Samsung S95F QD-OLED vs the Competition: 2025's Ultimate TV Showdown

• Samsung’s New Brightness Champion: The 2025 Samsung S95F QD-OLED TV is significantly brighter than its predecessor (S95C/S95D), boasting peak HDR highlights around 2,000+ nits and an upgraded anti-reflective “Glare Free” screen that virtually eliminates reflections flatpanelshd.com superstoreelectronicsvt.com.
• QD-OLED vs WOLED Tech: The S95F’s quantum dot OLED panel delivers exceptionally vivid color and contrast, while LG’s flagship LG G4/G5 OLEDs use micro-lens array and new 4-stack WOLED panels to push OLED brightness to similar levels techradar.com techradar.com. Sony’s top 2025 OLED (Bravia 8 II) also uses QD-OLED tech, now 25% brighter than the Sony A95L theverge.com whathifi.com.
• Picture & Performance: Experts praise the S95F’s stunning picture quality – with inky blacks, “excellent brightness and color,” and class-leading HDR punch – calling it a “phenomenal OLED TV” for dark or bright rooms techradar.com t3.com. Its matte anti-glare screen makes daytime viewing easy, though in pitch-dark home theaters LG’s OLEDs retain a slight edge in absolute black level and shadow detail techradar.com techradar.com.
• Gaming Powerhouse: The S95F supports 4K gaming up to 165Hz with VRR (FreeSync Premium Pro and newly added G-Sync) on all four HDMI 2.1 ports superstoreelectronicsvt.com techradar.com. Input lag is extremely low (~9–10ms), and Samsung’s Game Bar hub offers easy access to console and cloud gaming apps. LG’s G4/G5 match many of these gaming features (4K@120–165Hz, VRR, ALLM) and even offer Dolby Vision gaming, while Sony’s A95L/Bravia 8 II cap out at 4K120 with only two HDMI 2.1 inputs whathifi.com techradar.com.
• Smart TV & Audio: Samsung’s latest Tizen 9.0 platform (with “Vision AI”) is faster and more refined than past versions, narrowing the gap with LG’s praised webOS interface techradar.com techradar.com. The S95F’s built-in audio (4.2.2 channel, 70W with Dolby Atmos and Object Tracking Sound+) delivers clear, punchy sound superstoreelectronicsvt.com superstoreelectronicsvt.com, though like most ultra-thin TVs it benefits from a soundbar for deep bass. LG’s G5 has a 4.2ch system with an AI upmix mode that impressed reviewers with its wide soundstage techradar.com techradar.com, while Sony’s OLEDs use vibrating Acoustic Surface actuators for precise dialogue placement whathifi.com whathifi.com.
• Design & Connectivity: The S95F features Samsung’s sleek Infinity One design – an ultra-slim panel (only ~0.4″ thick) with a separate One Connect box for all ports superstoreelectronicsvt.com superstoreelectronicsvt.com. This makes wall-mounting very clean and similar to LG’s “Gallery” design OLEDs (which mount flush to the wall, though the LG G-series hides its ports on the back). Unlike Sony’s thicker builds (the Bravia 8 II reuses the A95L’s chassis at ~3.4 cm thick to accommodate a heatsink and actuators) whathifi.com whathifi.com, the S95F is remarkably thin. All HDMI ports on Samsung and LG models are HDMI 2.1 48 Gbps, whereas Sony still provides only two 48 Gbps ports (the other two are HDMI 2.0) whathifi.com.

Samsung S95F at a Glance – QD-OLED Brilliance Unleashed

Samsung’s S95F is the third-generation QD-OLED 4K TV from Samsung, succeeding 2023’s S95C (and 2024’s S95D). It represents the pinnacle of Samsung’s OLED technology in 2025, combining a new panel with improved processing and features. Samsung Display’s latest QD-OLED panel in the S95F is significantly brighter than last year’s, enabling the S95F to deliver more impactful HDR highlights and better overcome ambient light flatpanelshd.com rtings.com. According to Rtings, “The Samsung S95F is an amazing TV for any usage”, noting it’s “a fantastic choice for a bright room thanks to its high peak brightness” and effective anti-glare screen screenscribe.net. The TV can produce dazzling specular highlights – measured around ~2,100 nits in calibrated modes (Filmmaker HDR) on a 10% window techradar.com – without losing the OLED advantages of perfect blacks and per-pixel contrast. (In vivid mode with a tiny window, the S95F can even spike close to 4,000 nits, per Samsung’s claims avforums.com, although real-world content won’t usually hit that.)

Another standout feature is Samsung’s new Ultra Glare-Free panel coating. The S95F uses a matte “OLED Glare Free 2.0” finish that “virtually eliminates reflections”, letting you watch even daytime sports or sun-lit scenes without mirror-like glare superstoreelectronicsvt.com. This is a big improvement over the semi-gloss screen of the S95C. As TechRadar explains, the anti-reflective layer diffuses reflections into a mild haze, so “lights or windows are no longer a distraction” superstoreelectronicsvt.com. The trade-off is a slightly raised black floor in very bright rooms – the coating can introduce a faint grayness to dark scenes under ambient light techradar.com. In a dark environment, however, the S95F retains the deep, inky blacks expected of OLED.

