Even a global pandemic cannot slow the annual march of the launch of new televisions. Samsung is the first to stand out from the crowd with several of its high-end QLED models popping up and although street stores may be closed, you can still shop online.
But should you? Is it better to stay with the TV you have, or save a set by buying a 2019 model instead?
We took an expert look at the new versions of Samsung and compared them with the TVs they replace to see if there are enough new things to warrant the extra spending.
Hundreds of 2019 TVs are always available at low prices, so take a look at all of our 4K TV reviews to find your perfect set.
Cheaper 8K TVs and more
Samsung really wants you to buy one, so much so that they’ll give you a free Frame TV if you buy one before April 7. The Q800T models are the cheapest, with the friendly 55-inch living room starting at £ 2,999, which is cheap for an 8K set. And we expect this price to drop in the coming months, as television prices almost always do.
The more sophisticated Q900T and Q950TS 8K ranges are naturally more expensive, but the real difference lies in the design rather than the specifications. The Q950TS has one of the smallest frames we have seen on a television and the effect is impressive as there is no frame around the image. There is, however, no 55-inch model; sizes start at 65 inches.
The relatively low cost of the 55-inch Q800T means that it costs just £ 700 more than the equivalent high-end 4K QLED, the Samsung Q95T. That doesn’t necessarily mean you should buy one, and although we’ll probably be testing the 800T in 2020, we can’t yet say whether its increasing 4K content, which is supposed to scale it somewhere near 8K , worth it. additional charges.
How much will you pay more for a new QLED?
All prices are for 55 inch models.
2020 QLED | 2019 QLED equivalent |
Samsung Q950TS (8K) – £ 5,999 | Samsung Q950R (8K) – £ 1,999 |
Samsung Q800T (8K) – £ 2,999 | Samsung Q950R (8K) – £ 1,999 |
Samsung Q95T (4K) – £ 2,299 | Samsung Q90R (4K) – £ 1,399 |
Samsung Q80T (4K) – £ 1,599 | Samsung Q80R (4K) – £ 899 |
Samsung Q70T (4K) – £ 1,299 | Samsung Q70R (4K) – £ 799 |
Samsung Q60T (4K) – £ 1,199 | Samsung Q60R (4K) – £ 709 |
What’s new on Samsung’s high-end and QLEDs?
The Q95T and Q90T are the successors of the Q90R range from 2019. The two new ranges look very similar on paper, but the Q95T has an additional size of 85 inches and the separate connection box, which means that all HDMI and USB ports are in a box that you can store out of sight. The Q90R also has this separate connection box. It’s a great idea. Rather than having many thick black HDMI cables hanging behind your TV, there is only one thin, almost transparent cable.
New features
- Adaptive image – this changes the image according to the ambient light and the 2020 models can now adapt to even brighter rooms and adjust the contrast according to the scene and lighting levels.
- OTS – it stands for Object Tracking Sound and uses speakers at the top and bottom of the screen to simulate sound coming directly from the source on the screen, like a car engine or a character’s mouth.
- Mobile view – Streaming your phone screen to your TV is nothing new, but on the Samsung 2020s, you will have more control over how it looks. Your phone may only occupy one side of the screen to display a Twitter feed or comments while watching a sports game. You can choose from several layouts, including picture-in-picture display and you can easily switch between the sound of your phone display or the TV stream.
These new features do not take into account the many adjustments that Samsung will have made to the operating system and to the overall image quality, but two (adaptive image and OTS) could mark a real improvement. TV speakers generally indicate that they are sending sound under the screen and although this does not necessarily lead to bad sound, there may be a disconnection between sound and image. OTS should bring more harmony to these two essential functions of a television.
As the summer months approach, the new “very bright” calibration of the adaptive image should help you see a clear and balanced image even when the sun is shining through your windows.
Are these features more expensive?
A 55-inch Samsung QE55Q90R from 2019 costs £ 1,399 while a QE55Q90T from 2020 costs £ 1999. It’s a big price difference, and while the new features seem beneficial, there is nothing revolutionary other than, perhaps, OTS.
