Resolution: 4K
• Processor: Micro RGB AI Engine Pro
• Sound: 4.2.2-channel (70W)
• HDMI 2.1: Yes
• Gaming features: Up to 4K/165Hz, VRR, ALLM, FreeSync Premium Pro, G-SYNC Compatible, HGiG, Samsung Gaming Hub

Samsung R95H price:

• 65-inch: $3200 / £3299 / AU$6094
• 75-inch: $4500 / £4199 / AU$9199
• 85-inch: $6500 / £6099 / AU$11,499

Samsung R85H

The R85H uses the same new Micro RGB display technology as the flagship R95H, but trims back some of the supporting hardware, keeping many of the same headline tech, including Micro RGB HDR+, Motion Xcelerator 144Hz, Dolby Atmos, Samsung Gaming Hub and AI Gaming Optimiser.

It also supports Samsung's Vision AI Companion platform and ships with One UI Tizen, which Samsung says will receive up to seven years of software updates. The biggest differences compared with the R95H lie in the supporting hardware rather than the core display technology.

The R85H uses Samsung's standard Micro RGB AI Engine instead of the Pro version, steps down to a 144Hz refresh rate, while skipping premium features like Wireless One Connect. Even so, it looks set to be the most accessible way to experience Samsung's new Micro RGB platform.

Samsung R85H specs

• Sizes: 55-inch, 65-inch, 75-inch, 85-inch, 100-inch
• Display type: Micro RGB
• Resolution: 4K
• Processor: Micro RGB AI Engine
• Sound: 2.2-channel (40W)
• HDMI 2.1: Yes
• Gaming features: Up to 4K/144Hz, VRR, ALLM, FreeSync Premium Pro, Samsung Gaming Hub

Samsung R85H price:

• 55-inch: $1600 / £1599 / AU$2874
• 65-inch: $2100 / £2399 / AU$3794
• 75-inch: $2800 / £3099 / AU$4944
• 85-inch: $4000 / £3699 / AU$5749
• 100-inch: $13000 / £N/A / AU$14,949

Samsung S99H (UK) / S95H (US & Australia)

Samsung's flagship OLED for 2026 introduces an all-new FloatLayer design inspired by The Frame, giving the TV the appearance of a floating display when wall-mounted. It also adds Wireless One Connect, allowing source devices to connect to a separate box that transmits audio and video wirelessly to the TV for a cleaner installation.

Under the striking new design sits Samsung's latest OLED technology, powered by the NQ4 AI Gen3 Processor and capable of refresh rates up to 165Hz. In fact, we've already reviewed the S99H and awarded it five stars, praising its exceptional brightness, refined picture processing, improved built-in sound, and distinctive design. It currently stands as the best TV Samsung has produced to date, though Dolby Vision remains unsurprisingly absent.

Read our Samsung S99H review

Samsung S99H / S95H specs

• Sizes: 55-inch, 65-inch, 77-inch, 83-inch
• Display type: OLED
• Resolution: 4K
• Processor: NQ4 AI Gen3 Processor
• Sound: 4.2.2-channel (70W)
• HDMI 2.1: Yes (x4)
• Gaming features: Up to 4K/165Hz, VRR, ALLM, FreeSync Premium Pro, G-SYNC Compatible, HGiG, Samsung Gaming Hub

Samsung S99H price:

• 55-inch: $2500 / £2399 / AU$N/A
• 65-inch: $3400 / £3199 / AU$6094
• 77-inch: $4500 / £4299 / AU$9199
• 83-inch: $6500 / £5899 / AU$11499

Samsung S95H (UK & Europe)

Just to confuse things a little bit more, Samsung is selling a TV called the S95H in the UK and Europe. We've quizzed the Korean AV titan on how it differs from the S99H, and it said that the S99H and S95H are essentially the same televisions, just with different designs.

The S95H here in the UK and Europe sports a One Connect box, and looks almost identical to last year's S95F, meaning customers can choose which design they prefer without compromising on performance. Interestingly, Samsung also removes the 83-inch size option, and swaps it for a compact 48-inch model.

Samsung S95H specs

• Sizes: 48-inch, 55-inch, 65-inch, 77-inch
• Display type: OLED
• Resolution: 4K
• Processor: NQ4 AI Gen3 Processor
• Sound: 4.2.2-channel (70W)
• HDMI 2.1: Yes (x4)
• Gaming features: Up to 4K/165Hz, VRR, ALLM, FreeSync Premium Pro, G-SYNC Compatible, HGiG, Samsung Gaming Hub

Samsung S95H price

• 48-inch: £1699
• 55-inch: £2299
• 65-inch: £3099
• 77-inch: £4199

Samsung S90H

The S90H sits below Samsung's flagship OLED models but keeps many of the company’s headline tech. That includes the NQ4 AI Gen3 Processor with Glare Free technology, OLED HDR+ and Samsung's LaserSlim design, making it one of the company's most fully featured 4K OLED TVs outside the flagship range.

Gaming remains a major focus, too. The S90H supports refresh rates of up to 165Hz for compatible PC games, alongside VRR, ALLM, NVIDIA G-SYNC, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and Samsung Gaming Hub. AI Gaming Optimiser is also onboard, automatically adjusting picture settings based on the genre you're playing.

Either way, the S90H looks set to continue Samsung's tradition of offering much of its flagship OLED performance at a more attainable price point.

Samsung S90H specs:

• Sizes: 42-inch, 48-inch, 55-inch, 65-inch, 77-inch, 83-inch
• Display type: OLED (panel type varies by size)
• Resolution: 4K
• Processor: NQ4 AI Gen3 Processor
• Sound: 2.1-channel (40W)
• HDMI 2.1: Yes (x4)
• Gaming features: Up to 4K/165Hz, VRR, ALLM, FreeSync Premium Pro, G-SYNC Compatible, HGiG, Samsung Gaming Hub

Samsung S90H price:

• 42-inch: $1400 / £1299 / AU$2299
• 48-inch: $1600 / £1399 / AU$2759
• 55-inch: $2000 / £1699 / AU$3449
• 65-inch: $2700 / £2299 / AU$4599
• 77-inch: $3700 / £3499 / AU$6324
• 83-inch: $5300 / £4799 / AU$8624

Samsung S85H

The S85H is Samsung's entry point into its 2026 OLED range, bringing many of the benefits of OLED technology to a more affordable price. While it steps down from the S90H in a few key areas, it still combines the NQ4 AI Gen2 Processor with OLED HDR, Samsung's LaserSlim design and the latest version of One UI Tizen.

It also supports refresh rates of up to 120Hz, alongside VRR, ALLM, FreeSync Premium and Samsung Gaming Hub. Vision AI features are also included, although some advanced picture and gaming functions remain reserved for Samsung's more expensive OLEDs.

