The Samsung Q70/Q70A QLED is the mid-range model in Samsung’s 2021 4k QLED lineup, sitting between the Samsung Q60/Q60A QLED and the Samsung Q80/Q80A QLED. It competes with other mid-range models like the Sony X85J, the LG NANO90 2021, and the Hisense U7G. It has features that are usually included with higher-end models, like its HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, 120Hz panel, and variable refresh rate (VRR) support. However, it also lacks some important features like local dimming, and in Samsung's case, the 'Ultra Viewing Angle' technology. Still, it's a well-rounded TV that comes with the easy-to-use Tizen OS as its smart platform.
Our Verdict
The Samsung Q7 Series is a great TV for most uses. Thanks to its high contrast ratio, it looks excellent in a dark room, with deep blacks and no distracting blooming around bright highlights. It's also good for watching shows and sports in well-lit rooms, as it gets bright enough to overcome glare. Its fast response time delivers smooth motion in content like sports and video games, and its low input lag makes it feel responsive when gaming or using it as a PC monitor. HDR looks good, but it doesn't get bright enough to bring out the brightest highlights, and it lacks a local dimming feature to improve the contrast.
- Very good contrast.
- Bright enough to overcome glare.
- Impressive response time delivers smooth motion.
- No local dimming.
- Image fades and looks washed out as you move off-center.
The Samsung Q70A is good for watching TV shows in a bright room. Although it has only decent reflection handling, it gets bright enough to overcome moderate amounts of glare in a bright room, so visibility isn't an issue. It upscales cable TV channels and older shows on DVD well, and the built-in Tizen OS has a great selection of streaming apps, so you can quickly find your favorite shows. Unfortunately, it has a narrow viewing angle, so it's not ideal for a wide seating arrangement or if you like to move around with the TV on, as the image fades and looks washed out at an angle.
- Bright enough to overcome glare.
- Apps and interface run smoothly.
- Image fades and looks washed out as you move off-center.
The Samsung Q70A is good for watching sports in a bright room. It has an impressive response time, so motion looks smooth with fast-moving balls or players. It gets bright enough to overcome glare in most rooms, and it also has decent reflection handling, so glare isn't an issue overall. That said, it has a narrow viewing angle, so it's not ideal if you want to watch the game with a big group, as the image fades and looks washed out at an angle. It also has uniformity issues with some distracting dirty screen effect in the center.
- Bright enough to overcome glare.
- Impressive response time delivers smooth motion.
- Image fades and looks washed out as you move off-center.
The Samsung Q70A is an excellent TV for playing video games. Its impressive response time delivers a clear image with minimal motion blur or ghosting behind fast-moving objects, and it has an incredibly low input lag. It supports FreeSync variable refresh rate (VRR) technology to reduce screen tearing. Also, it supports 4k @ 120Hz games without issues, but only on one port, which is disappointing if you have more than one new-gen console.
- Supports FreeSync VRR.
- Impressive response time delivers smooth motion.
- Low input lag.
- No local dimming.
- HDMI 2.1 bandwidth on only one port.
The Samsung Q70A TV is great for watching movies in HDR. It's helped by its high contrast ratio, delivering deep blacks and bright highlights with no blooming, but it lacks a local dimming feature to improve the dynamic range. It displays a wide color gamut for HDR, so HDR content is vivid and realistic, but its HDR brightness is a bit limited, so the brightest highlights don't quite pop as well as they should.
- Very good contrast.
- Removes 24p judder from all sources.
- Displays wide color gamut.
- No local dimming.
- Stutter with low frame rate content.
- Not quite bright enough to make highlights pop.
The Samsung Q7DA is great for HDR gaming. The fast response time, low input lag, and variable refresh rate support deliver a smooth and a responsive gaming experience, with minimal tearing. However, its HDR brightness in Game Mode is only okay, so the brightest highlights don't pop as they should. On the upside, it supports all common resolutions for advanced consoles, including 4k @ 120Hz, but only on one port, so you can only take full advantage of one new-gen console.
