If you didn't already know, Sony's A1 OLED series, launched in 2017, continues as the brand’s flagship range for 2018, but the company has also introduced a second, more affordable range for this year, the AF8.
The Sony AF8 OLED TVs come in two sizes – 55in and 65in – and they now have price tags attached.
The Sony KD-55AF8 and KD-65AF8 are priced £2,499 and £3,299, respectively. This means they're similar to those A1 models (£2500 for the KD-55A1 and £3800 for the KD-65A1), which isn’t hugely surprising when you consider what they have in common.
The AF8 and A1 models share the same OLED panel and 4K HDR X1 Extreme processor; all support HDR10, HLG and Dolby Vision; and feature Sony's Acoustic Surface technology, where actuators placed behind the glass screen vibrate the panel to make sound.
The only difference lies in design. While the A1 models have a "standless" easel-like design with a tilted screen, the AF8 models bear a more conventional rectangular stand, sitting the screen upright.
Considering the KD-65A1 took home a What Hi-Fi? Award last year, that bodes well for the new AF8 models - as does their pricing compared to rival 2018 OLED TVs.
They’re cheaper than Samsung’s 65in QE65Q9FN (£3800) and 55in QE55Q9FN (£3000) QLED TVs, which sit below the brand’s yet-to-be-launched flagship Q9SN range.
However, they’re roughly on par with Samsung’s Q8CN curved QLED range, and pricier than its entry-level Q7FN QLED TVs, which start at £2000 for the 55in model.
While we don’t know the prices for LG’s entry-level B8 range of OLED sets, it looks like the 55in C8 (55OLEDC8) and 65in C8 (65OLEDC8) will be £3000 and £4500 respectively.
How they’ll compare to the yet-to-be-announced prices of Panasonic’s and Philip’s OLED ranges, remains to be seen.
Pre-orders for the Bravia OLED AF8 series have started with deliveries and in-store availability from the end of the month.
MORE:
Sony 2018 TVs: 4K, HD, OLED, LCD - everything you need to know
LG 2018 TVs: 4K, OLED, LCD - everything you need to know
Panasonic 2018 TVs: 4K, OLED, LCD - everything you need to know
Philips 2018 TVs: 4K, OLED, LCD - everything you need to know
Samsung 2018 TVs: QLED, LCD, 8K, 4K - everything you need to know
