The 5 Best Samsung TVs of 2026   Reviews and Smart Features

Updated Jun 19, 2026 at 12:44 pm
Best Samsung TVs
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Samsung releases a fair share of new models every year, so if you find yourself searching the internet for the best Samsung televisions, you might become overwhelmed by the number of options. Samsung releases many different TVs every year, including everything from budget LED models to high-end OLEDs. Generally speaking, their budget models tend to be a bit overpriced and don't offer the best performance for the price, but Samsung releases several mid-range and high-end options that perform excellently. Their best TVs tend to be either QLEDs or OLEDs, and choosing between the two technologies really depends on your viewing environment and use case. 

We buy and test dozens of TVs each year, and we've reviewed over 145 Samsung TVs, so we can help narrow down your options to find the best Samsung television for your needs and budget. Below are our recommendations for the best Samsung televisions. You can also vote on which Samsung TVs you want us to buy and test.

How We Test TVs
How We Test TVs

We buy and test dozens of TVs yearly, taking an objective, data-driven approach to deliver results you can trust. Our testing process is complex, with hundreds of individual tests that take over a week to complete. Most of our tests use specially designed test patterns that mimic real content, but we also use the same sources you have at home to ensure our results match the real-world experience. We use two main tools for our testing: a Colorimetry Research CR-100 colorimeter and a CR-250 spectroradiometer.

  1. Best Samsung TV

    The Samsung S95H OLED is the best Samsung TV we've tested in 2026. From its deep, inky blacks to its high peak brightness and incredibly vibrant colors, it's one of the brightest, most vibrant TVs on the market. It's also incredibly accurate, and even home theater purists will have a hard time spotting any issues with it. While OLEDs have typically been best-suited for a dim or darker room, the S95H has no trouble whatsoever in a bright room, mainly due to its high peak brightness, but also thanks to its matte anti-reflective coating. This comes with a slight tradeoff, though, as blacks look a bit purple during the day.

    It's also packed with extra features, including HDMI 2.1 bandwidth on all four ports, so you can take full advantage of the latest game consoles. It can even be paired with Samsung's Wireless One Connect box, sold separately, for added versatility. If you choose to add that, it becomes the only TV on the market to support up to eight HDMI 2.1 inputs. Note that if you're reading this from Europe, the S95H is sold as the Samsung S99H OLED instead. If you're not sold on OLEDs, you could also consider Samsung's flagship LED model, the Samsung R95H. That TV uses new RGB Mini LED backlighting, and unfortunately, our testing shows that there are still a few bugs that Samsung needs to work out before it's ready for primetime.

  2. Best Upper Mid-Range Samsung TV

    If you want to save a bit of money, check out the Samsung S90H OLED instead. This upper mid-range model in Samsung's 2026 lineup delivers similar fantastic picture quality to the Samsung S95H OLED above. You get the same deep, inky blacks in a dark room, without a trace of light bleeding around bright areas on dark backgrounds. There are a few tradeoffs, though. In North America, the S90H uses a different panel type than the S95H. While you don't really have to worry about this, the WOLED panel used isn't quite as colorful, but you really won't notice this with most real content.

    The slightly more noticeable difference is the decrease in brightness. Bright details in movies don't stand out as well on the S90H, and very bright scenes are significantly dimmer, so it doesn't quite deliver the same punch. If you're mainly watching TV in a moderately-lit or dark room, then this doesn't matter as much, but overall, the S90H isn't quite as well-suited for a bright room as the S95H. Other than those differences, the S90H offers a very similar experience overall, with the same great features and gaming experience as the S90H.

  3. Best Mid-Range Samsung TV

    If you want an OLED, but the two picks above are out of your price range, consider the Samsung S85F OLED. It's not as bright as the Samsung S90H OLED, and it caps out at 4k @ 120Hz, but outside of that, the two TVs are remarkably similar. You still get the inky blacks, vivid colors, wide viewing angle, and the nearly instant response times OLED TVs are known for. Even though the TV isn't as bright as its more expensive siblings, you can still watch it in a room with a few lights on and not be distracted by reflections.

    Some PC gamers might feel like they're missing out by not having a 165Hz refresh rate, but the TV still offers four HDMI 2.1 ports capable of 4k @ 120Hz with VRR, so the TV is fully compatible with the features offered by modern consoles. Unfortunately, like the S90H, there's a catch, but this time it's the opposite of the S90H. In North America, only the 55-inch and 65-inch models use a QD-OLED panel, which delivers brighter, more vibrant colors, whereas the larger options utilize a normal WOLED panel. The rest of the world gets a WOLED panel throughout all size options similar to the S90H. This TV has been replaced in 2026 by the Samsung S85H OLED, but we haven't tested it yet and don't know how it compares.