The 2020 and 2019 models are 4K, support the same HDR formats, and have a full range of backlights for better contrast and brightness control. So, on paper, it seems that choosing the old 2019 model is the way to go, and while Samsung has necessarily tinkered with other aspects of the TV that are not so easily summed up by new functionality with a catchy acronym, we have won I don’t know how much they are improving until we test the new TVs later this year. There is also the risk that DIY will make things worse – not all changes are for the better.
Read our reviews on the entire Q90R range to see which ones are worth buying.
How mid-range QLEDs have changed
Even a year after their release, these high-end QLEDs still make you lose more than £ 1,000, but not the mid-range models. The 55-inch QE55Q80R costs £ 899 and the 65-inch QE55Q80R is almost the same price as a 55-inch Q90R (£ 1,299).
The Q80T range should replace the Q80R and you will spend £ 600 more for the 55 inch package. It’s a big chunk of change, so what exactly are you getting back?
The list of new features is the same as that of high-end QLEDs and you may be wondering why someone would bother with a Q90T. It is difficult to quantify the difference between the ranges before testing them, since a large part of the work is technologically complex and better seen rather than explained. Our laboratory experts spend hours in front of these televisions and can really see where these unexpected improvements make the difference.
Sometimes we don’t notice a big difference between high-end and mid-range sets, which is great news because you can spend less.
As for whether it’s worth paying more for one of the new Q80T packages, our conclusion is pretty much the same as for the Q90T. We rarely see seismic improvements in TV channels from year to year. There are exceptions of course – the first batch of LG’s OLEDs didn’t sound too good, but the following year the audio improved dramatically and they ended up being one of our top scorers.
The Q80T may drop our socks, but OTS aside, the new features aren’t likely to move mountains. The quality of its predecessor is also a major factor here, and you can read our reviews of the Q80R range to see if they are difficult to follow.
Buy now or wait until the 2020 models are cheaper?
The start of the year is always a good time to buy. The annual nature of television releases means that there is not really time to introduce significant change. There are exceptions, such as the introduction of OLED screens and resolution jumps, but generally the quality of the ranges is constant from year to year.
If you like the look or sound of any of these new features, don’t buy them now. Wait a few months (at least until October or November) and prices will have dropped by hundreds of pounds.
Even a global pandemic cannot slow the annual march of the launch of new televisions. Samsung is the first to stand out from the crowd with several of its high-end QLED models popping up and although street stores may be closed, you can still shop online.
But should you? Is it better to stay with the TV you have, or save a set by buying a 2019 model instead?
We took an expert look at the new versions of Samsung and compared them with the TVs they replace to see if there are enough new things to warrant the extra spending.
Hundreds of 2019 TVs are always available at low prices, so take a look at all of our 4K TV reviews to find your perfect set.
Cheaper 8K TVs and more
Samsung really wants you to buy one, so much so that they’ll give you a free Frame TV if you buy one before April 7. The Q800T models are the cheapest, with the friendly 55-inch living room starting at £ 2,999, which is cheap for an 8K set. And we expect this price to drop in the coming months, as television prices almost always do.
The more sophisticated Q900T and Q950TS 8K ranges are naturally more expensive, but the real difference lies in the design rather than the specifications. The Q950TS has one of the smallest frames we have seen on a television and the effect is impressive as there is no frame around the image. There is, however, no 55-inch model; sizes start at 65 inches.
The relatively low cost of the 55-inch Q800T means that it costs just £ 700 more than the equivalent high-end 4K QLED, the Samsung Q95T. That doesn’t necessarily mean you should buy one, and although we’ll probably be testing the 800T in 2020, we can’t yet say whether its increasing 4K content, which is supposed to scale it somewhere near 8K , worth it. additional charges.
How much will you pay more for a new QLED?
All prices are for 55 inch models.
2020 QLED | 2019 QLED equivalent |
Samsung Q950TS (8K) – £ 5,999 | Samsung Q950R (8K) – £ 1,999 |
Samsung Q800T (8K) – £ 2,999 | Samsung Q950R (8K) – £ 1,999 |
Samsung Q95T (4K) – £ 2,299 | Samsung Q90R (4K) – £ 1,399 |
Samsung Q80T (4K) – £ 1,599 | Samsung Q80R (4K) – £ 899 |
Samsung Q70T (4K) – £ 1,299 | Samsung Q70R (4K) – £ 799 |
Samsung Q60T (4K) – £ 1,199 | Samsung Q60R (4K) – £ 709 |
What’s new on Samsung’s high-end and QLEDs?