As with previous generations, the S85H looks set to be Samsung's value-focused OLED. It may lack some of the flagship range's premium features, but on paper it retains the core ingredients that have made Samsung's more affordable OLEDs such strong performers in recent years. We'll reserve our final judgement until we've put it through our full testing process.

Samsung S85H specs:

• Sizes: 48-inch, 55-inch, 65-inch, 77-inch, 83-inch
• Display type: OLED
• Resolution: 4K
• Processor: NQ4 AI Gen2 Processor
• Sound: 2.0-channel (20W)
• HDMI 2.1: Yes (x4)
• Gaming features: 4K/120Hz, VRR, ALLM

Samsung S85H price:

• 48-inch: $1200 / £1299 / AU$2299
• 55-inch: $1500 / £1499 / AU$2874
• 65-inch: $2000 / £2299 / AU$3794
• 77-inch: $2800 / £2999 / AU$N/A
• 83-inch: $4500 / £3599 / AU$7474

Samsung QN990H

The QN990H remains Samsung's flagship 8K Neo QLED for 2026. While Micro RGB has now taken over as the company's premium LCD technology, the QN990H continues to lead its 8K range, combining an 8K Mini LED panel with Samsung's latest NQ8 AI Gen3 Processor and Quantum Matrix Technology Pro. Samsung is once again betting on AI-powered upscaling to make the most of today's 4K and HD content while native 8K material remains scarce.

As you'd expect from Samsung's flagship 8K TV, the QN990H also receives the company's most advanced feature set. That includes Glare Free technology, Wireless One Connect for a cleaner installation, Motion Xcelerator 240Hz, AI Gaming Optimiser and Samsung Gaming Hub.

Whether 8K is worth paying a premium for is still open to debate, but if you're determined to own Samsung's most capable Neo QLED TV, the QN990H remains the flagship choice.

Samsung QN990H specs:

• Sizes: 85-inch
• Display type: Neo QLED Mini LED
• Resolution: 8K
• Processor: NQ8 AI Gen3 Processor
• Sound: 6.2.4-channel (90W)
• HDMI 2.1: Yes
• Gaming features: 8K/120Hz, 4K/240Hz, VRR, ALLM, FreeSync Premium Pro, HGiG, Samsung Gaming Hub, AI Gaming Optimiser

Samsung QN990H price:

• 85-inch: $8500 / £N/A / AU$N/A

Samsung QN80H

For many buyers, the QN80H is likely to be the most interesting Neo QLED in Samsung's 2026 range. Sitting below the new Micro RGB models, it retains Quantum Mini LED backlighting and the company's NQ4 AI Gen2 Processor, making it a more conventional – and likely more affordable – premium LCD option.

It doesn't have the headline-grabbing new display technology of the R95H or R85H, but it doesn't feel stripped back either. Samsung has carried over much of what makes its higher-end TVs appealing, including a Mini LED backlight, support for refresh rates of up to 144Hz, Samsung Gaming Hub and AI Gaming Optimiser.

If Micro RGB proves too expensive, the QN80H could end up being the TV many people actually buy. On paper, it looks to offer the strongest balance of performance, features and value in Samsung's premium LCD lineup, though we'll need to review it before drawing any firm conclusions.

Samsung QN80H specs:

• Sizes: 50-inch, 55-inch, 65-inch, 75-inch, 85-inch, 100-inch
• Display type: Neo QLED Mini LED
• Resolution: 4K
• Processor: NQ4 AI Gen2 Processor
• Sound: 2.2-channel (40W)
• HDMI 2.1: Yes (x4)
• Gaming features: Up to 4K/144Hz, VRR, ALLM, FreeSync Premium Pro, Samsung Gaming Hub

Samsung QN80H price:

• 50-inch: $N/A / £999 / AU$1839
• 55-inch: $1300 / £999 / AU$2069
• 65-inch: $1600 / £1299 / AU$2529
• 75-inch: $2000 / £1599 / AU$3449
• 85-inch: $3000 / £2299 / AU$4599
• 100-inch: $5500 / £2999 / AU$8049

Samsung QN70H

The QN70H continues Samsung's Neo QLED lineup with Quantum Mini LED backlighting and the NQ4 AI Gen2 Processor. While it loses some of the higher-end features found on the QN80H and above, it still benefits from the improved contrast and backlight control that Mini LED technology can offer over a conventional LED TV.

Samsung's latest Tizen platform is onboard, alongside Gaming Hub and support for a range of cloud gaming services, making it a well-equipped option for buyers who don't need every flagship extra.

Samsung QN70H specs:

• Sizes: 43-inch, 50-inch, 55-inch, 65-inch, 75-inch, 85-inch
• Display type: Neo QLED Mini LED
• Resolution: 4K
• Processor: NQ4 AI Processor
• Sound: 2.0-channel (20W)
• HDMI 2.1: No
• Gaming features: VRR, ALLM, HGiG, Samsung Gaming Hub

Samsung QN70H price:

• 43-inch: $600 / £599 / AU$N/A
• 50-inch: $750 / £799 / AU$1494
• 55-inch: $900 / £899 / AU$N/A
• 65-inch: $1200 / £1099 / AU$N/A
• 75-inch: $1500 / £1699 / AU$N/A
• 85-inch: $2300 / £2299 / AU$N/A

Samsung M80H

New for 2026, the M80H introduces Samsung's M-series Mini LED range. Rather than replacing Neo QLED, it creates a new tier below it, combining Mini LED backlighting with the NQ4 AI Gen2 Processor and the latest version of Tizen.

It doesn't match the loftier specs of Samsung's premium Mini LED sets, but it does expand the company's Mini LED portfolio into a more affordable part of the market while retaining features like the Gaming Hub.

Samsung M80H specs:

• Sizes: 55-inch, 65-inch, 75-inch, 85-inch
• Display type: Mini LED
• Resolution: 4K
• Processor: NQ4 AI Gen2 Processor
• Sound: 2.0-channel (20W)
• HDMI 2.1: Yes
• Gaming features: Up to 4K/144Hz, VRR, ALLM, Samsung Gaming Hub

Samsung M80H price:

• 55-inch: $650 / £799 / AU$XX
• 65-inch: $800 / £999 / AU$N/A
• 75-inch: $1200 / £1399 / AU$N/A
• 85-inch: $1800 / £1899 / AU$N/A

Samsung M70H

Like the M80H, the M70H forms part of Samsung's new Mini LED family, pairing Mini LED backlighting with the company's smart TV platform while stepping down further in specs. It rounds out Samsung's expanded Mini LED lineup and gives buyers another option below the Neo QLED range.

