The CES 2021 virtual event is around the corner, but LG could not hold up the excitement and spills the beans over its 2021 TV lineup ahead of the show. The Korean manufacturer unveiled its Neo QLED 4K and 8K TVs 2021 lineup. These new models by Samsung aim to dethrone OLEDs made by other companies like LG and Sony.
The latest 4K and 8K TV models tease better picture quality and plenty of extra features aimed at users spending spare time at home and enjoying the viewing experience even more. Samsung’s microLED TVs hog the spotlight with their superior software and hardware along with an insanely expensive price tag. Still, the QLED lineup also manages to reserve its spit in the limelight.
Samsung Neo QLED 8K/4K Pricing & More
The company has unveiled the Neo QLED 8K (QN900A) and 4K (QN90A) sets with mini LEDs that are 1/40th the standard technology size to offer more refined control over lighting. Although the mini-LEDs won’t match OLEDs’ superior quality, their 12-bit, 4,096-step luminance still creates brighter backlight around bright areas and darker backlight around dark areas. This improvement makes the movie experience much better, especially for the movies shot in dim lighting.
Neo QLED 8K TV’s qualities include almost bezel-less “Infinity One” design, object-tracking sound, and a cable management box that can be attached to the back. On the contrary, the 4K variant comes with visible bezels and misses on the other sound and organizing features. Both 4K and 8K variants of Samsung’s 2021 QLED TV lineup come integrated with a new chipset and AI upscaling that uses neural networks to enhance the image quality.
Samsung NEO QLED 2021 lineup includes three 8K models (the QN800A, QN850A, and QN900A series) and two 4K models (the QN85A and QN90A). Although Samsung is yet to reveal the pricing details, we can expect the new models to start at $1500 for the 65-inch variant. In any case, these TV models are expected to be more affordable than OLED variants by other companies on the market.
Samsung Neo QLED 8K/4K Features at a Glance
Here are some of the new features debuting on the QLED lineup of TVs by Samsung. Some of these features were also a part of the 2020 lineup, but their newer version comes on the 2021 series with better functionality.
Solar-powered Remote
Allying with sustainability, Samsung includes eco-friendly input in the form of a solar-powered remote control that charges from any light source, saving users from the additional expense of buying AAA batteries.
Samsung Health With Smart Trainer
The new lineup features Samsung’s health app that provides guided personal training. In the 2021 lineup, this app gets optional webcam support. The app tracks exercise and offer training by celebrity personal trainers featuring Jillian Michaels. The smart trainer feature is available on 2021 Q70A TVs and above.
Game Status Display & Ultrawide Aspect Ratio
Samsung’s latest TV lineup comes with support for next-gen gaming on PS5 and Xbox Series X, including 4K/120 fps input and VRR. Users also get the Game Bar feature that allows users to change settings in a jiffy mid-game via long-press on the play/pause button. There’s also a Super UltraWide GameView feature that enables an aspect ratio of 32:9.
Google Duo
The latest lineup also includes support for Google’s Duo app that allows group calls for up to 12 members. If users don’t have a webcam attached to the TV, they will be able to mirror their smartphones on the TV and utilize the phone’s camera to have a video call.
Alexa, Bixby, & Google Assistant
In the 2021 lineup, Samsung integrates all the three voice assistants via the remote. These assistants respond to wake phrases like “Hey, Google,” thanks to the remote’s mics.
Samsung DeX
The latest lineup has Samsung’s known DeX feature that lets Samsung devices connect wirelessly. This feature would work for Samsung smartphones or tablet users as they will connect their devices to the QLED TV to use it as a display.
Samsung will begin shipping the new QLEDs sometime this year. We will get to know more about pricing and availability in the coming days.