Under the hood, Samsung upgraded to the Neural Quantum 4K Gen3 processor (NQ4 AI Gen3) for 2025. This chipset uses 128 neural networks for AI upscaling and picture processing superstoreelectronicsvt.com superstoreelectronicsvt.com, compared to last year’s Gen2. It enables new features like AI-based 4K upscaling Pro, AI HDR Remastering (which analyzes SDR content scene-by-scene and boosts it to HDR-like quality) superstoreelectronicsvt.com, and Vision AI capabilities in Tizen (for enhanced content search, recommendations, and even on-screen object recognition). In practice, this means the S95F can take lower-resolution or standard dynamic range video and intelligently enhance it – e.g. sharpening older HD movies or adding HDR pop to SDR broadcasts superstoreelectronicsvt.com. The processor also powers advanced motion handling: Samsung’s Motion Xcelerator Turbo Pro 165Hz allows high frame-rate content and gaming up to 165Hz to display smoothly superstoreelectronicsvt.com. Fast action like sports text tickers and moving balls are clearer too, thanks to an AI Motion Enhancer Pro that reduces blur and judder on the fly superstoreelectronicsvt.com superstoreelectronicsvt.com.

In terms of audio, the S95F comes with a multi-speaker setup labeled Object Tracking Sound+ and Dolby Atmos support superstoreelectronicsvt.com. This means the TV’s speakers (including dedicated up-firing drivers on the 55″+ sizes samsung.com) attempt to create a 3D sound field, tracking on-screen objects – for example, making a helicopter’s sound pan across the screen. Reviewers note the S95F’s built-in audio is better than most ultra-thin TVs: it’s “clear, punchy and accurately positioned,” great with action scenes techradar.com. However, the bass can be underwhelming at times and the overall soundstage, while good, isn’t as expansive as a proper external system techradar.com techradar.com. Both Samsung and LG have partnered features (Q-Symphony for Samsung, WOW Orchestra for LG) that let the TV speakers integrate with a matching soundbar – something to consider for buyers who want fuller sound.

Finally, the design of the S95F is as premium as it gets. It inherits the “Infinity One” design language from the S95C: a nearly bezel-less panel that’s unbelievably thin (about 4mm at its thinnest point) superstoreelectronicsvt.com superstoreelectronicsvt.com. All connectors are housed in an external One Connect Box that attaches via a single slim cable, meaning you can wall-mount the screen with no clutter – just one near-invisible cable runs to the box (which you can hide in a cabinet). The S95F’s aesthetics are frequently praised; T3 Magazine gave it a Platinum Award and noted the “design elegance” and clean setup make it “the perfect blend” of form and function for a high-end home cinema t3.com t3.com.

In summary, Samsung’s S95F pushes OLED performance to new heights. It merges the vivid color and perfect blacks of QD-OLED with mini-LED-like brightness and an ingenious anti-glare matte screen to handle any viewing environment flatpanelshd.com superstoreelectronicsvt.com. Gaming features are class-leading, and the package is wrapped in a sleek design with cutting-edge smart features. Little wonder that reviewers call it “an untouchable all-rounder” among 2025 TVs t3.com, and an OLED TV of the Year contender. But competition hasn’t stood still – LG and Sony have their own flagships vying for the crown, each with different strengths. Below, we compare how the S95F stacks up against its top rivals in the high-end TV arena.

S95F vs S95C (and S95D): What’s Improved Since Last Year

Samsung’s previous 4K QD-OLED, the S95C (2023), was already an award-winning TV – it even earned the “TV of the Year 2023” in some shootouts techradar.com. In 2024, Samsung released a minor update as the S95D, but the S95F represents a more substantial leap. Here are the key improvements the S95F brings over the S95C/D:

