SAMSUNG OLED S90F (WOLED) vs Xiaomi S Pro 2026

Does the S90F handle not only dark scenes but also bright parts of the image? Definitely yes. Stories about OLEDs as "dark screens" can slowly be regarded as a myth. The Samsung S90F, similar to the LG C5 based on a very similar panel, achieves brightness exceeding 1000 nits. This is a value entirely sufficient to enjoy impressive and dynamic HDR images – both in movies and series. Most of the scenes we tested look stunning, with well-defined lights and high contrast. Of course, OLED technology still has its limitations – with very bright, full-screen sequences, such as the test card from the movie The Meg (5th image), the TV can noticeably dim the image. However, it's worth noting that such scenes are quite rare. One can say that the HDR effect is good enough that even mid-range OLED models, like the S90F, can provide a cinematic experience in the home living room.

When it comes to HDR quality, the Xiaomi S Pro 2026 is undoubtedly a really bright TV. On our synthetic measurement charts, we were able to generate a peak brightness of around 1400 nits. This is not only a very good result but even spectacular, considering the price of this model. However, as we always repeat, for our editorial team, measurements and experiences from the content we watch every day—movies and series—are more important. So let's analyze how Xiaomi handles film material. Unfortunately, the result is somewhat mixed. When very bright scenes appear on the screen, the S Pro 2026 truly shows its full potential and can achieve real brightness of 800-1000 nits on bright elements. Moreover, even smaller objects can "burn" the eyes— in scenes from the movie Sicario 2, small metallic elements of the helicopter were really bright. The problem is this—and here the story comes full circle back to our assessment of contrast—that in such scenes, we cannot count on absolutely cinematic black. In our opinion, this compromise is too significant; high visibility of details in bright areas should not come at the expense of such a substantial boost in black levels. And even though the HDR effect itself can be striking here, it is important to remember that when very difficult, mixed scenes appear on the screen, we may feel a slight disappointment. Exactly the one we mentioned in the previous paragraph regarding dimming issues in HDR mode. On a positive note, it is worth adding that the S Pro 2026 is equipped with an additional PFS filter (which works similarly to a QLED layer), effectively broadening the color palette coverage. As a result, measurements showed a DCI-P3 color gamut coverage of up to 94%. This gives us the confidence that in most colorful scenes, the image will look rich and appropriately saturated.

Samsung S90F, like most modern TVs, offers many picture modes, but – in line with our testing tradition – we checked it in its best one, which is the Filmmaker mode. As a result, the image looks much more natural than in the default, often oversaturated settings. It was neither overly saturated nor artificially subdued – just closer to what you should see. Of course, "more correct" doesn’t mean "perfect." Our S90F sample unfortunately had significant issues with white balance, particularly in the blue color range, resulting in a slightly yellowish filter applied to most scenes. Someone might say that it looks more "cinematic" – because it's warmer – but let's be honest, George Lucas didn't film Star Wars in sepia 😉 (you'll find the comparison with the scene as always below).

Additionally, in HDR materials, there was a noticeable issue with brightness management. The EOTF curve showed a distinct "spike" in brightness – the TV brightened the image more than it should have, making some effects look too intense and diverging from the reference. Thankfully, some of these issues can be eliminated with professional calibration – you can read about its effects later in the review.

Of course, we conducted all our measurements in "Film" mode, which is usually the best and most accurate choice you get straight out of the box. And we have to say it bluntly: even though this is the best mode, it is still very far from ideal. First of all, the television has a clear tendency to give the image a cool, bluish tint – this is due to a poorly set white balance. Additionally, there is a problem with how the S Pro 2026 manages its brightness right after being taken out of the box, which results in an overly bright image. These two flaws contribute to really huge colorimetric errors (Delta E). In HDR content, they were able to exceed our expected error scale of "10" (meaning values close to 20). For reference – the threshold of perceivable error by the human eye is a Delta E value of around 3. Results at the level of 20 mean that the image significantly deviates from what the director intended.

After calibration, we managed to eliminate almost all the aforementioned errors. Older movies in SDR quality finally look as they should – without the sepia effect or artificial aging of the image. The atmosphere of the classics is returning to its rightful place (you're welcome, Star Wars fans), and the colors no longer resemble an Instagram filter.

One of the key changes was also the improvement of brightness characteristics in HDR content. We managed to control the EOTF curve in an almost reference way. Yes, the most demanding users may notice minimal deviations in brightness, but to be honest – most viewers won't even notice that. And it’s no wonder, because the vast majority of errors are below the ΔE 3 threshold, which is below the visibility threshold. After calibration, the S90F (WOLED) becomes a truly excellent display – one that you can enjoy nearly perfect image quality on.

So how does the S Pro 2026 perform after our calibration treatment? We must admit that after calibration, the television becomes a really pleasant device for watching everyday content. As you can see in the graphs, we managed to bring both white balance and gamma values to nearly perfection in HD (SDR) material. Most importantly, the colorimetric errors have become practically invisible to the human eye. In this scenario, the S Pro 2026 is simply a great television that, after professional calibration, can provide a lot of enjoyment while watching. However, it is worth noting clearly – our efforts helped little in 4K HDR mode. Despite calibration, the television still interprets the image rather strongly "in its own way," which is clearly seen in the measurement of the EOTF curve (luminance tracking). It's a bit of a shame, because this shows that the problem lies not in the panel itself, but in the software. Underdeveloped image management algorithms in HDR content can, unfortunately, disqualify this television for many more discerning users.

