The 8K, AI-enhanced, anti-reflective, QLED panel + Mini-LED backlight Samsung QN990F is a TV that seems as determined to impress potential buyers as it is to justify its own existence.
Samsung set out to make the most advanced 8K television on the market, and it succeeded, though I wonder if they’ve noticed that the QN990F is…the only new 8K set on the market.
I got to spend a lot of time with the QN990F this year, and in my in-depth review I talked a lot about value. I gave Samsung’s flagship 8K set a score of 3 out of 5, and shared that while the picture quality is undoubtedly at the higher end of the TV market, it simply didn’t impress against its fellow Mini-LED peers in price or performance. As they say, comparison is the thief of joy.
Instead of laying this all at the feet of Samsung’s latest flagship, I thought I might expand on the bigger picture of how we ended up in a world where an 8K TV with over 2,000 nits of peak brightness and all the benefits of a QLED panel paired with Mini-LED backlight tech, could be anything other than the best TV on the market.
Features over value is risky business
It’s easily the most aesthetically appealing television I’ve seen this year. The ultra-sleek, zero-bezel design, paired with an understated center stand makes the QN990F look like a magic rectangle of light and sound, almost floating in mid-air.
It has cutting-edge features like “8K clarity powered by 768 AI neural networks”, “Motion Xcelerator 240Hz,” and AI-powered voice enhancement that give it a futuristic appeal.
But despite all its bells and whistles, the QN990F had the bad luck, or perhaps bad planning, of being released into one of the most competitive television landscapes in recent memory.
Is Samsung ready to wage price war?
Let’s just set the stage on pricing. As of the publication date on this piece, a 75-inch QN990F will run you $6,200.
The 75-inch TCL’s QM8K and Hisense U8QG, which offer a brighter image, more accurate colors, better contrast, and Dolby Vision support, will set you back around $2,000. That’s almost 70 percent cheaper.
It’s entirely possible that, since the QN990F sits solidly in the ultra-premium segment, potential buyers of Samsung’s 8K flagship might not be that price-sensitive.
But even if that’s the case, I can’t help but feel like splurging is one thing, and paying three times as much for a sleeker design and fancier image processing is a different kettle of fish.
OLED is still a huge market, and Samsung shines
TCL and Hisense might be stepping up their game with high-performing Mini-LED displays at shockingly approachable price points, but for contrast purists, the best viewing angles, and top-of-the-line motion handling, OLED TVs remains the best pick.
Samsung was out of this game before re-entering the market with a vengeance and just recently unseating LG in North American OLED market share.
We loved Samsung’s S95D last year, and our first look at the S95F this year immediately put it in the running for best TV of the year. We can’t wait to give it a full review later this year.
Mini-LED now outsells OLED in the premium TV segment, so Samsung will need to decide where best to invest its resources when developing future models.
The QN990F would have truly blown me away in 2024, but instead of making the absolute most out of Mini-LED and QLED panel tech, it felt like Samsung focused on the wrong things.
If the S95F is any indication, Samsung should keep its eye on OLED for its premium segment, and keep building on its recent success.