• Higher Brightness: The S95F’s new panel and advanced cooling/processing allow much higher peak brightness. The S95C was measured around ~1,500 nits peak (on a 10% window HDR) in real-world modes. The S95D bumped that slightly (reports of ~1,650–1,700 nits) avforums.com. The S95F can reach ~2,100 nits in Filmmaker Mode HDR techradar.com, and up to ~4,000 nits in small highlights under optimal conditions avforums.com. This ~30%+ brightness boost makes HDR “more impactful” and helps the S95F “better overcome glare in a bright room” rtings.com.
• Anti-Glare Matte Screen: While the S95C had a glossy (though improved) anti-reflective coating, it could still show mirror-like reflections of lamps or windows. The S95F introduces the “OLED Glare Free 2.0” matte coating, which is a game-changer for bright-room viewing superstoreelectronicsvt.com. As Samsung puts it, you can “watch everything you love without distracting reflections” – even daytime sports or horror movies in a lit room won’t be spoiled by seeing yourself or the room in the screen superstoreelectronicsvt.com. This is a big upgrade, albeit with the slight caveat of raised blacks in bright light (the trade-off for diffusing reflections) techradar.com. Overall, it makes the S95F far more versatile outside of dark home theater environments.
• 165Hz & Gaming Features: The S95C already supported 4K144Hz and VRR on all four HDMI 2.1 ports – great for PC gamers and next-gen consoles. The S95F pushes this further to 4K165Hz (when connected to a capable PC) superstoreelectronicsvt.com. That’s an unusual number for TVs (common on high-end gaming monitors), and it gives ultra-smooth motion for those who can use it. Additionally, Samsung added NVIDIA G-Sync compatibility on the S95F techradar.com (previous models supported AMD FreeSync; now both major VRR standards are covered). The Game Bar interface on Tizen also received enhancements, and Samsung’s cloud gaming hub (with apps like Xbox Game Pass, GeForce Now, etc.) is built-in – something LG and Sony don’t integrate as deeply. In short, the S95F is one of the best TVs for gaming on the market, even compared to its predecessor.
• Processor & AI: The jump from the Neural Quantum Processor 4K Gen2 (in S95C/D) to Gen3 (in S95F) brings more computational power. Samsung cites 128 neural networks now superstoreelectronicsvt.com, enabling more advanced AI upscaling and new features like AI Picture Wizard, AI Sound Pro, etc. The result is improved upscaling clarity, better motion interpolation (with AI algorithms sharpening moving objects like sports text) superstoreelectronicsvt.com, and smarter adaptive picture settings. The Gen3 also powers “Samsung Vision AI” – new in 2025 – which, for example, can let you search for information about what’s on screen by circling an object (similar to Google Lens on phones) sammobile.com sammobile.com. These are incremental upgrades, but together they make the S95F feel more “futuristic” and snappy compared to last year’s model.
• Audio Improvements: The S95C already had an impressive 4.2.2 channel speaker system with 70W output and Object Tracking Sound+. The S95F refines this to OTS Pro with what Samsung calls “Adaptive Sound Pro” and “Active Voice Amplifier Pro” superstoreelectronicsvt.com superstoreelectronicsvt.com. Practically, it’s similar hardware, but the new AI processor helps isolate dialogue and adjust sound based on your room acoustics. Reviewers noted the S95F’s sound has “excellent detail” and clear positioning techradar.com, though they also mention it can be a bit bass-light or narrow at times techradar.com techradar.com. It’s a modest step up, but any improvement in ultra-thin TV audio is welcome. (Samsung also added support for the latest Q-Series soundbars – Q-Symphony 3.0 – to play TV and soundbar speakers in unison samsung.com.)
• Size Options: S95C was offered in 55, 65, and 77 inches. The S95F launches in 55″, 65″, 77″ and – for the first time – 83″ samsung.com flatpanelshd.com. This 83-inch model is unique: since Samsung’s QD-OLED panel production tops out at 77″, the 83″ S95F actually uses an LG-supplied WOLED panel (with LG’s “4-stack” OLED technology) flatpanelshd.com. In theory it delivers similar overall performance to the LG G5 83″ (and indeed has “similar peak brightness” but slightly lower color luminance than the QD-OLED sizes) rtings.com. The inclusion of an 83″ option is a big deal for those wanting an extra-large screen – previously, Samsung OLED buyers had to stop at 77″ or consider an 85″ Neo QLED instead. Now Samsung can directly challenge LG’s 83″ class OLEDs, even if it means partnering with a rival for the panel.
• Software & UI: Tizen 2025 (version 9.0) on the S95F has gotten a significant polish. Users have long preferred LG’s webOS for its slickness, but TechRadar notes “Samsung has fired back” with a much improved Tizen this year techradar.com techradar.com. The new UI offers a quick-access menu similar to webOS, smoother animations, and better personalization (including Samsung’s new AI-curated content guides). Samsung also promises 7 years of software updates for 2025 TVs superstoreelectronicsvt.com, which is reassuring for longevity. The S95C will get some of these updates too, but the S95F’s snappier processor means it will likely run them more smoothly.

Left: 2024’s Samsung S95D QD-OLED; Right: 2025’s Samsung S95F QD-OLED, demonstrating the “Evolution of OLED” in peak brightness and anti-reflection. The S95F’s image (right) appears punchier in highlights, even under strong lighting flatpanelshd.com flatpanelshd.com.

In side-by-side demos, the S95F clearly outshines the S95D/S95C in bright HDR scenes – for example, daylight shots and specular highlights have more “pop” on the S95F, approaching the territory of high-end LED TVs but with the perfect blacks intact. The new panel and coating also preserve color saturation better in high brightness; Samsung claims improved Quantum Dot color purity at extreme luminance. That said, if you already own an S95C or S95D, you’re still getting an outstanding picture. The differences, while notable, may not justify a one-year upgrade for everyone unless you specifically need the better anti-glare or are a hardcore gamer wanting 165Hz. As one AVForums member put it, “Stick with the S95D if you’re happy and don’t need the extra brightness or gaming refinements – but if you want the newest tech and watch in bright rooms, the S95F is the one to beat.” avforums.com avforums.com

Bottom line: The S95F meaningfully improves upon Samsung’s already excellent OLED formula. It’s brighter, more visible in daylight, a tad faster for gaming, and slightly better sounding – all wrapped in the same gorgeous design. Samsung took the criticism of last year’s model (glossy screen reflections, no Dolby Vision, etc.) and addressed what it could (the screen and processing, if not Dolby Vision due to Samsung’s HDR10+ stance). The result is a flagship that firmly keeps Samsung at the cutting-edge of OLED TV performance going into 2025.

S95F vs LG G4/G5 OLED – Battle of the Brightest

Samsung and LG have long been arch-rivals in the premium TV space, and 2025 is no exception. LG’s OLED TVs took a big leap in 2023 with the G3, which introduced Micro Lens Array (MLA) technology to boost brightness ~70% over previous OLEDs. In 2024, LG refined this in the LG G4, and for 2025 their flagship LG G5 OLED ups the ante again with a new panel that stacks multiple OLED layers (“tandem” 4-stack design) for even higher luminance techradar.com techradar.com. So how does Samsung’s QD-OLED approach in the S95F compare to LG’s latest WOLED innovations?

Brightness & HDR: Both the S95F and LG G5 are extraordinarily bright by OLED standards. In fact, in TechRadar’s lab measurements, the LG G5 slightly edged the S95F in peak highlight brightness – hitting ~2,268 nits vs 2,132 nits on a 10% HDR window (Filmmaker Mode) techradar.com. This is a virtually negligible difference in practice (within ~6%). Meanwhile, the S95F pulled ahead on full-screen brightness, sustaining ~390 nits fullscreen vs ~331 nits for the G5 techradar.com techradar.com. What this means: for small HDR highlights (fireworks, starfields, specular glints), both TVs can exceed 2,000 nits – an unprecedented level for OLED and enough to give HDR movies tremendous impact. The LG may be a hair brighter in tiny highlights, likely thanks to its Micro Lens + multi-layer design focusing more light forward techradar.com. For bright scenes that fill the screen (e.g. snowy landscape), the Samsung can sustain a bit more brightness, so it might look slightly more luminous for things like sports or bright outdoor daytime scenes techradar.com techradar.com. In essence, it’s a draw – these are the two brightest OLED TVs ever measured as of 2025, and any difference is content-dependent and minor.

