The Samsung QN90A Neo QLED TV is one of the best TV options out there right now. It takes the world of QLED to a new level of brightness which makes this a capable screen even for bright daylight viewing.
Despite making a leap forward in the tech, Samsung has kept the price down to continue to take the fight to OLED. While the blacks are better on this set than last year's models, it's still not at the OLED level. You also only get HDR10+ and no Dolby Vision support.
A new solar charged remote and better-than-ever Tizen OS make for great interactive control which helps make this TV the center of your home entertainment system with lots and lots of apps available.
Samsung QN90A Neo QLED TV review: Picture
- Enhanced peak brightness
- Neo Quantum Processor 4K upscales well
- No Dolby Vision
The Samsung QN90A Neo QLED TV is bright. Really bright. Thanks to the use of mini LEDs this offers not only better peak brightness than other QLED TVs but also better black levels and contrast. For those that speak nits, this TV reaches a top end of over 1,800 nits. That means this is bright enough to watch in daylight, clearly. For comparison, the top-end LG G1 OLED tops out at about 410 nits of peak brightness.
The downside of all this extra brightness is that you do lose a little of the finer tuning to picture quality. Some might notice this as a lack of natural color but in reality most people won't spot much difference over last year's model since the processing smarts help make up for this.
Average price: From $1,499
Sizes available: 50", 55", 65", 75", and 85"
Screen type: Neo QLED
4K ready? Yes
8K ready? No
HDR type: HDR10+
Audio type: Dolby Digital Plus
HDMI connections: 1xHDMI 2.1, 3xHDMI 2.0b
Other connections: 2 x USB, Optical out, Ethernet, Bluetooth 4.2
The Neo Quantum Processor 4K makes short work of fast-moving scenes, upscaling content frame-by-frame and ensuring smooth playback thanks to the combination of a 120Hz panel and Motion Xcelerator Turbo+ tech. There can be some blooming and a little vignetting in the corners still as this is an LED lit display after all.
The processor does a good job of enhancing color and saturation where needed, creating a bright yet colorful picture which still remains natural. So, where a less 'smart' TV might, for example, make a superhero on screen look too colorful and stand out, this keeps everything well balanced so you get lost in the entertainment more naturally.
For gaming, there is a super low latency of under 10ms meaning next-gen gaming on the PS5 is super smooth with HDR quality. Although this is limited to HDR10+ only as there is no Dolby Vision support, unfortunately.
Samsung QN90A Neo QLED TV review: Sound
- OTS+, not the Pro version
- Adjustable but not perfect
Audio on a TV this slender was never going to be mind-blowing, so we'd always recommend a soundbar or the like to get the best out of your entertainment experience.
This TV does offer an impressive 60W of audio output but it uses the Object Tracking Sound Plus (OTS+) system instead of the OTS+ Pro with 10W more output which the top-end Samsung TVs offer.
There is a distinct lack of bass in whatever you listen to, vocals are passable but not great and there is a lack of detail in the top frequencies. You can tweak the audio using the EQ which does help as a method for achieving the type of sound you are after, but you'll always be limited by the hardware onboard.
Alternatively you can attach a soundbar or home theater system and you'll get a more powerful and immersive result. So perhaps factor that in on top of the price of this TV's price tag.
Samsung QN90A Neo QLED TV review: Design and build
- Super slender build
- One HDMI 2.1 only
- Solar-powered remote
The Samsung QN90A Neo QLED TV is a stunner from all angles, with a super minimal bezel edging and an impossibly slim build. The pedestal stand is also minimal with an attractive metallic finish, although it can be a bit too wobbly for comfort.
Round the back of the TV are a selection of ports which does include HDMI 2.1, but only one of these with the other three HDMI 2.0 only. Despite this, all four ports are capable of 4K and 120Hz. That means they can all handle PS5 and Xbox Series X top-end content and VRR as well as ALLM. One port supports eARC so that is ideal for a soundbar setup.
The new remote control is feature-rich with Bluetooth connectivity and a microphone onboard for voice controlled searching. A really nice touch is the solar charging that means if you leave this on the windowsill it'll charge back up to full without you ever having to worry about it running out of power or needing to change batteries.
The Tizen operating system supports multiple voice controlled assistants including Google Assistant and Amazon's Alexa. It also offers screen casting from your mobile device and has Apple AirPlay 2 functionality. There are lots of apps and some support HDR10+ to take full advantage of what this TV can do. But the lack of Dolby Vision support will leave Netflix and Disney+ users without the full capabilities of these services being utilized.
Samsung QN90A Neo QLED TV review: Should you buy?
If you want a really, really bright TV then this is the option to go for. It's also great for anyone that wants a television that looks brilliant even when turned off. The next-gen gaming compatibility of the ports is great while the Tizen OS and smart remote control make interactions really easy with this set. Picture quality is excellent while the price remains reasonable.
For those that want Dolby Vision support, or richer blacks and more balanced color, then an OLED TV may be a more suitable option.
Other TV reviews: Samsung Q90R review | LG C9 OLED review | Vizio M-Series Quantum review | Hisense H9G ULED TV | Sony A9G OLED review | TCL 6-Series TV