Samsung M70H specs:

• Sizes: 43-inch, 50-inch, 55-inch, 65-inch, 75-inch
• Display type: Mini LED
• Resolution: 4K
• Processor: Mini LED Processor 4K
• Sound: 2.0-channel (20W)
• HDMI 2.1: No
• Gaming features: VRR, ALLM, Samsung Gaming Hub

Samsung M70H price:

• 43-inch: $350 / £429 / AU$861
• 50-inch: $380 / £529 / AU$1034
• 55-inch: $400 / £649 / AU$1149
• 65-inch: $530 / £999 / AU$1494
• 75-inch: $730 / £799 / AU$1954
• 85-inch: $1200 / £1099 / AU$2874

Samsung The Frame Pro

Samsung has given its lifestyle TV its biggest hardware upgrade in years. The Frame Pro combines the familiar picture frame-inspired design with Quantum Mini LED backlighting, bringing display technology previously reserved for the company's premium TVs into the Frame range. It also adds Wireless One Connect to simplify wall mounting, while Art Mode, the Art Store and interchangeable bezels remain at the heart of the experience.

Samsung The Frame Pro specs:

• Sizes: 55-inch, 65-inch, 75-inch, 85-inch
• Display type: Neo QLED Mini LED
• Resolution: 4K
• Processor: NQ4 AI Gen3 Processor
• Sound: 2.2.2-channel (40W)
• HDMI 2.1: Yes
• Gaming features: Up to 4K/144Hz, VRR, ALLM, FreeSync Premium Pro, Samsung Gaming Hub

Samsung The Frame Pro price:

• 55-inch: $1500 / £1699 / AU$2874
• 65-inch: $2000 / £2099 / AU$3679
• 75-inch: $2800 / £2999 / AU$4599
• 85-inch: $4000 / £3999 / AU$5749

Samsung The Frame

The standard Frame returns for another year, continuing to focus on design rather than outright picture performance. It keeps the familiar Art Mode experience, customisable bezels and matte display that have helped distinguish it from conventional TVs, while also benefiting from Samsung's latest smart TV platform. Buyers looking for improved display hardware will need to step up to The Frame Pro, but the standard model remains the more affordable way into Samsung's lifestyle range.

Samsung The Frame specs:

• Sizes: 43-inch, 55-inch, 65-inch, 75-inch, 85-inch, 98-inch
• Display type: QLED
• Resolution: 4K
• Processor: NQ4 AI Gen2 Processor
• Sound: 2.0-channel (20W)
• HDMI 2.1: Yes (x4)
• Gaming features: Up to 4K/144Hz, VRR, ALLM, Samsung Gaming Hub

Samsung The Frame price:

• 43-inch: $1200 / £999 / AU$1494
• 55-inch: $1200 / £1499 / AU$2069
• 65-inch: $1500 / £1899 / AU$2529
• 75-inch: $2000 / £1899 / AU$3449
• 85-inch: $3000 / £N/A / AU$4599
• 98-inch: $4500 / £N/A / AU$8049

MORE:

Read our full Samsung S99H/S95H review

Check out our picks for the best Samsung TVs

As well as the best OLED TVs

HDR10+ Advanced will only initially be available on certain 2026 models of Samsung TVs, and only through the Prime Video streaming service. It's also only available on select Prime Video content at the moment – though Amazon hasn't said what that includes.

Its rival technology, Dolby Vision 2, also launched this week, but only on select Hisense TVs.

HDR10+ Advanced promises a "brighter, more immersive picture quality", and has been developed with RGB Mini LED TVs in mind, like the R95H (pictured). Confusingly, Samsung refers to its RGB Mini LED TVs as 'Micro RGB TVs'.

HDR10+ Advanced builds on the HDR10+ standard, with the addition of two key features: Enhanced Overall Brightness and Intelligent Motion Smoothing.

These are pretty Ronseal: the former uses statistical metadata to deliver "brighter, more precise HDR across the full tonal range", while AI-driven tone mapping preserves shadow detail without compromising peak brightness.

Intelligent Motion Smoothing, meanwhile, uses scene-by-scene metadata to dynamically adjust motion processing, "preserving the cinematic feel of film content while delivering smooth, natural motion for sports, action and other fast-moving scenes."

We first saw HDR10+ Advanced back in October during a trip to Samsung's Korean HQ, and we concluded that it looks "very promising".

Samsung and Amazon have been in bed together for a long time now. Prime Video was also the first streaming service to offer the original HDR10+ format back in 2017.

MORE:

Dolby Vision 2 vs Dolby Vision 2 Max: everything you need to know

Read our Samsung R95H hands-on review

I’ve seen Samsung’s 2026 lineup early: there’s one TV I can’t stop thinking about – and it’s not an OLED

The question is this: which one is actually better?

You might be surprised how often the debate as to which of these options is better comes up here at What Hi-Fi?, but this time we decided to take the discussion to YouTube. Our latest video weighs up the pros and cons of each, as I take on Team Projector, while our TV and AV editor, Tom Parsons, is heading up Team TV.

Your first option is going down the traditional route: a projector. These have been the trusty go-to option for home-cinema purists for a long time, offering screen sizes well north of 100 inches and delivering the “movie magic” we associate with visiting the cinema.

That beam of light hitting your projector screen, with sound coming from a dedicated surround sound package, is almost impossible to beat, but it comes with some impracticalities and, as you can expect, large price tags.

Which is why we are seeing more projectors launch with smaller footprints and bigger feature sets, all at lower prices. They’re not perfect, as it’s usually picture quality that takes a hit to cram in these features, but they are certainly making projectors more approachable.

That said, what if you just don’t want to deal with any of the hassle that comes with a projector?

That’s where the recent phenomenon of XXL TVs comes into play. Popularised by Hisense and TCL, 100-inch TVs are starting to become more common, while the likes of Sony, Samsung and LG have jumped on the bandwagon to deliver TVs reaching 115- and 130-inches.

The benefit here is that everything is built in, including picture, sound and streaming; and prices are dropping surprisingly low. They do take up quite a lot of space, of course, and, as mentioned in our discussion, you won’t find our favourite panel technology at this size.

Ultimately, it’s worth noting that there isn’t a “one size fits all” answer to this debate, and personal preference will play a substantial role in your decision; but whichever one you pick, be sure to consult our best projectors and best TVs lists to choose the right models.

MORE:

Read our full Sony VPL-XW5000ES review

As well as our TCL C7K 98-inch review

And check out our list of the best Mini LED TVs

However, the quest for a truly great, cheap OLED TV for the entry-level market has been ongoing for more than a decade.

Luckily, if you are a movie fan looking for one of the cheapest ways to get a new OLED, we have some good news. We have just reviewed the Samsung S85H, which has a punchy, immersive and nicely three-dimensional picture that our expert testers found to be a cut above most of its entry-level rivals.

And it is already available at a discount: the code SAMS10PERCENT brings the price down to £1259 at Richer Sounds, a good £241 off the price we tested at.

The S85H is from the same range as the Samsung S99H, which we declared to be the finest OLED the Korean conglomerate has produced.

However, if your budget doesn’t stretch to the S99H’s £2000+ price tag and you are dipping your toes into the OLED water for the first time, the S85H is a solid entry point, particularly if you’re keen on brightness.