  4. Best Lower Mid-Range Samsung TV

    If you don't need the deep inky blacks that an OLED offers and want to save some money, the Samsung QN80H is the best lower mid-range Samsung TV we've tested in 2026. There are some clear trade-offs in going with an LED model like this one. As we mentioned earlier, it doesn't have the deep blacks that OLED delivers, so when you're watching TV in a dim or dark room, you'll notice that dark scenes are closer to dark gray than true black, and there's some light glow around bright parts of the screen or subtitles if there's a dark background behind them.

    Other than that main difference, it's an impressive TV overall with a wide range of features. It's actually a bit better than the OLED models in some ways, offering a boosted 240Hz refresh rate at 1080p resolution, so if you're gaming on a PC and want smoother motion, you can choose that at the expense of some image clarity. You still get four high-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, so you can take full advantage of the latest consoles, and the same great smart features.

  5. Best Budget Samsung TV

    The Samsung Q7F 2025 is the best budget Samsung TV available. Samsung doesn't release many budget models anymore, and the ones they do release tend to have mediocre image quality. That's the case here, as the Q7F doesn't have local dimming to help deepen blacks, which leads to dark scenes looking washed out. The TV is also too dim to handle much glare at all in a room with the lights on, so it's best suited for a dimly lit environment. Colors are also more muted on this TV, and the image lacks vibrancy.

    Unfortunately, this is a 60Hz TV that's pretty bare-bones in terms of gaming features. It doesn't have VRR to reduce screen tearing, and motion is blurry due to its slow pixel response times. However, 4k @ 60Hz gaming has decently low input lag, so at least gaming feels responsive. If you really want a budget Samsung TV, it's not the worst choice, but most people are better off shopping for a budget model from brands like TCL and Hisense.

Compared To Other Brands

  • Well-rounded.
    Samsung's high-end models are some of the best TVs we've tested. They don't excel in just one category; they're well-rounded and offer great performance for various uses.
  • Perform well in dark and bright environments.
    Their QLED TVs, especially those with VA panels, have high contrast and get bright, so they're good for dark and bright rooms.
  • Great gaming features.
    Samsung is a leader in gaming features, and even their mid-range models have variable refresh rate (VRR) and ALLM support.
  • Uniformity issues.
    Samsung models typically don't have the best gray uniformity and have some dirty screen effect, which could get distracting during sports or PC use.
  • TVs can be costly, and may not offer good value.
    Samsung's high-end TVs can get costly, so while they provide the best performance, they may not have the best value compared to other brands. There are often cheaper TVs that you can get with no compromises.
  • Cheaper models perform poorly.

    Samsung offers a wide selection of budget and cheaper models, but they typically perform very poorly. Low peak brightness, no local dimming, and few extra gaming features.

  • No Dolby Vision or DTS audio support.
    Although Samsung has their own dynamic HDR format in HDR10+, none of their TVs support the more widely used Dolby Vision format. They also don't include support for advanced DTS audio formats, which are prevalent in physical media.

Samsung vs Sony

Samsung TVs usually have more gaming features than Sony TVs, in particular, lower input lag and official 4k @ 144Hz on some models, and Samsung also has a bigger TV lineup. In comparison, Sony TVs are usually built a bit better, with mostly metal construction. They also tend to have better image processing and color accuracy, so they're better for home entertainment setups, especially as Sony typically supports Dolby Vision HDR and advanced DTS audio formats.

Samsung vs LG

Samsung TVs generally have better picture quality than the average LG LED-backlit TV. Samsung TVs usually get a fair bit brighter and have better contrast, while LG TVs generally have much wider viewing angles and better smart features. While LG was one of the first companies to offer OLED displays and has a few popular models to choose from, Samsung has caught up with their OLED offerings. They offer OLEDs that use the same WOLED panel found in LG's OLEDs, but they also offer QD-OLEDs, which produce brighter and more vibrant colors. LG OLEDs tend to have a bit more features than Samsung's, like support for Dolby Vision HDR. LG also has slightly better image processing than competing Samsung models. Learn more about the differences between Samsung and LG TVs.

Samsung vs Hisense

Hisense TVs have better value than Samsung TVs, as their TVs tend to be a fraction of the price for equal, and sometimes even better, performance. However, Hisense doesn't have any TVs to compete with Samsung's OLEDs, and their TVs tend to have bugs and quirks that Samsung's products don't have. Plus, Hisense TVs tend to have a narrow viewing angle, so they're not as well-suited for wide seating arrangements.

Samsung vs TCL

TCL TVs are a better value than Samsung TVs, as they offer comparable or better performance for a fraction of the price. Like with Hisense, TCL has no models to compete with Samsung's OLEDs. Learn more about TCL vs. Samsung TVs.

