Michał Stekla
The first tests of the flagship Samsung QN990F television – a wireless and matte screen in one! The first tests of Samsung's most advanced television for 2025 – the QN990F – have appeared online. This is the direct successor to the QN900D model, which was considered by many to be the benchmark for quality among 8K televisions, although in practice it often performed worse than most high-end 4K models.
In the new flagship, we find the two biggest innovations:
The wireless One Connect Box, which connects to the screen with just one nearly invisible power supply.
A matte panel, which is a solution that Samsung has started to heavily promote in its top models – from the lifestyle The Frame, through OLEDs, to 8K televisions.
Do the innovations go hand in hand with image quality? What has changed compared to its predecessor and are we still talking about the most “high-end” LCD TV on the market? We review the initial data and share our observations!
Another designer déjà vu
First glimpse of the Samsung QN990F and... we have the feeling that we've seen this somewhere before. And it’s no wonder – this year's flagship almost entirely replicates the style of its predecessor. Is that a bad thing? Absolutely not. At a time when manufacturers are becoming increasingly cautious about design changes, Samsung also opts for proven elegance. The minimalist, borderless construction, a screen that almost merges into the frame, and the characteristic mirror base that gives the impression of the TV floating above the furniture – all this creates the impression of a true piece of functional art.
However, the biggest novelty in this “familiar” shape is the completely wireless One Connect module. We only connect the power to the TV, while everything else – set-top boxes, consoles, soundbars – is linked to a separate box that can be discreetly hidden anywhere in the room. Sounds like a dream come true for aesthetics? Yes, but such luxury comes with a certain price and certain limitations – which we'll discuss shortly.
Brighter than ever – but not without compromises
If we had to point out the biggest improvement compared to last year's QN900D model, it would be the brightness. According to measurements from the Rtings editorial team, the new QN990F can, under ideal conditions, surpass the 2000 nit barrier, making it one of the brightest, if not the brightest, 8K TV. This is about 500 nits better than its predecessor, which we tested for you last year.
Unfortunately, as is often the case this year, there were some trade-offs. Along with the higher brightness comes a slight degradation in contrast. This is not a change that immediately stands out, but a trained eye will notice that the depth of black and light separation has suffered somewhat compared to the QN900D.
What’s happening with tonal transitions in 2025?
Another noticeable deterioration compared to its predecessor is unfortunately the quality of tonal transitions. Honestly? We don’t know what the manufacturers are doing with this aspect this year. First LG had issues with the G5 and C5 models, and now – unfortunately – Samsung as well.
In the case of the QN990F, the biggest difficulties occur with transitions from light to dark tones, particularly on grey gradients transitioning to white. There’s a noticeable banding there, which spoils the impression of natural gradation and may be noticeable in more demanding scenes, for example, in a bright sky or on skin under strong light.
Gaming monster... but with one 'but'
QN990F is a piece of equipment that can confidently be called a gaming monster. Samsung has equipped it with everything one might expect from a top-notch gaming TV – 120 Hz support at 8K resolution (yes, really!), support for cloud gaming via Xbox Cloud Gaming, GameBar, and its proprietary motion smoothing feature. The problem is that the new, wireless One Connect module... complicates things a bit.
Due to the completely wireless image transmission, the signal delay (input lag) has clearly increased. We're not talking about a disaster, as these are still acceptable values for the average player. But for more dynamic games or for those playing e-sports titles – it can become noticeable and irritating.
Fortunately, Samsung anticipated this scenario and... included a classic cable in the package, allowing you to connect One Connect like in older models – via cable. And suddenly, the entire problem with input lag disappears. So if you dream of full power and a gaming edge, you'll have to choose: aesthetics or responsiveness?
In our opinion, One Connect in the wired version was and is a solution clever and aesthetic enough that its new wireless version is more of a tech gimmick than a real need. But maybe that's exactly the point with the QN990F? It's a TV that aspires to be the most luxurious and innovative, so it’s filled with features that could easily fit into the drawer marked "premium gadget." Wireless image, matte display, gaming in 8K, everything looks and sounds impressive. The only question is how much of these innovations are the future, and how much is just a display of Samsung's might and technological superiority.
But hey – the first 8K 120 Hz TV is something that will still be recorded in history. Even if it requires a NASA computer. 😉
Matte screen – a new standard for Samsung?
In the case of the QN990F, Samsung has once again opted for a matte anti-reflective coating, which we already know from models like The Frame and QN90F as well as S95F. This is a total novelty in the 8K segment, and a clear signal that the brand strongly believes in "matting" its flagship screens. And it’s hard to argue – the coating works brilliantly. Light reflections are minimal, even in very sunny rooms. For many users, this will be a huge advantage – no more seeing the window, lamp, or your own silhouette in the black screen of the television.
But as is usually the case – you can’t have it all. A matte screen also has its compromises. In very bright environments, the image can seem less saturated, less "vibrant" than on classic, glossy panels. The colours lack the same depth, and the contrast may appear slightly flattened.
Is this direction the right one? Samsung is clearly betting everything on this single card and consistently introducing matte finishes in most of its top models. We will find out the answer in a year when the market sums up its choices and the first sales results show whether customers really want screens free from reflections – even at the cost of a certain loss of "glow".
Viewing Angles
Similar to last year's QN900D, the QN990F uses a VA panel, which naturally may raise some concerns, as this type of panel has been associated with somewhat limited viewing angles for years. Fortunately, Samsung continues its proven strategy and has also applied an additional layer here to improve picture quality when viewed from the side. The effect is very similar to what the QN900D offered – or perhaps even a bit better.
Samsung QN990F – A futuristic gadget with class
It's hard not to get the impression that the QN990F is a television of the "everything at once" kind. Great brightness, a designer form, the world's first 8K support at 120 Hz, and a completely new, wireless version of the One Connect box – this TV practically screams: "look, I'm modern!". But the question is: do we really need this?
The truth is that 8K is still more of a curiosity than a real necessity. There is virtually no content in this resolution, and to play in 8K at 120 frames, you need a really expensive computer. On top of that – even though the One Connect box works wirelessly – the TV itself still needs to be connected to a power source. And if you're looking for low latency in gaming, it's best to… go back to the classic One Connect cable and connect everything like in the older models. Well, you can't have everything.
Samsung is the only one still developing the 8K segment and does so in an accessible way – compared to the competition. But accessible does not mean cheap. The QN990F looks set to be high-end gear, but also for the select few. For those who love tech gadgets, value uniqueness, and want to have "the best TV in the neighbourhood" – even if its full potential will be waiting to be realised for a long time.
Source: rtings.com, own elaboration