“Switching to Pan, our standard peak brightness stress test due to its atypical 4000 nits mastering, it’s immediately clear that the S85H burns brighter than previous entry-level OLEDs we’ve tested and its main rival, the LG B6,” our Samsung S85H review reads. “The setting sun offers a wider range of reds and oranges that show up as pure white on its rival.”

Reds are a bit overbaked compared with the more subdued B6, but we still prefer the S85H for the picture’s solidity and three-dimensionality.

Specifications are also very competitive for the price, including Samsung’s app-packed Tizen smart platform. Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV and all the other usual services are present and running correctly.

Gamers are well catered for too, with four full-spec HDMI 2.1 inputs capable of carrying a 4K/120Hz signal, as well as VRR and ALLM.

The only major omission on that front is Dolby Vision Gaming – but that’s hardly surprising as Samsung has long left out Dolby’s HDR standard. HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG are all supported, however.

The biggest letdown of the S85H comes with the audio. The 2.0 channel, 20W, Dolby Atmos system noticeably lacks bass. The speakers do offer a reasonable sense of direction and separation, but you will probably want a soundbar or sound system for movie watching.

If your budget doesn’t stretch to the mid-range, then the Samsung S85H is one of the top options to get a brand-new 2026 OLED. It’s a cut above most entry-level rivals where it matters most – picture quality – and is now available with £241 off at Richer Sounds.

MORE:

Read our review of the Sony Bravia 7 II

Also consider the LG C6

Read our Samsung S90F review

This TV has dropped to just £629 at Richer Sounds. That’s £20 cheaper than at Amazon. Bargain.

Samsung S90F 42-inch deal

Cards on the table: we haven’t reviewed this exact model. But the 48-inch S90F earned five stars, so we have high expectations of the 42-incher.

True, it has feet rather than a pedestal stand like its bigger brother. And smaller screens tend to have a lower HDR brightness than their larger equivalents. On the plus side, the smaller panel size should mean a higher pixel density, and hence a slightly sharper image.

The 42-inch model is as well equipped for gamers as the 48-incher, with four HDMI 2.1 ports, and a host of gaming features such as AMD FreeSync Premium, HGiG, AI Auto Game Mode, Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), Game Motion Plus and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR).

We found the 48-inch S90F’s picture a bit red at first, and the motion a bit too smooth, but tweaking the settings helps. Overall, picture quality is superb, with realistic skin tones and solid detail levels across both the light and dark parts of the image.

Contrast might be a touch heavy-handed, leading to some black crush, but “the overall image is wonderfully three-dimensional and immersive”, we concluded.

The 42-incher has only 40W of sound output, compared with the 48-incher’s 60W. We found the latter’s speakers weak and plagued by distortion at higher volumes – hardly surprising, given that most small TVs sound terrible. So we wouldn’t expect much of the 42-incher’s audio.

But if you can put that £120 saving towards one of the best budget soundbars, you should be richly rewarded.

MORE:

Read our Samsung S90F review (48 inch)

I test OLED TVs for a living – and trust me, different sizes perform differently

We rate the best small TVs around

The Korean giant launched the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, Z Flip 8 and the Z Fold 8 – the one I am most interested in – at Galaxy Unpacked. Here it set some pretty clear expectations of what these devices are capable of, and who they are aimed at.

The Z Flip 8 is all about fun, while the Z Fold 8 Ultra is a productivity powerhouse.

The Z Fold 8, however, is a device that is designed to deliver “a more immersive viewing experience”. And watching content on that expansive unfolded screen is one of this Samsung’s biggest selling points.

This all-new folding phone sports a new design with a 4:3 aspect ratio interior display – which makes it a more suitable device for watching content. The Z Fold 7, in comparison, had a unique 1.11:1 aspect ratio, which resulted in sizeable black letterboxing bars when watching 21:9 movies or 16:9 TV shows.

Ultimately, this defeated the point of having a large screen for watching content in the first place. While the big display is nice in theory, in reality the portion that is actually taken up by the content you are watching is roughly the size of your standard ‘slab’ phone.

The Z Fold 8 changes this. Samsung specifically said, during the presentation, that this screen is better for watching content from streaming services, because letterboxing bars are less noticeable and the content fills more of the display.

Further AV-centric upgrades include the new Flex Titanium display structure, which adds a thin layer of titanium alloy and flexible titanium plates beneath the AMOLED display for enhanced display uniformity and rigidity. This makes the display crease, which can catch the light and become distracting on the older models, less of an issue.

These display upgrades immediately caught my attention. As someone who spends far more time than I’d like to admit sitting on lengthy train, coach and plane journeys, a portable large-screen experience that can fit into my pocket is a dream come true.

Now, with my very own Z Fold 8 in my hands, I have been able to test drive this portable AV fantasy. And I’m going all in…

SIM swap…

I have swapped full-time to the Z Fold 8, which means leaving the comfort of Apple’s iOS behind. Everything from my streaming apps to my WhatsApp now resides on the Z Fold 8, and I have been using it as my full-time smartphone for the past week.

To get a true flavour of how this phone handles video, I have logged in to every app imaginable.

Those include dedicated movie and TV streaming apps such as Netflix, HBO Max and Disney+, as well as more casual social-focused video apps such as YouTube and Twitch. I’m even conducting my frequent bouts of TikTok and Instagram Reels doomscrolling on this phone.

I have changed a few crucial settings to get the best picture experience from the phone. I’ve switched off adaptive brightness, eye-comfort shield and adaptive colour tone (all useful features in their own right, but not ideal for video playback), and switched on extra brightness.

I have also changed the colour profile of the display from its vivid preset to natural.

And I couldn’t forget about sound, of course. Samsung allows users to toggle Dolby Atmos on and off with a simple press of a button, so I have switched it on for a more immersive audio experience.

I know that this won’t rival a Dolby Atmos soundbar or speaker package, of course, but it’s a nice smartphone feature to have, nonetheless.

On the subject of audio, I can already reveal that playing music on this phone is a treat. The boxy, passport-shaped cover screen takes on a portable music player (think iPod Touch) persona, which is a treat to use.

A cinematic screen in my pocket…

I’ll leave our upcoming full review of the Z Fold 8 to go into exactly how this phone performs, but I can certainly share how much I’ve enjoyed the process of watching videos on this device.

Watching Superman on HBO Max is a prime example of how this phone can really shine. You are genuinely getting a bigger picture experience here, while also having the convenience of having a phone that can slip neatly into your pocket.

The upgrade from my iPhone 16 Pro’s 6.3-inch display was immediately noticeable, and yet the super-thin form factor doesn’t make the phone feel unwieldy.

Switching to an old episode of The Simpsons (Radioactive Man from season seven) on Disney+ really blew my mind, as the 4:3 aspect ratio of the content matches the display perfectly. The super-thin bezels and display-filling content combine for a seamless and immersive experience.