Samsung TVs provide performance suitable for most buyers, but they can also be costly compared to some competing brands. They generally perform very well and are among the best TVs on the market, especially if you want gaming features. However, competition is increasing, and Samsung LED TVs don't provide as much value as they previously did. On the other hand, their OLED TVs are some of the best on the market and compete with high-end LG OLED models.

2026 Samsung Lineup

Samsung's 2026 lineup largely falls into three lineups: their Crystal UHD TVs, QLED, and OLED. The Crystal UHD lineup is their entry-level series, featuring basic picture processing with no advanced features like local dimming, limited colors, and relatively low peak brightness. Their QLED lineup covers most of their mid and high-end TVs, and their OLED lineup consists of a few different OLED models with varying performance, covering a range of budgets. Read more about the differences between their Crystal UHD and QLED lineups.

Model Sizes Panel Type Refresh Rate Notes
S99H 48", 55", 65", 77", 83" QD-OLED 165Hz 83" - WOLED, includes Wireless One Connect
S95H 48", 55", 65", 77", 83" QD-OLED 165Hz 83" - WOLED, Wireless One Connect available separately
S90H 42", 48", 55", 65", 77", 83" WOLED 165Hz  
S85H 48", 55", 65", 77", 83" WOLED 120Hz  
MR95H 65", 75", 85", 130" RGB LED 4k @ 165Hz, 1080p @ 240Hz  
MR90H Unknown RGB LED Unknown  
MR85H Unknown RGB LED 4k @ 144Hz, 1080p @ 240Hz  
QN80H 55", 65", 75", 85", 100" LED 4k @ 144Hz, 1080p @ 240Hz  
QN70H 43", 50", 55", 65", 75", 85" LED 4k @ 60Hz, 1080p @ 120Hz  
M90H 100" LED Unknown  
M80H 55", 65", 75", 85" LED 4k @ 144Hz, 1080p @ 240Hz  
M70H 43", 50", 55", 65", 75", 85" LED 4k @ 60Hz, 1080p @ 120Hz  
U8000H 43", 50", 55", 65", 75", 85" LED 60Hz  

Product Naming

Samsung's lineup covers everything from budget to high-end models. As a rule of thumb, the higher the number, the better it is, although sometimes the improvements aren't worth it. Samsung releases four main TV lineups, and they use a consistent naming scheme for the top three, making it very easy to understand what you're buying by looking at the model number.

Samsung uses the prefix 'Q' to denote its mid-range QLED models, and the last letter of each model also indicates the model year. They introduced the Mini LED lineup in 2021, denoted by the 'QN' prefix in the model name, such as the Samsung QN90D. Their entry-level models follow a slightly different naming structure in 2025, with a single 'Q' used to identify their lower-end options. For example, the Q7F is a normal LED model without features like local dimming.

Smart Features

Samsung's Tizen Dashboard.
Samsung's Tizen Interface.

Samsung uses their own smart OS, known as Tizen, across all of their TVs. It offers many smart features that make finding content to watch fast and easy. Tizen allows you to easily find popular apps, cast content from your phone, play content from a USB stick, and use your voice to control the TV. If you own other Samsung smart devices, Tizen integrates with Samsung's SmartThings ecosystem, allowing you to control your other devices through the TV. On top of that, Samsung's Gaming Hub allows you to play games directly on your TV using the included remote or a dedicated gaming controller. 

You can read more detailed information on Samsung's Tizen OS and see how it stacks up against the competition.

Recent Updates

  1.  Jun 19, 2026: 

    We refreshed the article entirely, replacing the 2025 models with the 2026 equivalents that we've tested, as the new models offer some notable upgrades over the older ones.

  2.  Mar 23, 2026: 

    We updated the Introduction, Smart Features, and Samsung Lineup sections.

  3.  Nov 19, 2025: 

    Replaced the Samsung Q80D with the Samsung QN80F in the 'Best Lower Mid-Range Samsung TV' category, and replaced the Samsung Q60D with the Samsung Q7F in the 'Best Budget Samsung TV' category.

  4.  Jun 27, 2025: 

    We replaced the Samsung S95D, S90D, and QN85D with the Samsung S95F, S90F, and S85F, respectively. We also updated the 2025 Samsung Lineup section and refreshed text throughout the article.

  5.  Jan 14, 2025: 

    Rewrote the Samsung Lineup section to include information on their 2025 models.

Conclusion

Samsung, in general, makes very good TVs. Their budget options are a bit overpriced and don't perform as well as similarly priced models from some other brands, but their higher-end TVs are some of the best on the market. Their range has increased in price over the years, but most people will still find a TV that suits their needs. They're usually quite versatile and fit most uses. If you want more detailed information on their models, you can find a list of our recent Samsung TV reviews below. Also, keep in mind that our scores aren't comparable across different test benches, so most of the older Samsung TVs in the list below score higher than they would today.