Samsung has announced new sizes for some of its best TVs, giving more choices to consumers who want the option of either a small or massive flagship TV. Samsung has added 43-inch and 98-inch sizes to its QN90A lineup of “Neo QLED” 4K TVs and an 85-inch option for its The Frame TV. The Neo QLED TVs have Samsung’s flagship panels, which use Mini LED backlights to improve contrast and picture quality. These kinds of flagship-class panels used to be limited mostly to the 55- to 77-inch range, but they seem to be making their way to size classes that used to be reserved for budget TVs.
Samsung hasn’t yet announced pricing for these TVs. At the moment, the 50-inch QN90A sells for $1,400 (with an MSRP of $1,500), and the 85-inch model can be had for $4,000, a cool $1,000 less than its list price. It seems unlikely that the 43-inch version would cost more than the 50-inch one or that the 98-inch model would cost less than the 85-incher. Samsung’s 75-inch The Frame costs $3,000 at MSRP, so you can likely expect the 85-inch option there to cost more.
Smaller TVs with flagship-grade panels have started to become more common. LG announced that its CX line would get a 48-inch offering in 2020, and it went even smaller this year, announcing a 42-inch model (though its release has reportedly been delayed). Gigabyte and Asus also offer TV-sized gaming monitors, with models available that pack 43- and 48-inch panels. TV-sized monitors (or monitor-sized TVs) are good for those who have either massive desks or smaller houses — or even people who just aren’t that interested in having a TV take up all the space in their living room (and who don’t want to shell out $100K for LG’s rollable TV for some odd reason).
There are, of course, people who want to go in a more maximalist direction. If you found the existing 85-inch QN890A to be pathetically small, then perhaps the new 98-inch size could be a good alternative to Samsung’s catastrophically expensive The Wall TV (not that we know yet how much it’ll cost). There’s also the bigger version of The Frame, which used to max out at 75 inches. While the new Frame isn’t as big as the new Neo QLED, it’s perhaps more aesthetically pleasing, looking like a painting when it’s not displaying content.
Whether you prefer smaller, bigger, or midsize TVs, it’s nice to see that Samsung’s making more size options available to those who still want a nice TV. A Samsung spokesperson told The Verge that the 43-inch Neo should be available in a few days, with the 98-inch Neo and 85-inch Frame coming in a few weeks. The company wasn’t able to provide firm dates or prices, so we’ll keep an eye out.
