Samsung has begun rolling out its premium 4K and 8K QLED TVs for 2021, and we’ve got the lowdown on what’s new this time around.
Samsung has begun rolling out its premium 4K and 8K QLED TVs for 2021, and we’ve got the lowdown on what’s new and coming soon from the South Korean company this year. A new generation of Samsung TVs is unveiled each year, bringing a whole host of picture advancements, design overhauls, and new iterations of existing television models to the market. So what’s on the way for 2021? So far, Samsung has mostly shown off its high-end models, with a mix of 4K TVs and 8K TVs, as well as a refresh to Samsung The Frame, which drastically slims the television down and has new accessories like a tripod TV stand and even a dedicated shelf to try out. It’s also unveiled a new version of its Micro LED display, The Wall, that creeps into some more reasonable sizing options (as small as 76 inches) and can even split its picture into multiple screens. As of February, we now have pricing and release date info on a few notable Samsung TVs, with the QN900 and QN800 8K QLEDs set to ship in the US by March 13, with price tags that match last year’s sets – but it’s good to see that nothing will be quite so astronomical in price as 2020’s 85-inch Q950TS. So, expensive – but not as expensive as you may have feared. It isn’t just the TVs themselves that it’s worth getting excited about, but the brilliantly useful Slim One Connect Box for Samsung TV has also had an update for 2021, which is a slimmer, more compact version of the One Connect Box we’ve seen over the past few years. Looking further ahead, it might soon be time to say goodbye to Samsung LCD screens. According to a new report from Korea IT News (via CNET), the world’s largest TV maker could make the move to OLED – or at least a kind of OLED – as soon as next year. You can see more information on the new sets coming your way in 2021, including pricing for the 4K and 8K ranges – and we’ll be sure to update this page as we hear more about the pricing and release details for the rest of the sets in the range. Samsung QN900 Neo 8K QLED TV (65,75,85-inch): The Samsung QN900 is the top-of-the-line Samsung 8K display in 2021. It features the Infinity Display that offers an edge-to-edge image with no bezel and a metal chassis. It uses Samsung’s OTS Pro sound for built-in 6.2.2-channel surround sound, and of course the 8K Quantum Processor. It starts at $4,999 for a 65-inch model (around £3,600 / $AU6,500), which is exactly what last year’s Q900TS started at when it launched – and it’ll start shipping to US shoppers by March 13. Read our hands on Samsung QN900 8K QLED TV review Samsung QN800 Neo 8K QLED TV (65,75,85-inch): The QN800 has incredibly thin bezels, though Samsung’s matrixing technology that reduces the gap between where the pixels end and bezel begins is exclusive to the company’s top-of-the-line Samsung Neo QN900 TV QLED 8K TV. Still, the QN800 does have ultra-wide viewing angle support that you don’t get on the QN700, and that’s relatively crucial if you’re thinking about going any larger than 65-inches. It’s starting at $3,499 (around £2,500 / AU$4,500) for its smallest size, a small increase over the $3,199 starting price of last year’s Q800TS. To start shipping to US shoppers by March 13. Read our hands on Samsung QN800 8K QLED TV review Samsung QN700 Neo 8K QLED TV (screen sizes TBD): The Samsung QN700 Series will return in 2021 with a new version of the Q700T that made its debut last year. It’s still the entry-level 8K model this year, but it will see the benefit of the Mini LED backlights and the 8K Quantum Processor. You’ll still get the ultra-widescreen game mode, and VRR support, but it is missing a few step-up features that you’ll find in the QN800. Samsung QN90A / QN95A Neo QLED TV (55,65,75,85-inch): Turning to 4K TVs, the head honcho is the new Samsung QN90A Neo QLED. The variation of Mini LED technology that it uses means that this year’s model will suffer from even less blooming than in prior years, and it should reach a slightly higher peak brightness level thanks to the greater density of LEDs. On top of that, the new Quantum Processor redirects power to where it’s needed on the screen for brighter HDR highlights and better local dimming, plus Samsung says that there’s also black level data boost to bring out more details in dark areas. An ultra-bright QLED that handles black levels like an OLED? We can’t wait to see it in person. It’ll start at $1,799 (around £1,300 / AU$2,300) for a 55-inch model, and go up to $4,999 (around £3,500 / AU$6,300) for an 85-inch model. There is a QN95A iteration in the UK that adds the new Slim One Connect box, but likely won’t be available in the US. Samsung QN85A Neo QLED TV (55,65,75,85-inch): This step-down model is still a Neo QLED 8K TV with a Mini LED backlight – but differentiates from the QN80A QLED below in featuring the Slim One Connect box being introduced in this year’s new Samsung TV range, as well as packing a Neo QLED processor. It’ll start at $1,599 (around £1,100 / AU$2,000) for a 55-inch size, and go up to $4,499 (around $3,200 / AU$5,700) for an 85-inch size. Samsung Q80A QLED TV (55,65,75,85-inch): If the QN90A is a bit too far out of reach, Samsung will be making a successor to the moderately affordable Samsung Q80T that we saw in 2020 with the Samsung Q80A. It’s a bit cheaper than the Neo QLED above at $1,299 (around £900 / AU$1,650) for a 55-inch size, thanks to a lower-spec processor and the lack of any One Connect box – but you get a booming 60W audio output. Samsung Q70A QLED TV (55,65,75,85-inch): The Q70A QLED offers a 120Hz panel and 4K resolution, and comes with Samsung’s existing Quantum 4K processor. You are seeing a big drop in audio, though, with only 20W output, and two-channel audio rather than 2.2. It starts at $949 (around £700 / AU$1,200) for a 55-inch size and tops out at $2,999 (around £2,100 / AU$3,800) for an 85-inch size. Samsung Q60A Neo QLED TV (55,65,75,85-inch): As the cheapest QLED in this year’s range, and the successor to last year’s Q60T, the Q60A is sure to get attention from savvy buyers – especially because of how many sizing options are available, with everything from a 43-inch ($549, or around £400 / AU$700) to an 85-inch ($2,599, around £1,850 / AU$3,300) size. It makes use of a Quantum Processor Lite,20W audio, and a pared-down OTS Lite audio technology. Samsung AU9000 (screen sizes TBD): Samsung’s Crystal UHD TV lineup will return in 2021 with two new models, the AU9000 and AU8000.