- Very good contrast.
- Supports FreeSync VRR.
- Impressive response time delivers smooth motion.
- Low input lag.
- No local dimming.
- HDMI 2.1 bandwidth on only one port.
- Not quite bright enough to make highlights pop.
The Samsung Q7DA is great for use as a PC monitor. It displays chroma 4:4:4 properly, which is important for text clarity while using it as a PC monitor. It also has incredibly low input lag, ensuring your mouse movements are smooth and games feel responsive. However, it has a narrow viewing angle, so the edges of the screen look washed out if you're sitting up close or if you need to use it in a meeting room with a wide seating area.
- Displays chroma 4:4:4 properly for clear text.
- Supports FreeSync VRR.
- Low input lag.
- Image fades and looks washed out as you move off-center.
- HDMI 2.1 bandwidth on only one port.
Changelog
- Updated Sep 26, 2025: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
- Updated Jul 08, 2025: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
- Updated Apr 17, 2025: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
- Updated Feb 11, 2025: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We bought and tested the 55-inch Samsung Q70A, and these results are also valid for the 65, 75, and 85-inch sizes. There's a variant sold at Costco and Sam's Club as the Samsung Q7 Series or the Samsung Q7DA.
| Size | US Model | Short Model Code | Panel Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 55" | QN55Q70AAFXZA | QN55Q70A | VA |
| 65" | QN65Q70AAFXZA | QN65Q70A | VA |
| 75" | QN75Q70AAFXZA | QN75Q70A | VA |
| 85" | QN85Q70AAFXZA | QN85Q70A | VA |
The unit was manufactured in February 2021. You can see the label here.
Popular TV Comparisons
The Samsung Q70A is a good mid-range 4k TV. While it lacks certain features that you get with higher-end models, like full-array backlighting and local dimming, it has an exceptionally high contrast ratio. It comes with many advanced features like eARC, HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, and VRR support. It's a bit better overall than its 2023 version, the Samsung Q70C QLED, so don't worry about upgrading if you already own the Q70A.
For more options, check out our recommendations for the best 4k TVs, the best 4k gaming TVs, and the best QLEDs.
The Samsung Q70A and the Sony X85J are nearly identical. The Sony that we tested has better gray uniformity, but this can vary between units. The Samsung is a bit better for gaming, as it has lower input lag for a more responsive gaming experience, and it has FreeSync support. However, the Sony is G-SYNC compatible, which is good if you have an NVIDIA graphics card.
The Samsung Q70A is the successor to the Samsung Q70T, and while it offers a couple of improvements, it's not as big a step up as you might expect. The biggest improvement is its response time. The Q70T has an okay response time but is likely not good enough for more competitive gamers, whereas the Q70A is significantly faster, resulting in less motion blur. The Q70A also gets a bit brighter in HDR, resulting in a better overall HDR experience, and its backlight flickers at a much higher frequency than the Q70T's, which is good news for those who are sensitive to flicker.
The Samsung Q80A and the Samsung Q70A are good TVs with different panel types. The Q80A has an ADS panel, which has much wider viewing angles. It also gets significantly brighter in HDR, so highlights stand out the way they should. However, the Q70A has a VA panel with a much better contrast ratio and improved black uniformity. Even though the Q80A has a full-array local dimming feature, which the Q70A doesn't have, the Q70A is better for dark room viewing due to its higher contrast.
The Samsung Q70A and the Samsung Q70C are extremely similar TVs, although the Q70A has a small edge in most categories. The older model has better image quality, with better contrast, is slightly brighter in both HDR and SDR, is significantly more accurate pre-calibration, and has better black uniformity. However, the Q70C does have better image processing, with better low-quality content smoothing and better upscaling capabilities. Finally, it has four HDMI 2.1 bandwidth ports versus only one for the Q70A, which is great if you have multiple HDMI 2.1 devices.
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.
Test Results
Older Test Bench: This product has been tested using an older TV test methodology, before a major update. Some of the test results below aren't directly comparable with other TVs. Learn more
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