Moving on to the social video apps that I use day to day, the Z Fold 8 offers a very different but equally impressive experience. Most of the fun here, as Samsung acknowledged in its presentation, is scanning the comments as you watch, and the Fold 8 accommodates this with ease.

Being able to keep the live chat open without significantly shrinking the live stream is a dream, and being able to scroll a full-size TikTok feed with the comments open sells the big-screen experience even more.

It's still a learning curve…

It hasn’t been entirely smooth sailing, though.

I have found that I sometimes find myself mindlessly scrolling on the cover screen, forgetting that I have a bigger and better display lurking beneath. This is simply a case of ‘old habits die hard’, as I’m used to having just one screen on my phone, not two.

And while the letterboxing bars have been significantly slimmed down compared with the Folds that have come before, they are still more sizeable than the ones found on other phones.

That said, I’ve faced the same issue when watching movies on an iPad; it’s an inherent drawback of tablets. Unless any company is willing to make a 21:9 tablet, I can't see that being resolved any time soon.

The more I use the phone, the less these teething issues bother me, and the more I am finding myself enjoying the foldable format.

Having a pocket-sized device with a genuinely immersive OLED display is the dream for any AV enthusiast who often finds themselves on the go. As someone who fits that brief perfectly, it feels as though the Z Fold 8 was made for me.

MORE:

Read our Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 hands on review

As well as our Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 review

And check out the best smartphones for movies and music

It’s looking set to be one of the cheapest options for serious movie fans who want a new OLED that sits in the same family as the S99H, a set we recently declared to be the finest Samsung OLED we’d ever tested. Big shoes to fill, then.

Price

The Samsung S85H is available in sizes from 48 to 83 inches. The cheapest 48-inch size launched carrying a £1199 ($1199) price tag, while the giant 83-inch model retails for £3699 ($4499).

We have the middle-child 55-inch model in our review rooms, which launched at £1499 ($1499 / AU$2499).

Initially, that meant it cost slightly less than its closest rival, the LG B6, which cost £1599 (AU$2500) when it first came out.

However, rapid price drops mean it’s now more expensive than its LG rival. The 55-inch B6 is now available for as little as £899 in some places.

However, the S85H puts is still cheaper than most of this year’s mid-tier OLEDs, including its big brother, the 55-inch S90H, which now floats around the £1699 mark.

Design

You won’t find any flourishes like the fancy metal bezel sported by the flagship S99H; instead the S85H has a rather utilitarian look, with a basic, plastic design that is nevertheless mostly solid.

The TV has feet, rather than a pedestal stand design and includes two placement options, central and wide, which puts them on the furthest right and left edges. This is a nice touch that lets you adjust the position to fit on your cabinet and place a soundbar underneath it as required.

Our only minor quibble with the design is that, as well as feeling distinctly plasticy, the feet wobble. Not so much that we’re worried it will break, but enough that you’ll want to place it with care.

The SolarCell remote seen on Samsung’s previous step-down and entry-level OLEDs also makes a return. It is pleasingly compact and intuitive, and features solar and USB-C charging, something that isn’t guaranteed at this price. The only real negative is the ongoing lack of a backlight, which makes using it in the dark a bit tricky.

Features

The set's specifications sheet is nearly identical to the outgoing S85F, with only three big upgrades to mention.

It has been upgraded to Wi-Fi 6E, which will improve connectivity if you have a compatible router using the standard. It also has a new AI football mode, which Samsung claims will “make you feel like you’re in the stadium” using the set’s processing smarts.

Finally, there is a smattering of what Samsung claims to be "performance improvements" – the biggest, apparently, is to its peak and operating brightness. Samsung hasn’t given a definite nit count, however, so we can't be sure how big the alleged brightness upgrades are.

Samsung also hasn’t specified what panel is being used, but the fact that the S85H is powered by the same NQ4 AI Gen2 processor as its predecessor suggests it may be using one of the new OLED SE panels LG Display unveiled at CES in January, which aim to boost brightness while simultaneously bringing prices down.

We had hoped the Q85H would get the newer Gen3 silicon, which brings more accurate tone mapping and better upscaling, among other things, but that remains reserved for the more expensive S99H and S90H models.

The same is true for Samsung’s vibrancy-boosting Quantum Dot tech, which once again is reserved for its flagship offering. A shame, yes, but unsurprising given the S85H’s price. You also, once again, won’t find the firm’s Glare Free screen coating included, which will be an annoyance if you use the TV in a room with lots of ambient light.

Despite the lack of big changes, the S85’s specifications remain very competitive at this price.

The set offers four full-speed HDMI 2.1 inputs, capable of carrying a 4K/120Hz signal for next-generation gamers. ALLM and VRR are also on board, so gamers are fully covered.

The only big omission is the set’s lack of support for Dolby Vision Gaming, or any version of Dolby’s HDR standard, for that matter. The S85H continues Samsung’s HDR grudge match, with it only supporting the HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG standards.

The set also doesn’t support FlexConnect, a bit of audio tech that the LG B6 does. This is a clever technology designed to let you create surround sound systems using compatible speakers on the fly. It includes the power to use the TV’s speakers as the central channel. Samsung, instead, pushes its own Q-Symphony solution, which aims to make the TV’s sound system work with compatible soundbars to improve audio quality and create a wider soundstage.

The latest-gen version of Tizen featured on the S85H is easy to navigate and includes a content bar at the top that splits your apps into categories, curated and arranged to automatically match your usage habits. All the major apps and services are present and running correctly, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV and more.

Picture

In its out-of-the-box Eco mode, the S85H comes off a little strong. Playing our F1: The Movie 4K Blu-ray, the picture is a little sharp, oversmoothed and colours, particularly reds, are overcooked.

Switching to Filmmaker mode, things rapidly improve. Now, the cars’ movements become precise and rapid, losing the artificial floaty feel of its default setting.

Colours are also much more reined in, but reds still look a little overcooked, which leads to a series of quick tweaks before we finally settle on Filmmaker Mode, with the Warm 1 colour profile and Active Dynamic Tone Mapping on for the best results.

The TV’s colours are still a little bombastic compared to the more subdued B6, but the picture’s solidity and three-dimensionality ensure our eyes still favour the Samsung during the heated F1 race.

Switching to Pan, our standard peak brightness stress test due to its atypical 4000 nits mastering, it’s immediately clear that the S85H burns brighter than previous entry-level OLEDs we’ve tested and its main rival, the LG B6. The setting sun offers a wider range of reds and oranges that show up as pure white on its rival.

The only slight issue is that, once again, colours are pushed a touch too hard, with blues looking a smidge too vibrant and the picture a little too warm in general.

(Editor’s note – for our sanity, if a filmmaker is reading this, please master your next film in 4000 nits and shoot an incredibly bright scene we can use for testing. If our reviewers are forced to hear Pan’s butchered version of Smells Like Teen Spirit for much longer, there may be a mutiny.)