Color & Contrast: This is where QD-OLED and WOLED have some inherent differences. QD-OLED (Samsung) uses quantum dots to emit pure RGB colors, which maintain color saturation better at high brightness. WOLED (LG) uses a white OLED stack with color filters (and now MLA) – historically, WOLED had slightly lower color volume at the extreme bright end and could exhibit some color washout in the brightest tones. The new 4-stack design in the G5, however, improves this by providing more luminance without relying on the white subpixel as heavily. In side-by-side tests, Samsung’s S95F showed marginally punchier, more intense color in some bright scenes, whereas LG’s G5 appeared a touch richer in mid-tones and near-blacks techradar.com techradar.com. TechRadar’s reviewer observed: “the S95F has bolder, brighter and punchier colors, [while] the G5’s are richer with more depth” techradar.com. Both covered essentially 100% of DCI-P3 color space (Samsung 100%, LG ~99.6%) techradar.com – practically identical techradar.com techradar.com. Contrast is effectively infinite on both (true black pixels). However, one interesting difference is how each handles shadow detail and black levels in ambient light. The S95F’s anti-glare matte screen can slightly lift black levels in a lit room (to counteract reflections, the panel’s blacks aren’t quite as pitch-dark unless you’re in a dark room) techradar.com techradar.com. The LG G5, with a more traditional glossy OLED screen (albeit with some anti-reflective coating), maintains perfect blacks in dark environments and doesn’t raise blacks in bright rooms – but it does reflect light sources more visibly techradar.com techradar.com. In a completely dark home theater, some reviewers felt the G5 had a slight advantage in the very darkest scenes, retaining nuanced detail where the Samsung could exhibit minor black crush or elevated black due to the coating techradar.com techradar.com. But in any scenario with ambient light, the Samsung lets you see dark scenes more clearly because it’s not fighting mirror-like reflections. It’s a fascinating trade-off: LG G5 for purist dark-room OLED image; Samsung S95F for versatility in mixed lighting techradar.com techradar.com.

Side-by-side comparison of the Samsung S95F (left) vs LG G5 (right) displaying a colorful image. Both flagship OLEDs exhibit spectacular color and contrast; the S95F’s quantum-dot OLED panel delivers slightly punchier brightness, while the G5’s 4-layer OLED panel produces deep, rich tones techradar.com techradar.com.

Anti-Glare vs Reflection: As touched on, the S95F uses a matte anti-glare screen, the only OLED TV to do so in 2025 (Samsung calls it “OLED Glare Free”). This gives it a huge advantage in bright rooms – you can watch a dark, moody movie like Nosferatu in a sunlit living room on the S95F and still discern details without seeing lamps reflected on the screen techradar.com techradar.com. On the LG G5, which has an improved but still glossy panel, those reflections would be more distracting in the same scenario (you might see yourself or windows in the dark scenes) techradar.com. The TechRadar test with Nosferatu confirmed that “the S95F’s OLED Glare Free screen is perfect for viewing in bright rooms… [while] the G5 does an OK job but there are still some reflections” techradar.com techradar.com. The catch: that matte layer on the S95F scatters some light, which can make very dark scenes look slightly gray if the room isn’t dark techradar.com. The G5’s approach was to “maintain black levels in bright rooms” via better filtering and MLA to boost brightness, but it “doesn’t solve the reflection issue” techradar.com techradar.com. So if you often watch with lights on or during the day, the Samsung is the clear winner – as one reviewer put it, “if you need an OLED for a really bright room, it’s the S95F all the way” techradar.com. If you watch mostly in a dark cave, you might prefer the slight black-level advantage of the LG.

HDR Formats: This is a philosophical divide: Samsung supports HDR10+ on the S95F, while LG supports Dolby Vision on the G4/G5 – neither supports the other’s format techradar.com techradar.com. Dolby Vision is more widely used (available on 4K Blu-rays and most streaming platforms), whereas HDR10+ is used on Amazon Prime Video and a few other sources techradar.com. Practically, this means the LG G5 can play Dolby Vision content with dynamic tone-mapping as intended (the S95F will default to basic HDR10 for those same titles), and the Samsung can leverage HDR10+ content with dynamic metadata (which the LG would play as static HDR10). Given Dolby Vision’s prevalence, many enthusiasts consider LG’s support an advantage. However, the impact is debatable – the S95F’s superior processing and brightness can still make HDR10 content (and HDR10+ content) look phenomenal. And conversely, the LG’s Dolby Vision IQ mode can maximize HDR on that set. In summary: LG G5 has Dolby Vision (no HDR10+), Samsung S95F has HDR10+ (no Dolby Vision) techradar.com techradar.com. If you have a large Dolby Vision UHD Blu-ray library or love Netflix (which favors Dolby Vision), LG’s format support might sway you; if you primarily watch Amazon Prime or local HDR files with HDR10+, Samsung’s format might show advantages. Both, of course, handle standard HDR10 and HLG just fine.