The Q95T and Q90T are the successors of the Q90R range from 2019. The two new ranges look very similar on paper, but the Q95T has an additional size of 85 inches and the separate connection box, which means that all HDMI and USB ports are in a box that you can store out of sight. The Q90R also has this separate connection box. It’s a great idea. Rather than having many thick black HDMI cables hanging behind your TV, there is only one thin, almost transparent cable.
New features
- Adaptive image – this changes the image according to the ambient light and the 2020 models can now adapt to even brighter rooms and adjust the contrast according to the scene and lighting levels.
- OTS – it stands for Object Tracking Sound and uses speakers at the top and bottom of the screen to simulate sound coming directly from the source on the screen, like a car engine or a character’s mouth.
- Mobile view – Streaming your phone screen to your TV is nothing new, but on the Samsung 2020s, you will have more control over how it looks. Your phone may only occupy one side of the screen to display a Twitter feed or comments while watching a sports game. You can choose from several layouts, including picture-in-picture display and you can easily switch between the sound of your phone display or the TV stream.
These new features do not take into account the many adjustments that Samsung will have made to the operating system and to the overall image quality, but two (adaptive image and OTS) could mark a real improvement. TV speakers generally indicate that they are sending sound under the screen and although this does not necessarily lead to bad sound, there may be a disconnection between sound and image. OTS should bring more harmony to these two essential functions of a television.
As the summer months approach, the new “very bright” calibration of the adaptive image should help you see a clear and balanced image even when the sun is shining through your windows.
Are these features more expensive?
A 55-inch Samsung QE55Q90R from 2019 costs £ 1,399 while a QE55Q90T from 2020 costs £ 1999. It’s a big price difference, and while the new features seem beneficial, there is nothing revolutionary other than, perhaps, OTS.
The 2020 and 2019 models are 4K, support the same HDR formats, and have a full range of backlights for better contrast and brightness control. So, on paper, it seems that choosing the old 2019 model is the way to go, and while Samsung has necessarily tinkered with other aspects of the TV that are not so easily summed up by new functionality with a catchy acronym, we have won I don’t know how much they are improving until we test the new TVs later this year. There is also the risk that DIY will make things worse – not all changes are for the better.
Read our reviews on the entire Q90R range to see which ones are worth buying.
How mid-range QLEDs have changed
Even a year after their release, these high-end QLEDs still make you lose more than £ 1,000, but not the mid-range models. The 55-inch QE55Q80R costs £ 899 and the 65-inch QE55Q80R is almost the same price as a 55-inch Q90R (£ 1,299).
The Q80T range should replace the Q80R and you will spend £ 600 more for the 55 inch package. It’s a big chunk of change, so what exactly are you getting back?
The list of new features is the same as that of high-end QLEDs and you may be wondering why someone would bother with a Q90T. It is difficult to quantify the difference between the ranges before testing them, since a large part of the work is technologically complex and better seen rather than explained. Our laboratory experts spend hours in front of these televisions and can really see where these unexpected improvements make the difference.
Sometimes we don’t notice a big difference between high-end and mid-range sets, which is great news because you can spend less.
As for whether it’s worth paying more for one of the new Q80T packages, our conclusion is pretty much the same as for the Q90T. We rarely see seismic improvements in TV channels from year to year. There are exceptions of course – the first batch of LG’s OLEDs didn’t sound too good, but the following year the audio improved dramatically and they ended up being one of our top scorers.
The Q80T may drop our socks, but OTS aside, the new features aren’t likely to move mountains. The quality of its predecessor is also a major factor here, and you can read our reviews of the Q80R range to see if they are difficult to follow.
Buy now or wait until the 2020 models are cheaper?
The start of the year is always a good time to buy. The annual nature of television releases means that there is not really time to introduce significant change. There are exceptions, such as the introduction of OLED screens and resolution jumps, but generally the quality of the ranges is constant from year to year.
If you like the look or sound of any of these new features, don’t buy them now. Wait a few months (at least until October or November) and prices will have dropped by hundreds of pounds.