Switching to our 4K Blu-ray Sinners test disc, minor black crush creeps in. Although the scene oozes menace and has a wonderful sense of dread, thanks to the perfect blacks, parts of the gangsters’ faces lose definition and fade into the black background.

The S85H also has a tendency to try too hard. In a bid to show how bright it can go, the set artificially raises the brightest sections of the picture, but doesn’t always have the finesse to do it naturally.

Highlights on characters’ skin come up as pure white, losing some detail and adding a distracting artificiality, making it look like they’re in the spotlight on a Broadway stage, rather than drinking and dancing in a dingy Prohibition-era speakeasy.

The aggressive push then flattens faces completely by overbrightening them, losing shadow detail and some of the picture’s otherwise impressive three-dimensionality. The flaw isn’t uniform either, rearing its head at specific moments, which is distracting and breaks our immersion in its otherwise solid performance.

Switching gears to our 4K Blu-ray of Civil War and tagging in step-up OLEDs, including its big brother/sister the S90H, the S85H puts up an admirable fight, but there are obvious benefits if you can afford to go up a price tier.

The S90H delivers a series of modest improvements that add up to make a big difference. On the S85H, greens in a military camp’s grass fields look a little too vibrant, taking on an almost cartoony look. Skin tones lose their warmth and colour volume, coming across as slightly jaundiced during low-light scenes compared to the more lifelike, immersive S90H.

The flames in a burning forest flicker a little brighter on the step-up model, offering more detail, with a wider range of reds and oranges dancing in the brightest parts of the flames. Overall, we get a little more nuance, a sprinkle more finesse, and a generally more natural picture with the S90H.

The S85H does a decent, but not front-of-the-pack, job of upscaling our SDR True Grit Blu-ray. The picture retains the grainy, spaghetti western feel, but the picture is dimmer and a bit flatter than those we've seen on rival sets. Though it retains the intentional grain, some sharpness and detail are lost. The stitches in the characters’ woollen clothes look a bit softer than we’d like, too.

Sound

“Where’s the bass?” is the immediate question we ask, testing the S85H’s 2.0 channel, 20W, Dolby Atmos system with our F1: The Movie test disc.

Engine noise, the sound of the crowd, the boom of cars crashing and skidding across the track; all of it lacks the bite and impact needed to do justice to the scene. The entire sound feels weak, even by TV speaker standards, sounding more like a Scalextric race than a deafening, international F1 event.

And this issue is the sound system’s undoing. Moving to a night-time battle scene in Civil War, explosions are occasionally entirely lost as vocals and the higher-frequency sound of gunfire, bizarrely, overpowers them.

This is a particular shame as, while the speakers never come close to matching a moderately capable soundbar, such as the entry-level Sonos Beam (Gen 2), they do get some things right.

During the musical medley in Sinners, Sammie’s blues vocals don’t have the power or vibrato required to do them justice, but they’re suitably separated from the guitar part.

As the scene develops, adding more and more layers and modern music genres to the song, that decent separation continues, with each part remaining distinct, albeit underpowered. And the set does a reasonable job of offering a sense of direction as the camera swoops through the barn.

The S85H’s speakers are ultimately fine for watching the news or a casual series, but not quite good enough for even basic movie watching. You will need to invest in a soundbar or speaker system for that.

Verdict

If you want an OLED TV but can’t afford to step up into the mid-tier, it’s one of the top options currently available, the Samsung S85H is a very competent option at the price.

Its punchy, immersive and nicely three-dimensional picture is a cut above most of its entry-level rivals. There are undoubtedly palpable gains to be had in paying more for a mid-range OLED, however – ones we think are worth paying for.

SCORES

• Picture 4
• Sound 3
• Features 5

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The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra is a new addition to the Z Fold family, and is joined by the Z Fold8, both of which have a peak brightness of 3000 nits. That comfortably outdoes the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s 2600 nits.

The Z Fold8 Ultra really follows the Z Fold7, with the same size 8-inch internal screen. The Z Fold8, however, has a smaller 7.6-inch screen, and is shorter and wider when folded. The Z Fold8’s 5.5-inch cover screen has a 10:16 aspect ratio, while the internal screen is the more traditional 4:3.

Samsung says the Z Fold8 Ultra’s internal screen is the equivalent of having two 6.5-inch screens side by side, making it ideal for multitasking.

Both it and the Z Fold8's screens have an anti-reflective coating, making them easier to see in bright sunlight.

The Z Fold8 Ultra measures 4.1mm thick when unfolded, making it the thinnest Galaxy Fold ever. It has a new hinge with new magnets, making it easier to open and more durable over time.

It also has a 200-megapixel main camera, a 50-megapixel ultra wide (up from 12 megapixels on the Fold7) and a 10-megapixel telephoto. Also onboard are the same ProVisual Engine with advanced AP processing for Nightography video as the Galaxy S26, and the same Horizontal Lock features. That keeps your video recording steady even if your hand is anything but. A new mode lets you present your videos in cinematic presets (like romance or thriller) with no editing required.

Both it and the Z Fold8 are powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy as the Galaxy S26. The Ultra has a 5000mAh battery for 27 hours of video playback, and charging up to 67 per cent capacity in 30 minutes, while the Fold8’s 4800mAh unit offers 26 hours of video and juices up to 63 per cent in 30 minutes.

At 201g, the Z Fold8 is the lightest Galaxy Z Fold that Samsung has ever made.

Samsung also announced the Galaxy Z Flip8 clamshell phone, which flips open like the classic Motorola Razr from the early noughties. It follows the four-star Z Flip 7, and is the slimmest and lightest Z Flip phone yet.

All three phones are available to pre-order now, and will ship next month. The Z Flip8 starts at £1100, the Z Fold8 £1699 and the Z Fold8 Ultra £1899 (all 256GB storage). They all come in 512GB variants too, with the two Z Folds also available with 1TB of storage.

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This excitement has extended to the deals section, as both TVs are seeing generous discounts despite only just being reviewed.

They're not the only discounts available, however – there are five-star soundbar systems and JBL speakers on offer, while the LG G6 has also just been re-reviewed and is seeing a tasty saving.

These are all products that have been reviewed and rated by our expert testing team. They have to get at least four stars to earn our recommendation, so we only share deals on the best.

We'll go into more detail about why we like these products below, but for now, feel free to have a peruse:

The Sony Bravia 9 II is Sony's latest flagship, and one of the first TVs to use the new RGB Mini LED display technology. It's a breathtaking TV with colours that surpass every other TV we've ever tested, and is also exceptionally bright. Its sophisticated dimming system is also one of the best we've seen, but it can't quite beat the pixel-level control of OLED.

At better than half price, the Samsung S90F is exceptional value right now. The OLED TV is currently our top pick out of the best 50-inch TVs, thanks to its punchy picture, flawless gaming specifications and practical stand design.