Digital image processing in the S90F:

Fortunately, Samsung, as in most of its models, can effectively deal with the unwanted posterization effect in the S90F. The function responsible for this element is noise reduction, which quite nicely smooths out tonal transitions and eliminates unnatural color joins – of course, within its capabilities. Unfortunately, it works quite aggressively, so using it comes with compromises. In addition to improving gradation, it may also remove film grain or gently soften facial features. In this case, the choice is yours – do you prefer a more "clean" image, or do you care about preserving the original texture of the material.

Image scaling in the S90F:

In this year's model, Samsung has implemented its own AI processor – NQ4 Gen3, which really manages quite well with upscaling. In our test scenes, the television effectively "pulled up" lower-quality content towards artificial 4K – the image was more pleasant to view, and the differences in sharpness between native and scaled content were minimal. Unfortunately, behind this entire AI marketing façade lies a certain shortcoming. The S90F does not handle overscan well. If you reach for truly archival materials – like a VHS tape of your parents' wedding – you must reckon with the fact that the lower part of the image may be cut off. The image adaptation function to the resolution simply does not work here as it should.

Let's start with the issue we addressed in the previous paragraph: can a TV even fix the problem of poor tonal transitions in dark scenes? Theoretically, yes – in the menu, we find a feature with the promising name "Color Contour Removal." Well, "theoretically." Unfortunately, in practice, this setting – regardless of which of the three power levels is selected – yielded absolutely no real results. So we have a feature that, in practice, only exists in the menu. Moving on to the quality of upscaling (scaling the image from a lower resolution to 4K), unfortunately, we have more bad news for you. The S Pro 2026 handles this task very poorly. Interestingly, the phenomenon of "overscan" (slight image cropping) is not a big issue here. The problem is that the TV simply displays a very raw, unprocessed image. Its attempt to upscale the signal to a higher resolution looks simply poor and lacks any "smart" enhancement. There is no denying it – the whole digital image processing is the true Achilles' heel of this model.

S90F really handles motion great – after all, it's an OLED with a 144 Hz panel, so sports and games look simply amazing on it. The picture is smooth, clear, and there's no room for ghosting or blurring that sometimes plagues cheaper LCDs.

The TV is also equipped with motion smoothing settings that allow you to tailor everything to your liking. We have motion blur reduction and judder reduction – you can set it up to make the picture super smooth (even to that soap opera effect), or more cinematic, with the classic "choppiness" of 24 frames. The choice is yours; Samsung doesn't impose anything.

On paper, the specification of the S Pro 2026 looks impressive. The television is equipped with a native 144 Hz panel, capable of displaying images up to 288 Hz in a dedicated gaming mode. These are amazing results, but what interested us the most, in the context of everyday use, was how the television handles motion blur and how the image looks at 120 Hz. After all, this is the frequency used today by consoles like PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and it is desired by sports fans. Generally speaking, the panel "holds up." The matrix is fast enough to meet these challenges, and objects displayed at native 120Hz fluidity are shown correctly. As for the software, the television is equipped with a motion smoothing system, but with a key caveat – it only works for input signals up to 60 Hz. This means it is mainly suitable for classic television, movies, and series. Thanks to this, we can adjust the fluidity of the image to our own preferences – from a very smooth, "theatrical" approach to setting the slider to "zero" and maintaining a fully cinematic character.

When it comes to gaming features – we have absolutely no complaints about the S90F. Aside from the lack of Dolby Vision, which is already the norm for Samsung. The TV operates at 144 Hz, has four HDMI 2.1 ports, so you can easily connect more than one console or PC. It also includes Game Bar – a practical tool that allows you to quickly preview picture settings, VRR status, ALLM mode, and other useful options. Game Motion Plus is also noteworthy – Samsung’s proprietary motion smoother, which uniquely works well in games. The image feels smoother without any artificial effects or slowdowns.

It’s also worth mentioning the HGiG feature, which – surprisingly – works correctly. We mention this because Samsung clearly broke something in one of its recent updates, and in some models, the option responsible for HGiG simply... disappears from the menu. Setting it becomes virtually impossible. Fortunately, our S90F unit did not have this issue, but the situation is dynamic, so it’s worth keeping this in mind and regularly checking for new software versions and information from the manufacturer.

For gamers, the Xiaomi S Pro 2026 is, on paper, an almost ideal proposition. It is equipped with two HDMI 2.1 ports, allowing us to unlock (although these options are somewhat hidden in the menu) the full suite of features: ALLM, VRR, and, crucially, the ability to work in 4K at 144 Hz. This last feature should particularly please owners of powerful PCs. The TV also has something akin to a gaming panel – and while it’s hard to call it a full-fledged "Game Bar," it does its job by displaying key information. It’s just a shame that in its default form, it covers a relatively large part of the screen.

However, our biggest issue with this model concerns how the S Pro 2026 handles gaming in HDR mode. To put it bluntly: it doesn’t handle it well. Due to the poorly implemented HGiG function (the HDR tone mapping standard for games), during the initial HDR calibration on the console, it’s very easy to "blow out" the image. If someone is unaware of this software flaw and follows the on-screen instructions, they will simply set the image incorrectly, with burnt-out details in bright areas. Another major problem is the Dolby Vision mode for gaming. While it does work, it generates such a high input lag that it becomes noticeable in dynamic titles. (All our latency measurements can be checked in the paragraph below). In summary: generally, it’s a really good screen for gamers, but with one small caveat. We would rather avoid HDR mode on it – unless we decide to manually adjust the brightness bar on the console "by eye," completely ignoring the instructions from the console's pictogram.