Gaming: Historically, LG’s OLEDs were the gold standard for gaming, with low input lag and four HDMI 2.1 ports. Samsung caught up and possibly overtaken in some respects. The S95F and LG G5 are very closely matched for gaming: both have four HDMI 2.1 ports that can do 4K120 (LG) or 4K165 (Samsung) with VRR, ALLM, and HGiG. Both now support AMD FreeSync Premium and the Samsung even adds NVIDIA G-Sync support techradar.com. Input lag on both is superb – measured ~9.5ms on S95F and ~9.2ms (with LG’s Boost mode) on G5 for 4K120, essentially a tie techradar.com techradar.com. LG offers Dolby Vision Gaming up to 4K120 (for the handful of games that support Dolby Vision on Xbox), whereas Samsung offers HDR10+ Gaming support (a newer standard with still limited content) techradar.com. Each TV also has its proprietary gaming menu overlay: LG’s Game Optimizer lets you tweak picture presets, latency, and VRR settings; Samsung’s Game Bar gives you quick view of frame rate, HDR, and access to game apps techradar.com techradar.com. TechRadar really liked Samsung’s Game Hub integration for cloud gaming (which LG lacks) techradar.com techradar.com. On balance, both are fantastic for console and PC gaming – truly state of the art. The Samsung’s slight edge in refresh rate and its comprehensive all-in-one game hub might appeal more to PC gamers and streamers, while LG’s support for Dolby Vision and slightly more mature game menu might appeal to console gamers. It’s worth noting Sony’s TVs, in contrast, only have two HDMI 2.1 ports and lack advanced gaming menus – so Samsung and LG clearly outgun Sony for gaming features whathifi.com.

Smart TV & OS: The LG webOS vs Samsung Tizen debate has swung back and forth. Many find webOS 25 (2025) on the G5 to be extremely polished – it has a user-friendly interface with a customizable home dashboard, quick settings, and AI recommendation features like AI Search and AI Concierge techradar.com techradar.com. WebOS is known for being intuitive and filled with apps (plus it now supports user profiles, better search, etc.). Samsung’s Tizen 9.0 on the S95F made big strides: it’s more responsive than past versions and includes a new quick-access bar and improved organization, to the point where “LG isn’t such a clear-cut winner anymore,” according to TechRadar techradar.com techradar.com. They still gave a slight nod to webOS for ease of use, but praised Tizen’s new customizable home and general smoothness techradar.com techradar.com. Both platforms have robust app stores and all the major streaming services. One difference: LG’s ThinQ AI vs Samsung’s SmartThings – each integrates the TV into their respective smart home ecosystems (voice assistants, IoT device control, etc.). Also, the LG comes with the “Magic Remote” which allows point-and-click (airmouse style) control, which some users love for navigating smart TV menus; Samsung’s remote is a more conventional directional pad (albeit solar-powered in 2025). Ultimately, both OS options are excellent now. If you prefer a slightly simpler layout and DV support baked in, webOS still holds an edge; if you like Samsung’s ecosystem and new features like Samsung TV Plus (free channels) and Vision AI search, Tizen will not disappoint. TechRadar’s verdict: “I do still prefer webOS, but S95F’s anti-glare screen is a game-changer… I can’t actually call a winner [between these TVs] since both are just that good” on features and smart platforms techradar.com techradar.com.

Design & Ergonomics: The LG G5 follows LG’s Gallery Series philosophy – it’s meant to be wall-mounted flush, and as such it does not include a traditional tabletop stand in the box (one can be purchased separately). It has an ultra-slim panel thickness, except for a slightly thicker section at the bottom that houses the inputs and internals. The Samsung S95F, by contrast, comes with a sleek center-mounted stand (low-profile) and can also be wall-mounted easily using the One Connect box to avoid cable clutter. In terms of aesthetics, both are minimalistic with very slim bezels. If mounted on a wall, the LG might look a bit cleaner (completely flat against the wall) while the Samsung needs a tiny gap for its slim One Connect cable. If on a stand, the Samsung’s included stand is convenient (and Samsung’s One Connect allows you to run a single cable down to a media cabinet), whereas the LG would require either buying the optional feet or using a universal stand. Build quality is premium on both; the LG G5 has a hard composite back designed to sit against wall mounts, and the Samsung has a brushed metal-like finish on its thin panel. One small note: LG’s 2025 remote controversially dropped the input selection button, which some users and What Hi-Fi pointed out as a quirk (LG expects users to use on-screen menus for inputs) techradar.com. Samsung’s remote has a more straightforward design with all necessary buttons (minus a number pad).

Price & Value: As of August 2025, LG’s G5 undercuts the Samsung S95F by a few hundred dollars in equivalent sizes. For example, the 65-inch LG G5 was recently around $2,199, whereas the 65-inch S95F was about $2,599 (Samsung initially launched at $3,299 for 65″) – roughly a $400 difference techradar.com techradar.com. The 55″ G5 similarly tends to be a bit cheaper than the 55″ S95F. Part of this is because LG aggressively priced the G5 to compete, and by late summer the LG has seen more discounts. Samsung’s brand power and that anti-glare tech command a premium, but we expect pricing to fluctuate – “these two will trade the title for lowest-priced flagship OLED throughout the year” as TechRadar notes techradar.com techradar.com. LG also offers a larger 83″ G5, whereas Samsung’s 83″ S95F (WOLED) is launching later in the year – those big sizes will likely be very expensive ($5k+ initially). It’s worth considering the LG G4 (2024) as well: it’s last year’s model but still outstanding (MLA panel, ~1,300–1,400 nits peak) and has dropped in price significantly, potentially offering flagship-level performance for much less if you catch a sale avforums.com. But between the current flagships, LG is positioning the G5 as slightly more value.

