The best Samsung TVs are some of the best TVs overall, and they dominate a large portion of the market, both high and low budget, making it into many of our TV round ups, including the best 8K TVs, best TVs under £1000, best TVs under $1000, and best TVs under £500.
Samsung are a highly reputable and reliable brand, and in this round up we’ve picked out the TVs we think stand out in terms of performance, quality and price.
Since there are SO many Samsung TV models out there, it can get a little confusing once you start looking at them all, and so we have a glossary of Samsung features (sometimes they get creative with the names), to help you understand what they all are.
And while Samsung may be one of the best brands out there, the sound quality on TVs still gets compromised due to all the other tech they have, but Samsung never leave you hanging – make sure you check out the best soundbars for Samsung TVs to upgrade your audio too.
The best Samsung TVs of 2023: the list
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This is the flagship 4K TV from Samsung's 2022 range, and it absolutely blew our socks off, as you'd expect. It uses an upgraded version of the company's Neo QLED screen tech – this means it combines dense layers of tiny mini-LEDs in its backlight with bold QLED colour-filtering tech, plus new a new light shaping system that helps to stop the backlight bleeding from light areas to dark areas nearby. Basically, it enhances the precision of the local dimming that's already there.
And it makes an immediate difference, because this is the best 4K image quality Samsung has managed yet. Its next-gen processing helps too, as does the huge level of HDR brightness it can achieve – in our full Samsung QN95B review, we said "The level of clarity is realistic beyond reason, and the HDR performance is dazzling – literally, in some cases."
The range of colours it can create is unsurpassed in Samsung's range so far, its handling of motion is better than ever, it does a better job of upscaling (particularly with SD video, in our experience, which is welcome), and it's top-notch for gaming, thanks to support for HDMI 2.1 features and an ultra-low input lag.
Samsung's 2022 TVs finally include Dolby Atmos decoding support, meaning that you get even better positional sound from the QN95B's array of speakers built around its edges. And speaking of its edges, the design is as stunning as the screen: it's an ultra-thin design with no bulbous section to fit in the processing and connections. Those are all moved to a One Connect box – a separate unit that connects to the screen with a single cable, and can be hidden in a TV unit. Perfection.
The very top of Samsung's range 2021 features an array of cutting-edge screen technology, including a Neo QLED panel, which is Samsung's name for mini-LED tech combined with its QLED display. Together, you get massive brightness, contrast-rich local dimming, and incredible colours – when it comes to realistic and dazzling HDR, nothing does it better.
The 8K display packs 33 million pixels, and it really does make things look better than 4K TVs do, thanks to the astounding processor inside, which adds detail to 4K or HD movies so well that they feel like they're higher resolution.
You get effectively every single feature that Samsung offers here, including an array of speakers around the edges for positional audio, plus a separate One Connect box where all the processing and connections go, with just a single cable to the actual TV – perfect for wall-mounting, or just keeping things very tidy.
And the design is beautiful too – astoundingly thin, and with bezels that basically aren't there at all, so the image seems to just float above the stand. Here's our full Samsung QN900A review.
The Samsung AU9000 is the highest-end 2021 Samsung TV that doesn't come with a QLED panel, instead featuring Samsung's 'Crystal UHD' tech, including its Crystal Processor 4K. Basically, expect colours to be a bit less vibrant then QLED screens, and upscaling to be a bit less elite than more expensive models.
However, you'll be amazed at what this TV can do for its price. It's not especially bright, but its control of contrast is really strong, making it look better for HDR than anyone would expect. And it's a super upscaler from HD to 4K, while 4K is handled cleanly and with bags of detail.
The smart TV platform is the same as on Samsung's high-end TVs, meaning it's fantastic for apps, and is really easy to use – it's one of the highlights here.
Our full Samsung AU9000 review talks more about its strengths and the areas where the budget nature shows though, but for the price, it doesn't really get any better.
This is the most affordable 2021 Samsung TV with a Neo QLED panel, meaning you can get the most advanced screen tech for a realistic price – especially with how its price has dropped more recently. It's a 4K screen, and doesn't go as bright as the QN95A or QN95B, nor does it have as many dimming zones in its backlight, so contrast is a little less precise… but what it can do is still mind-blowing for the money it costs.
It goes much brighter than the OLED TVs its price puts in competition with, yet still manages deep and rich black levels. And the quality of the backlight, mixed with the impressive colours of QLED tech, means its images are impressively subtle.
As our full Samsung QN85A review says "[it] isn’t flawless in the way it performs, but it’s mighty close … The picture quality here is so impressive, it makes the relative weakness of the accompanying sound a moot point."
It's also great for gaming, with HDMI 2.1 features (including 4K 120Hz and VRR) supported on one of its HDMI ports.
This is Samsung's cheapest range of TVs from 2021, and as you'd expect, it's basically a version of the AU9000 with some of the fanciness dials turned down, to make it even more affordable than that version.
But just like the AU9000, Samsung never sacrifices quality, and the actual images are seriously great for such a low-cost set, and you can but in basically every size that 4K TVs have ever been made at, which is useful.
Our Samsung AU7100 review dives into where it does well: "Detail levels are high across the board, which means the all-important skin-tones and skin-textures pretty much any live-action movie relies on are confidently described. ‘Confident’ is also as good a way as any to describe the way the AU7100 defines edges and handles on-screen motion."
It all means that the AU7100 really makes the most of being a 4K screen, with the weaker points being the depth of contrast and the sound – both things that other budget TVs always struggle with too.
Make sure you check our Samsung discount codes to get the best price.
