It's been a roller coaster ride in the world of OLED TVs in 2024, and we've just reached the halfway point of the year. We've seen major launches from LG, Samsung and Sony, and several of them already take their place among the best TVs. But there has also been some surprising and, unfortunately, unwanted news about what we expected to be some of the best OLED TVs.
Keeping up to date with the latest OLED TV news can be difficult, which is why we've put together a list of the top launches and reviews from the last six months. Below is that list, along with our thoughts on OLED technology, which aims to maintain its place as the most popular TV option.
The biggest OLED TV launches of 2024
The Samsung S95D is one of the top OLED TVs of 2024. Samsung’s flagship QD-OLED (a combination of brightness-enhancing QLED technology with a contrast-rich OLED panel) has taken what made its predecessor, the Samsung S95C, great – a stunning picture, unbeatable gaming performance – but adds the company’s new Glare Free OLED technology to eliminate reflections. This worked incredibly well during our testing, and the S95D earned every bit of its five-star review from us.
Next up is the LG C4. The C4's predecessor, the LG C3, was a bit disappointing in 2023, not improving much over the fantastic LG C2, apart from a modest brightness increase. Fortunately, the C4 changed this, surpassing 1000 nits of brightness, improving HDR handling, and introducing a 144Hz refresh rate, making its 42-inch model ideal for PC gaming. It is one of the most powerful OLED TVs of 2024 so far and will offer tough competition in the mid-range.
The LG B3 was my personal dark horse when it came to OLED TVs in 2023, so when LG introduced its 2024 OLED TV lineup, several key specs for the new LG B4 series caught my eye: a new 48-inch model, four HDMI 2.1 ports, and a 16:9 aspect ratio. and LG's new Alpha 8 AI processor, which LG says would mimic the performance of the LG C3. That pretty much ticks all the boxes, and while we haven't fully tested it yet, the B4 is my most anticipated OLED TV of 2024.
We haven't forgotten about the LG G4, one of LG's flagship OLEDs for 2024. From what we saw at CES 2024, it provided a significant brightness increase over its predecessor, the LG G3, and features a refresh rate of 144 Hz and a new Dolby Vision Filmmaker mode (available on a large part of LG 2024 televisions). It certainly looked as impressive as we anticipated and we're eager to try it, although it doesn't capture our imagination as much as the C4 and B4.
One of the biggest developments in television in 2024 has been Sony's decision to leave aside OLED technology as the panel of choice for its flagship television of 2024, the Bravia 9, and opt instead for mini-LED. One of the main reasons for this is the company's new BVM-HX3110 professional monitor, which can be used to play movies at up to 4,000 nits of brightness, something Sony believes only mini-LED can offer. Their decision paid off, as in our review of the Bravia 9 we were pleasantly impressed with its brightness, refined local dimming, and OLED-quality black and contrast levels. Sony OLED fans need not worry, however, as their 2024 TV lineup includes the new Bravia 8 OLED (successor to the Sony A80L). Additionally, the Sony A95L QD-OLED will continue to be available.
Unfortunately, it hasn't all been good news for OLED in 2024. The Samsung S90D, the long-awaited successor to the Samsung S90C, TechRadar's TV of the Year 2023, has proven controversial due to reports of a “panel lottery,” something Samsung He has not done. I do not deny it. What the panel lottery means is that you could pay QD-OLED level prices but end up with a TV with either a QD-OLED panel or a standard 'W-OLED' panel. To add to the blow, Samsung has confirmed that the 42- and 48-inch models of the S90D only come with a W-OLED panel.
More OLED TVs to expect in 2024
While all of the major OLED brands have revealed their TV lineups for the year, models from Panasonic, Philips, and Loewe—which aren’t available in the U.S.—have yet to be released to the public. We haven’t had a chance to fully test any of these TVs, but we’ve already seen a few of them in action.
Panasonic’s stacked TV lineup for 2024 includes five OLED models in total. The new flagship Panasonic Z95A model follows the lead of 2023’s phenomenal Panasonic MZ2000, one of the best TVs around for sound. It will still have an MLA panel, but promises even higher brightness and a 144Hz refresh rate for gaming. Panasonic’s OLEDs (and all of its TVs) will come with Amazon’s Fire TV smart TV platform, replacing the somewhat sluggish My Screen8.0, which I found to be the MZ2000’s biggest drawback when I reviewed it. The Z90A, one of my three most-anticipated Panasonic TVs of 2024, will also feature an external “soundbar” on its smallest 42-inch model. Could this finally be a 42-inch OLED rival to the LG C4?
Philips' popular range of Ambilight TVs in 2023, including the brilliant Philips OLED808 and Philips OLED908, which made me feel like a kid at Christmas when I tried them, are hard to match. But when Philips announced its 2024 TV lineup, it made headlines by claiming that its flagship OLED+959 and OLED+909 models would be the first OLED TVs to reach 3,000 nits, a brightness level that rivals mini-LED TVs. They will also feature 144Hz gaming systems and 5.1.2 and 3.1 channel speakers on the OLED+959 and OLED+90 respectively, in a bid to rival the integrated audio prowess of Panasonic and Sony TVs.
Finally, Loewe, whose TVs are as much about design as performance, is set to launch its dr+ range of OLEDs (some of which are already available). These feature panels built in-house by Loewe with glass supplied by LG. Loewe will also launch its Stellar range of OLEDs, which will cost much more than LG's G4 OLED TV, but will come with a concrete back and a powerful 200W sound system.