The Sony Bravia 7 II is the Japanese company's step-down RGB Mini LED offering, with vibrant, natural colours and excellent depth and solidity for a backlit TV. Use the code SONY10PERCENT to get £200 off one of the best backlit TVs we have ever tested.

The Samsung HW-Q990H is the Korean brand's follow-up to an Awards winner, and the Dolby Atmos soundbar system doesn't disappoint. With a soundbar, two rear speakers and a very good subwoofer included, the Q990H is excellent at delivering an immersive, spacious sound with excellent height effects.

The JBL Authentics 300 may have retro looks, but it's a versatile speaker with seamless usability and a forthright, confident sound. Now at a new lowest price.

Now that we've tested the LG G6 with the correct, updated software, LG's latest flagship has now been awarded the full five stars. With punchy picture quality, flawless gaming specifications and excellent app support, this is a TV of serious ability.

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Well, now it's Samsung's turn – the 48-inch, five-star Samsung S90F has dropped to £749 at John Lewis, the lowest price we've seen for the set so far.

If you're upgrading to OLED for the first time for the football, then the panel technology boasts several advantages for watching sports, including incredible contrast, faster refresh times to minimise motion blur and wider viewing angles so the whole watch party can see.

You'll have to pay an extra £29.95 for next-day delivery, but luckily the S90F can be set up in less than a minute – and should be well worth it for the Messi vs Kane showdown in the England vs Argentina semi-final.

If you're looking for a mid-sized TV, the Samsung S90F currently ranks at the top of our guide to the best 50-inch TVs It's ideal for a small lounge, bedroom or just as a mid-level OLED.

Despite its compact size, it delivers a bright, punchy picture that will offer a fun experience for films, football or whatever you wish to use it for.

After testing with a viewing of Civil War, our Samsung S90F review reads: "Explosions pop out of the dark cityscape with dazzling brightness and a clear, bright fiery hue that makes them truly come to life.

"The S90F also manages to retain colour volume during the tricky scene, with characters’ faces retaining their warmth and offering solid levels of detail in both the darkest and lightest parts of the picture – which is impressive as many OLEDs can struggle here."

Upscaling is also particularly impressive, which will come in useful if you're watching the football on linear TV.

The Samsung S90F is also notably easy to set up, with the screen easily and quickly connecting to the stand thanks to a screw-free design. Ideal for delivery just before the match!

The S90F is also one of the only non-LG OLEDs with four full-fat HDMI 2.1 inputs, along with VRR and ALLM. This means even gamers with multiple consoles can play at 4K/120Hz, or even 4K/144Hz if they have a powerful enough PC.

The main drawback of the S90F, however, is the sound. The 60-watt, 2.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos built-in sound system delivers a reasonable sense of directionality, but lacks oomph – we recommend one of the best soundbars if you want to get that stadium feeling.

A five-star OLED for under a grand, let alone £750, is a bona fide bargain. If you want to watch the last few matches of the World Cup on a glorious OLED, we recommend the Samsung S90F, now 50 per cent off at John Lewis.

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Soundbars tend to come in two flavours now: the usual standalone bar, and the soundbar system with extra speakers that has increased in visibility in recent years.

We’ve rounded up two of our favourites from both categories to see how they stack up. And not just any two – the Award-winning Sonos Arc Ultra, and Samsung’s new HW-Q990H soundbar system.

We’ll go through various categories such as price, design, features and, of course, sound, to find out which is the better buy.

As soundbar standoffs go, it doesn’t get much closer than this. So, after a deep breath, let’s get started…

Samsung HW-Q990H vs Sonos Arc Ultra: price

The Sonos Arc Ultra officially launched at £999 / $999 / AU$1799. However, it does get healthy discounts every now and then – the cheapest we’ve seen it go is £719 in the UK on Cyber Monday.

The Samsung HW-Q990H launched at a more expensive £1599 / $2000 / AU$1999. That’s a £600/$1000/AU$200 increase – though you have to bear in mind that this also includes a wireless subwoofer and two wireless surrounds.

You can add extra speakers to the Arc Ultra, but it quickly adds up. The cheapest way to build a Sonos system is to add a Sub Mini and two Era 100 speakers, which are available as part of the Home Cinema Completion Set for £785/$887/AU$1270, though if you shop around you can often find these products on sale separately.

The Samsung HW-Q990H is also much newer, only launching in spring 2026. Samsung’s annual soundbar system tends to tumble in price quickly and consistently after launch – the HW-Q990H is already down to £1299 in the UK. Last year’s model, the HW-990F, crashed to under £700 over Prime Day, and we’d expect the HW-Q990H to follow a similar pattern.

As things stand, the Sonos Arc Ultra is the better value buy, especially if you get it at a discount – but the two may very well swap places over the course of the next year.

**Winner: Sonos Arc Ultra**

Samsung HW-Q990H vs Sonos Arc Ultra: design

There is, of course, one key difference between the Samsung HW-Q990H and Sonos Arc Ultra; the Q990H is a soundbar system with surrounds and a subwoofer, whereas the Arc Ultra is a solo soundbar.

However, even the soundbar of the Q990H alone is bigger than the Arc Ultra – the Arc Ultra fits all of its channels into a 7.5 x 118 x 11 cm (hwd) bar, while the main soundbar of the Q990H comes in at 7 x 123 x 14cm. The Q990H’s surround speakers are a smaller 20 x 13 x 14cm, while the subwoofer is a 25 x 25 x 25cm cube.

The Q990H is a well-built, premium-feeling system constructed from aluminium and high-quality plastic. However, the design is identical to previous Samsung soundbar systems, and is starting to feel a little tired. The sharp, hexagonal design is a touch brutalist – especially compared to Samsung’s sleek OLED TVs – and the edgy soundbar does feel at odds with the rounded cube-shaped subwoofer.

We prefer the smooth curves of the Sonos Arc Ultra. The solo soundbar is pretty much all grille, with just a Sonos logo and a status light breaking up the appearance from the front, ensuring that sound can emanate from the soundbar in almost any direction.

The Arc Ultra’s design is largely similar to that of its predecessor, the Sonos Arc, with the exception of the 'ledge' at the back of the top of the chassis, which now houses touch controls for playback and volume. The Bluetooth pairing button is hidden in the recess around the back with the HDMI and power ports, which is a tad inconvenient.

The Sonos Arc Ultra gets our vote on an aesthetic level, but we still have features and sound quality to assess.

**Winner: Sonos Arc Ultra**

Samsung HW-Q990H vs Sonos Arc Ultra: features

The Arc Ultra boasts a 9.1.4-channel configuration, with 15 Class D amplifiers powering 14 drivers that are all Sonos-engineered. There are seven tweeters, six midrange woofers, and a 'Sound Motion' woofer, and it's the last of those that's the really big deal.

Rather than the one heavy motor that most speaker drivers employ, the Sound Motion driver has four smaller, lightweight motors in opposing corners. Working together, these motors are apparently able to push the cone to shift far more air and produce far more bass.