This is the highest-end 4K model from Samsung's 2021 range, and it features Neo QLED technology for HDR that goes beautifully bright and is astoundingly precise for scenes of high contrast, with light and dark next to each other. It's not quite as capable at this as the flagship 8K QN900A or the newer Samsung QN95B from 2022, of course, but this has had its price reduced massively since its launch, making it a very tempting price for anyone wanting elite quality with emptying their whole wallet.
The image quality is simply phenomenal, and it's also well-equipped for connections, and again features the excellent One Connect external box, so that its super-slim design isn't marred by wires.
As our full Samsung QN95A review says: "From its stunning control of precise light and dark to its generous helpings of detail and smooth motion control, it impresses start to finish. It’s the most complete LED-lit LCD TV we’ve seen in we don’t know how long – maybe ever."
This is a great balance of Samsung's QLED tech at an affordable price. The 55-inch and above versions deliver really bright and punchy images, with truly rich black tones adding contrast, plus features such as HDMI 2.1 support and speakers all around the edges for impressive positional audio.
The 50-inch version has a less bright screen and just a regular speaker setup, so is not such good value in the same way, though remains a really strong option compared to the competition. But it's the big-screen sizes where this model really excels.
Lacking the next-gen Neo QLED tech, it's obviously not quite as capable as QN85A for awesomely precise contrast control, but it's also massively cheaper than its fancier sibling, and when compared to the other sets you'll find at the same size and the same price, the Q80A is an absolute winner. Everything about it is so clearly premium, from its design to its pictures to its smart TV platform – we think it walks the line between Samsung cheaper models and its more expensive fantastically well. And you still get HDMI 2.1 support for gaming.
This is all about giving you the extra-rich colours of a QLED panel for the most affordable price. It sits right above the AU9000 in Samsung's 2021 range, and is kind of a hybrid of the processing, backlight and sound from there, mixed with the QLED colours panel of the Q80A.
The end result is colours that really pop, but without such deep black levels as the Q80A provides. 4K detail is plentiful, and upscaling from HD to 4K is handled really well, though it's not quite as strong for motion clarity or upscaling from SD as the Q80A.
For those who want QLED at a smaller size, or to get a bigger size for the same price, the Q60A will be really popular, and deservedly so. If you want to know the differences between the Q60A and the model up (its closest rival), here's our Samsung Q60A vs Q70A guide. You'll find the Q70A just below in this list.
The Frame range has proven to be a huge hit, and it's easy to see why: for those who like their rooms to be pleasant places full of carefully chosen objects, and all-black TV is a bit of an eye-sore. The Frame TVs add a classical look to your set, and they have a fun trick: Art Mode. This displays a range of works of art on the set when it's not in use (with a motion sensor turning the screen off when it detects no one is around to see them).
And it's a pretty great TV too. The 32-inch model is a 1080p screen with QLED's lush colours, which is a rare find indeed. The bigger sizes are 4K screens with the same QLED panel and backlighting as the Q60A above, but they have the more advanced processing of the Q80A, so they're even better than the Q60A for detail, upscaling and motion handling.
The Samsung Q70A uses pretty much the same picture quality as The Frame TVs above, meaning you get bold HDR colours, lots of brightness for highlights, and excellent sharpness and processing for 4K images. Upscaling from HD to 4K is also superb, so just about anything looks good on it.
Compared to The Frame, you lose the stylish design and Art Mode features, but you gain an HDMI 2.1 port with 120Hz and VRR support for next-gen gaming. You also save a big handful of money from a simpler design – though one that's still good-looking".
In our Samsung Q70A review, we said "Its picture quality is strong, its ultra-slim design is chic, and it’s unexpectedly well stocked with features for its money." Its performance in dark scenes is a notable step back from the Q80A (let alone the Neo QLED models), but for its price, it delivers very impressive pictures.
Samsung TVs 2021: the key features explained
You'll see a lot of jargon on Samsung's specs, so here's our glossary to help you know which are worth really paying attention to.
Quantum Processor 4K/8K is the name given to Samsung's latest-gen upscaling tech, which helps lower-resolution video upgrade to 4K or 8K (depending on the screen resolution) and look as close to being as if it was natively filmed that was as possible.
Neo QLED is Samsung's name for a panel that combines a next-gen Mini-LED backlight with its QLED tech for colours. Mini-LEDs are, as the name suggests, much smaller LED light behind the pixels, which enables screens to be bright yet also thinner, and means you can more precisely dim areas of the backlight for truer black levels. QLED is a long-running technology for getting a wider colour gamut from LCD TVs – it's made up of 'Quantum Dots', and you'll only see a few companies use the QLED name (because it's trademarked), but most TV makes use an equivalent tech for high-end models.
Objecting Tracking Sound creates a 3D soundscape from whatever's on screen even if the source video didn't have Dolby Atmos or an equivalent 3D soundtrack. This combines with speakers all around the edges of the set to actually project a wide, tall 3D audio experience.
Q-Symphony is an enhancement to the above feature, but only if you're using a Samsung Q-series soundbar. Basically, the soundbar will handle adding much more oomph to the sound, but the higher-up speakers on the TV will still add height and positional info, so you get the best of both worlds. Again, this is a solid improvement over the Samsung soundbars alone (or the TV alone).
Game Bar is a new menu to help you control how much processing the TV is doing when the Gaming mode, so you can choose between the minimum possible lag or adding some extra prettiness to the pictures. It also helps you control features such as 4K 120Hz or Variable Refresh Rate support when playing on the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X.
