First tests of Samsung's best OLED of 2025. S90F – The King of Value returns to the top?

Is the Samsung S90F going to be the new king of OLEDs? The first tests have already surfaced online and everything suggests that the Korean manufacturer is back in the fight for the premium throne. The successor to the S90D model and a competitor to models like the LG C5 or Bravia 8 II, has a few tricks up its sleeve. Let's take a look at what we've learned from the initial measurements.

Appearance and design – no changes, but that's a good thing

In terms of appearance, the Samsung S90F doesn't bring any significant changes compared to its predecessor – and in our opinion, that’s a good decision. The S90 series has simply been appealing from the very beginning. This is all thanks to its minimalist, refined design. At the front, we have very slim, metal bezels that make the screen almost blend in with its surroundings. The whole unit stands on a single, central base. At the back, the design remains quite classic – just a regular OLED without overly complicated styling, featuring a typical "back end." Not everyone may like this, but in our opinion, the S90F hits the sweet spot when it comes to design. It's simply a good-looking television that will fit well in most interiors.

Black and contrast – the highest level with the same problems

There are no revolutions here either – and that's a good thing. After all, we’re talking about OLED, so contrast and deep blacks are inherently perfect. The S90F doesn’t improve anything because there was simply nothing to improve. However, it’s worth noting that in Europe, only the 65-inch variant (at least for now) has been equipped with a QD-OLED panel, which can slightly "brighten" blacks in very bright rooms. This is a typical feature of this technology – subtle, but noticeable in strong external light.

HDR – the king of value returns thanks to brightness

Why do we believe that the S90F marks the probable return of the king of value among OLEDs? Mainly due to the brightness, which is making a huge impression this year. Not long ago, we wrote about the new LG OLED C5 series, which has finally broken the magic barrier of 1000 nits peak HDR brightness. And it seems that Samsung is not to be outdone and is also cranking up the pressure. According to measurements by RTINGS, the S90F model with a QD-OLED panel can reach up to 1500 nits of peak brightness! This is a result 50% better than the S90D. So it can be confidently stated that this will be one of the brightest, if not the brightest OLED in its price range!

And what about the versions equipped with a WOLED panel? For now, we don't have concrete data, but knowing Samsung, which has shown time and again that it can equalise the brightness of different types of panels through software, we can assume that the differences – if they occur – will be minor. In the worst-case scenario, in Europe this could mean slightly lower brightness than in the American versions with the QD-OLED panel, but we are still talking about a very good level.

Is Europe being treated poorly again? The panel lottery is back

Unfortunately, it seems that European customers will once again have to rely on "luck," as Samsung continues its policy of the so-called matrix lottery. At the moment, it is known that only the 65-inch variant sold in Europe has received the QD-OLED panel – which is the "better" one. The other sizes, including the popular 55 and 77 inches, are already based on the classic WOLED.

If you want to have 100% certainty about which panel you are buying, just look at the end of the model designation:

• DAT = QD-OLED

• DAE = WOLED

Gaming – monster but without Dolby Vision

There are no major surprises here either. The S90F is a gaming beast like its predecessor, which gamers will recognise from previous years. We have full support for 4K at 144 Hz, very low input lag, a complete set of VRR technologies, AMD FreeSync Premium, ALLM, as well as a built-in Xbox Cloud Gaming app for cloud gaming – without the need to connect a console. The well-known Game Bar is also present, allowing for quick adjustments to picture settings, lag, or FPS counter – all on the fly, without leaving the game.

Of course, we won't find Dolby Vision for Xbox here, but let's be honest – that no longer surprises anyone. Samsung has been going its own way for years, focusing on its own HDR solutions (including HDR10+), and there are no signs that this policy will change.

AI, AI, AI… new processor, but no revolution

Samsung is boasting about its new "smart" processor, but... perhaps we should temper our excitement. Compared to last year's model, the S90F is equipped with a new third-generation AI NQ4 chip. According to the manufacturer's announcements, it is supposed to be several times better in many aspects: scene analysis, object detection, intelligent sharpening, and upscaling content to 4K.

In theory, this sounds promising – in practice… it does exactly the same as its predecessor, just a bit faster and somewhat more effectively. Indeed, the image upscaling still performs well – SD and HD content looks clean, without significant artifacts, and edges are not artificially sharpened. But if we were to compare this with the competition, the latest LG OLED C5 or Sony Bravia 8 II clearly offer better results. The S90F isn't bad, it just doesn't extract as much from this processor as we would expect from the marketing promises. It still gets the job done – but against the competition, it doesn’t shine as brightly as it could.

However, it's worth noting that image upscaling and tonal transition processing are not always equally important for every user – especially if we primarily watch content in native 4K. In the case of the QD-OLED panel, which inherently manages smooth gradations very well and does not suffer from typical banding issues, minor imperfections in the upscaling algorithms are simply less noticeable in everyday use.

However, the situation changes when we choose the variant with the WOLED panel. Here, the matrix struggles a bit more with natural tonal transitions, and the quality of upscaling begins to matter more – especially in HD materials like classic TV broadcasts. And it is precisely under these conditions that Samsung may perform weaker than its competitors.

Samsung S90F has everything it needs to become one of the biggest sales hits among OLED TVs in 2025 – especially in the 65-inch version with a QD-OLED panel. We have here a very impressive peak brightness, great colour gamut coverage, excellent gaming capabilities, and quite a wide selection of apps thanks to the Tizen system. All of this makes the 65-inch variant almost a no-brainer recommendation – it's an OLED that combines top-notch picture quality with a more accessible price than flagship models.

It's a shame we can't say the same with such confidence about the other sizes. In the case of the version with a WOLED panel, the picture quality can be noticeably lower – and then the question arises, whether it might be better to bet on competition from LG or Sony within a similar budget?

The answer to this question will be revealed soon, and in the meantime, we invite you to check out our reviews of TVs from the 2024 sales – you can find great models at really attractive prices!