The Samsung, on the other hand, is an 11.1.4 system, with an impressive total of 23 individual drivers on board. This includes 15 drivers in the main soundbar unit, three in each of the wireless surround speakers, and two 8-inch woofers (in a push/pull configuration) in the wireless subwoofer. Upward-firing drivers are present in both the soundbar and surround speakers for immersive audio.

Speaking of immersive sound formats, the Sonos Arc Ultra only supports Dolby Atmos. The Q990H boasts three: Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and Samsung’s Eclipsa Audio. Eclipsa has not seen widespread coverage outside of YouTube so far, but it’s handy that the Q990H is futureproofed should this change down the line.

While the Sonos Arc Ultra does have an HDMI eARC output for sending high-fidelity sound from your TV, there are no HDMI inputs to enable passthrough, which could be an issue for any gamers out there. If you have a TV with only two HDMI sockets and more than one game console, you’ll be in a bit of a pickle as the Arc Ultra will take up one of your ports.

The Samsung, on the other hand, has two full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 passthrough sockets, which support up to 4K/120Hz signals with VRR and ALLM, as well as HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. So you can plug two high-speed game consoles directly into the soundbar itself, and still enjoy plenty of gaming features.

The Sonos Trueplay calibration process for the Arc Ultra comes in two flavours – Quick and Advanced. The Quick method, which is a single measurement using the soundbar’s own microphone, makes a big difference, whereas the iOS-only Advanced method, the ‘hoovering-the-walls’ method we’ve seen before, only very slightly improves beyond that.

Samsung’s SpaceFit Sound Pro feature, which is essentially the Q990H’s’s calibration system, can helpfully accommodate if you can’t place the rear speakers at the recommended 135-150-degree angle behind the listening position. However, this isn’t just a one-time measurement – the feature is a constantly running system that monitors your listening space at all times to make adjustments in real time.

The Sonos app also allows you to access EQ controls and features such as Night mode, Speech Enhancement and the Loudness setting. However, we ran into several bugs during testing, and while a lot of the issues have been ironed out, it’s still not the most intuitive platform.

Luckily, you shouldn’t need to use the app too often – the remote control can handle most duties, and music can be sent directly from apps such as Spotify and Tidal.

Conversely, we find the Samsung SmartThings app to be the preferred way of interacting with the settings menus of the Q990H. The app has a snappy connection and set-up time, with easy-to-understand menus and generally solid stability.

The Q990H can also be connected wirelessly to compatible Samsung TVs, though we’d recommend sticking to a wired connection for the best audio quality and reduced latency. Q Symphony is also on offer, in which the Q990H can work in tandem with the speakers of a Samsung TV – though again, we’d recommend just sticking to the system rather than bringing a TV's sound quality into the equation.

Finally, the Q990H offers a Sound Elevation feature that’s designed to raise the audio upwards to match the position of your screen. We found it overshot things slightly and placed the sound towards the top of our TV, but this could be useful for those who wall-mount their TV and leave a gap between it and their soundbar.

The Sonos Arc Ultra is no slouch in the features department, but it loses out to the newer, feature-packed Samsung HW-Q990H. The soundbar system boasts more immersive audio support, a snappier, more stable app and, crucially, HDMI passthrough.

**Winner: Samsung HW-Q990H**

Samsung HW-Q990H vs Sonos Arc Ultra: sound

Starting with the Samsung HW-Q990H and a test viewing of Civil War, we find this soundbar package excels in practically every aspect. A woodland scene demonstrates the soundbar’s excellent placement of cinematic effects, with birds chirping overhead and twigs crackling underfoot.

Vocal clarity is excellent, with crisp, detailed and full-bodied dialogue, and the tonality and emotions of their voices are captured thanks to the Q990H's rich sonic characteristics and deft handling of low-level dynamics.

Bass is handled very well too, refusing to distort or warble during Blade Runner 2049’s infamously tricky chapter two. In fact, the bass builds nicely throughout, with a sense of tonal variation which makes it sound tuneful and dynamic.

K’s crowded apartment complex and a dystopian street are also captured with a level of finesse and detail that seriously sells the atmosphere of each scene. Background sounds are also cleverly woven into the soundfield without making them sound forced or intentionally singled out.

Moving on to music, we try the Q990H’s Standard mode, which removes the rear speakers and lets the main soundbar unit and subwoofer shine for stereo music reproduction.

Most, if not all, of the positive attributes from our movie testing are present and correct for music, too – vocals are warm and detailed, bass is taut, and there is a general sense of naturalism and balance to the sound. The Samsung system is a talented performer – but can’t quite top the Sonos when it comes to music.

Sonos soundbars have long been among the most musical in the category, though, and the Arc Ultra further solidifies that reputation. We prefer it over the Samsung system thanks to its richer, more rounded and smoother sound – the Arc Ultra is an energetic, exciting and engaging listen, and a crackingly musical soundbar.

Moving away from music, we also put the Arc Ultra through the Blade Runner 2049 chapter two test, and it also impresses. There’s no chuffing from the drivers and it has a really good go at the super-deep notes of the soundtrack. Bottom-end control isn’t cast iron, but the combination of weight and control is impressive.

The spatial sound-effect placement is also quite impressive for a solo bar. Voices and other audio are placed above us, in the top corners of the room and move around us, far beyond the extremities of the TV.

The sound is detailed too – incidental noises are delivered clearly and cleanly without distracting, with the Arc Ultra’s low-level dynamic subtlety ensuring these sounds are presented naturally and realistically. Grand changes in volume are also dispatched without fuss or fluster, with the solo soundbar capable of going very loud indeed.

So who comes out on top? Well, it depends entirely on what you plan to use the soundbars for. The Sonos Arc Ultra is a musical powerhouse and manages to pack in impressive detail and spatial effects into one convenient, plug-in-and-play bar.

The Samsung HW-Q990H, on the other hand, requires a bit more setup and space, but really benefits from the rear speakers for surround and height effects, as well as the rather impressive subwoofer.

It really depends on which soundbar is the best for you and your needs – both products excel in their respective areas, so we’re going to call this one a draw.

**Winner: Draw**

Samsung HW-Q990H vs Sonos Arc Ultra: verdict

As soundbar battles go, it doesn’t get much closer than this. There’s no wrong answer here really, with two top-tier home cinema audio options.

The Sonos Arc Ultra is better looking and is the go-to choice if you want just one box that excels with music and movies. The Samsung HW-Q990H is stuffed with features, including the all-important HDMI 2.1 inputs for gamers.

The Arc Ultra is also cheaper at the time of writing, but the HW-Q990H will inevitably fall to a similar, if not cheaper, price by next year.

If you’ve got the space for a multi-speaker system, then the HW-Q990H is an easy recommendation. But if you’re after the convenience of a single soundbar, then the Sonos Arc Ultra will serve you extremely well.

** Overall Winner: Draw**

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