Verdict (Samsung vs LG): Both the Samsung S95F and LG G5 are at the top of their game, pushing OLED tech to new heights. In a head-to-head flagship OLED showdown, results can depend on usage conditions: For a bright, sun-lit living room or mixed lighting, the Samsung S95F often comes out on top – its glare-free screen and a tad higher full-field brightness give it the edge for daytime sports, gaming, and general use techradar.com techradar.com. For a dedicated dark theater room, the LG G5 might eke out a victory – its completely mirror-like blacks, slightly richer low-end contrast, and Dolby Vision support appeal to cinephiles. In terms of pure picture quality, one seasoned reviewer ultimately favored the G5 “by the slightest of margins” for its color profile and contrast preferences techradar.com techradar.com, but emphasized that “realistically, you won’t be disappointed with either TV” techradar.com techradar.com. Notably, Samsung won TV of the Year in 2023 and 2024, while LG won in 2022 techradar.com – the crown has traded back and forth. The S95F and G5 are likely to continue that fierce rivalry into 2025, each claiming victories in different reviews and awards.

For consumers, it might boil down to ecosystem and format preferences: Samsung if you value the anti-reflective tech, One Connect box, and use HDR10+/Tizen features; LG if you want Dolby Vision content at its best, slightly more polished smart interface, or already have an LG soundbar (for WOW Orchestra integration) etc. Either way, OLED fans have never had it better – as TechRadar put it, “we’re now getting the best picture quality, highest brightness and most complete feature sets to date” on these TVs techradar.com techradar.com.

S95F vs Sony A95L and Bravia 8 II – The Color Master vs the Brightness Beast

Sony entered the QD-OLED arena with the XR A95K in 2022 and followed up with the highly acclaimed XR A95L in 2023. The A95L in particular was crowned the “King of TV” in the 2023 Value Electronics Shootout (an expert calibration competition) theverge.com, thanks to its class-leading color accuracy and Sony’s video processing. By 2025, Sony has revamped its naming and lineup: the direct successor to the A95L is called the Sony Bravia 8 II OLED (part of a new Bravia series). The Bravia 8 II continues to use a Samsung QD-OLED panel but with Sony’s latest XR processor and some key tweaks to push performance further theverge.com whathifi.com. Let’s see how Samsung’s S95F compares with Sony’s current and previous flagship OLEDs.

Brightness & Panel: The Sony A95L (2023) used a second-gen QD-OLED panel with a heatsink, achieving peak brightness around ~1000 nits calibrated (notably brighter than LG’s WOLEDs of its time, but a bit below the Samsung S95C). Sony historically tunes its OLEDs more conservatively to preserve accuracy and panel life. The new Bravia 8 II (2025) ups the ante – Sony claims it is “125% the peak brightness of the A95L” theverge.com. That implies roughly a 25% increase, which should put it in the ballpark of 1300–1500 nits (perhaps more in Vivid mode). It also is 50% brighter than last year’s Bravia 8 W-OLED (the lower model), highlighting how much brighter QD-OLED is vs standard OLED with the same processing whathifi.com whathifi.com. In essence, the Bravia 8 II is Sony’s answer to the brightness race: it finally brings Sony’s OLEDs into the 1500-nit class alongside Samsung and LG’s latest. In fact, at a Sony demo, they showcased Bravia 8 II side-by-side with Samsung’s S95D (2024) and LG’s G4, and the Sony’s highlights were visibly more intense than before theverge.com theverge.com. Samsung’s S95F, however, still holds an absolute brightness edge – with its 2000+ nit capabilities, it’s likely the brightest of all in raw terms. The gap has narrowed significantly, though: whereas last year S95C was clearly brighter than A95L, this year S95F vs Bravia 8 II could be a close fight, with Samsung possibly ahead in peak nits but Sony catching up in sustained brightness thanks to its heatsink.

Where Sony tends to shine is tone mapping and color accuracy at high brightness. Sony’s XR processor, combined with their custom QD-OLED panel calibration, aims to maintain the creator’s intent even at those extreme brightness levels. They brag that the Bravia 8 II has the “most faithful reproduction of the professional monitor look” of any TV theverge.com. In testing, Sony impressed by preserving fine detail in bright highlights and not clipping or skewing colors – the A95L already was excellent at this, and the 8 II is even better with shadow detail and gradation whathifi.com whathifi.com. Sony also introduced an AI-powered scene analysis in the new XR processor, which dynamically optimizes each scene (beyond just HDR metadata) whathifi.com. The effect, as noted by What Hi-Fi, is that Bravia 8 II’s image has “so much more solid and three-dimensional” appearance, with volume and depth that really stand out whathifi.com whathifi.com. This is Sony’s secret sauce – not sheer luminance, but picture processing finesse that yields an extraordinarily realistic image.

Samsung’s S95F, by contrast, goes for the jugular in brightness and vibrancy. It may slightly crush some near-black detail (one con noted was minor black crush) techradar.com, prioritizing contrasty “pop”, whereas Sony will delicately tease out every detail in the shadows and highlights (Sony emphasizes “dark gradation” improvements) whathifi.com whathifi.com. In side-by-side comparisons with reference monitors, The Verge’s Sam Byford observed that in Filmmaker Mode, Sony’s Bravia 8 II delivered more accurate colors and less of a green tint in mid-tones than LG’s G4 or Samsung’s S95D theverge.com. He noted the Samsung and LG looked a bit off in that scenario while the Sony was closest to a $40,000 mastering monitor’s image theverge.com theverge.com. This underscores Sony’s focus on accuracy over outright vividness.

Color & HDR Format: All Sony OLEDs support Dolby Vision (like LG) but not HDR10+ (Sony has aligned with Dolby, and streaming apps on Sony TVs often highlight Dolby Vision content). So the Bravia 8 II and A95L can take advantage of Dolby Vision dynamic tone mapping on Netflix, Disney+, UHD Blu-rays, etc. Samsung’s S95F as mentioned foregoes Dolby Vision, favoring HDR10+. This is a philosophical difference that may or may not matter depending on your content. For example, HDR enthusiasts often note that Sony’s Dolby Vision picture is superb, but Samsung’s default HDR10 picture is also extremely good due to their own tone-mapping algorithms. Still, it’s a checkbox many look for – advantage Sony in format support (Sony also supports IMAX Enhanced HDR on some titles, though that’s basically HDR10 with a flag). In terms of color performance, the S95F and Sony Bravia 8 II both use QD-OLED panels from Samsung Display, so their color gamut is similarly wide (approaching 100% of BT.2020 color in saturation tests). Sony tends to ship their TVs very accurately calibrated out of the box (especially in modes like Custom or Dolby Vision Dark), whereas Samsung often defaults to a very vibrant look (which can be dialed back by using Filmmaker Mode for accuracy). The A95L was lauded for its calibration; What Hi-Fi says “just pick Dolby Vision Dark or Custom mode… and you are guaranteed a fantastically authentic picture” on the Bravia 8 II whathifi.com whathifi.com – it’s that user-friendly to get reference-level image. Samsung’s Filmmaker Mode on the S95F is also quite accurate, but Samsung tends to push a bit more brightness even in that mode to wow viewers.

Motion Processing: Sony has long been considered the king of motion. Their MotionFlow/XR OLED Motion techniques, when used moderately, can smooth out 24p judder or sports motion without significant artifacts. Samsung has improved its motion interpolation too (the S95F’s processor helps with smoothness, and it has features like LED Clear Motion (BFI) options). Hardcore videophiles may not use interpolation at all, but for those who do, Sony’s processing might appear a touch more refined with fewer soap-opera side effects. This is a subtle advantage, though – both brands handle motion well for an OLED, and both offer 120Hz BFI options if you want to improve motion clarity at the expense of some flicker.

Gaming: Here’s a notable difference: Sony’s A95L and Bravia 8 II are decent for gaming but not nearly as feature-packed as the S95F. Sony provides 4K120, VRR (generic and HDMI Forum VRR), ALLM, and has a ‘Perfect for PlayStation5’ tagline which includes auto HDR tone mapping with PS5 and a special low-lag Dolby Vision mode for gaming whathifi.com whathifi.com. However, Sony only gives you two HDMI 2.1 ports (one of which is often used by a soundbar/receiver if you have one, as it doubles as the eARC port) whathifi.com. In contrast, Samsung gives four HDMI 2.1 ports on the S95F – you could connect an Xbox Series X, PS5, high-end PC, and 4K Blu-ray all with full bandwidth. Also, Sony’s VRR range and support are fine but they don’t support AMD FreeSync or Nvidia G-Sync explicitly. Input lag on the A95L was around 17ms (4K60) and ~9ms (4K120) – very good, but Samsung does slightly better with ~5ms at 4K60 in Game Mode and ~9ms at 4K120. Sony also lacks a dedicated gaming dashboard overlay (though the Bravia models have recently added an on-screen gaming menu with some info and toggles in 2024/2025 updates). Moreover, Sony TVs still cannot do 4K at 144Hz or 165Hz; they stick to standard 120Hz. So if gaming is a priority, the S95F is a more robust choice. The one thing Sony has going is Dolby Vision gaming up to 4K60 on compatible games, but that’s a niche. Also, interestingly, Sony TVs have a feature called Auto Genre Picture Mode that optimizes picture when it detects you’re gaming vs watching video on PS5. Samsung doesn’t have a PlayStation partnership, but its Game Mode is excellent regardless of console.

Audio: Sony’s approach is unique – the A95L and Bravia 8 II use Acoustic Surface Audio+, meaning the OLED screen itself vibrates to produce sound. There are typically actuators behind the screen (two in the A95L/8 II for stereo) and additional subwoofers in the chassis. This gives the effect of voices and sounds emanating directly from the screen image, which is very immersive and ties audio to picture exceptionally well whathifi.com whathifi.com. The A95L/8 II were praised for “sounding direct, detailed and dynamic” whathifi.com with surprisingly good clarity and imaging. They do support Dolby Atmos decoding, and can even use the TV as a center channel in a surround setup via the Center Sync feature with compatible Sony soundbars/receivers. However, because they lack dedicated up-firing speakers, the Atmos effect is only virtual (no true height channels) whathifi.com. Bass is decent but not very deep (even with twin woofers, they are still slim TVs) whathifi.com. Samsung’s S95F, as discussed, has a more traditional multi-speaker array (4.2.2 channels with top speakers for Atmos) superstoreelectronicsvt.com. In pure audio quality, they are both above average for TVs. The S95F might produce more surround “width” thanks to the up-firing drivers, while the Sony produces uncanny directionality and screen-centric sound thanks to the vibrating panel. Both are still no match for a good external sound system. It’s a matter of preference – Sony’s solution is elegant for immersiveness; Samsung’s is powerful for a TV and integrates well with Samsung soundbars (Q-Symphony). Neither brand’s flagship built-in audio will disappoint in casual use, but if you want cinematic sound, you’d likely add a soundbar or speakers regardless.

Overall Picture Quality: Let’s consider the Sony A95L vs Samsung S95F first. The A95L was arguably the best-looking TV in 2023 for mixed usage – it produced reference-level images, had Dolby Vision, and Sony’s processing handled everything brilliantly out of the box. Its only shortcoming was that Samsung’s S95C (and now S95F) could go brighter, especially in vivid HDR scenes. Many felt the A95L image was a touch dimmer but very refined, whereas Samsung’s was flashier. Now with Samsung S95F boosting brightness further and Sony 8 II also boosting brightness, they’re converging. According to What Hi-Fi’s comparison, the Bravia 8 II (Sony) is “clearly the better TV” compared to the A95L – “brighter, more shadow detail, and an absolute cinch to get looking its best… processing more advanced too, and sound just as brilliant” whathifi.com. In other words, the Sony Bravia 8 II fixed the few areas where A95L lagged (it’s brighter and even easier to set up). So against the S95F, the Bravia 8 II presents a formidable challenge: it narrows the brightness gap considerably and might even surpass the Samsung in some calibrated scenarios, given Sony’s tendency to not over-brighten content artificially but extend dynamic range carefully.

The Verge highlighted that in Sony’s demo with S95D and LG G4, the Bravia 8 II produced more accurate, neutral colors (LG looked a bit greenish by comparison, Samsung presumably more blue/cool) theverge.com theverge.com. This speaks to one key difference: Samsung’s image tends to be more intensely vibrant out-of-the-box, whereas Sony aims for mastering monitor accuracy. If you put the S95F in Filmmaker or calibrated mode, it also can be very accurate, but Sony still has the edge in color fidelity and gradation handling by a small margin. One might say: Samsung gives you the flashier HDR spectacle, Sony gives you the artist’s intended picture. That was certainly the case last year and likely holds true now, though the gap is smaller than ever.

In terms of design and user experience, Samsung offers the sleeker hardware (One Connect box, thinner panel). Sony’s A95L/8 II design is actually relatively thick (3.4 cm) due to the integrated heatsink and actuators whathifi.com. It has chunky but stylish blade stands on the sides (adjustable height). Sony’s remote was even downgraded in 2025 (Bravia 8 II remote lost backlight and went battery instead of rechargeable) whathifi.com whathifi.com – a minor thing, but a sign that Samsung’s package feels a bit more premium and modern in some ways. However, Sony’s focus is on the picture quality and cinematic experience, and many home theater enthusiasts love their approach.

Price & Availability: The Sony A95L launched late (Q4 2023) at high prices ($2,799 for 65″, $3,999 for 77″). By mid-2025, it’s still a top TV, but stock may be limited as the Bravia 8 II rolls out. Sony announced the Bravia 8 II in April 2025 theverge.com, saying it would be cheaper than the A95L’s launch price (exact pricing TBA at that time) theverge.com theverge.com. If Sony indeed prices it slightly lower, they are likely trying to stay competitive with Samsung. Still, Sony’s OLEDs tend to be pricey – presumably in the same ballpark as Samsung’s or a bit more. For example, if the S95F 65″ was $3,299 at launch, Sony might come in at $3,000 or similar to undercut slightly. We’ll have to see actual retail pricing. One should also note Sony only offers 55″, 65″, and 77″ in these models (no 83″ QD-OLED from Sony yet, since they don’t mix panels like Samsung did). Meanwhile, Samsung has the flexibility of sizes and possibly more aggressive discount cycles.

Verdict (Samsung vs Sony): If you’re a cinephile who values reference picture accuracy, Sony’s A95L/Bravia 8 II is extremely appealing – with Dolby Vision support, meticulous color tuning, and industry-leading processing that makes film content look “fantastically authentic” whathifi.com whathifi.com. It’s the kind of TV that wowed professional calibrators and won shootout events due to its balanced, true-to-life image. On the other hand, if you want the brightest, most impactful HDR visuals and plan to do a lot of gaming or daytime viewing, Samsung’s S95F may be the better pick. It’s brighter, handles ambient light better, has more gaming features, and no concerns of missing HDMI ports or format support for HDR10+ content.

Vincent Teoh (HDTVTest) and other experts often say picking between these flagship OLEDs comes down to use-case: For a mixed-use living room that doubles for gaming and streaming, Samsung is hard to beat; for a dedicated movie room where accuracy (and Dolby Vision) matters, Sony (or LG) might win out. It’s also worth noting that Samsung does not support 3D audio formats like DTS:X passthrough, whereas some Sony TVs do (for those with high-end audio setups). Additionally, Sony integrates Calman Ready auto-calibration for enthusiasts – Samsung does too, but historically Sony’s had an edge in out-of-box accuracy meaning casual users get a great image without tweaking.

At the end of the day, Samsung and Sony’s QD-OLEDs are more alike than different – both leverage the same fundamental panel tech and push OLED performance beyond what we thought possible a few years ago. The differences lie in philosophy: Samsung drives innovation in gaming, brightness and design, while Sony leverages its Hollywood expertise to deliver the most cinematic image.

To quote What Hi-Fi?, after reviewing the Bravia 8 II vs A95L: “The Bravia 8 II is clearly the better TV [than A95L]. It is brighter, has more shadow detail and is an absolute cinch to get looking its best… and the sound quality is just as brilliant” whathifi.com. That suggests Samsung’s toughest competitor in 2025 will be this Bravia 8 II, since it nullifies some of Samsung’s former advantages in brightness while preserving Sony’s strengths. Until we see them head-to-head, it’s hard to call a definitive winner – but one thing is sure: OLED fans win when Samsung, Sony, and LG are all pushing each other.

Mini-LED and Other High-End TV Alternatives in 2025

While OLED (whether QD-OLED or WOLED) dominates the conversation for absolute picture quality, there are a few other classes of high-end TVs to consider – namely Mini-LED LCD TVs and even emerging MicroLED technology. Samsung itself continues to produce top-tier Neo QLED (Mini LED) TVs, and other brands like TCL and Hisense are also innovating with Mini-LED. How does the S95F compare to these, and what new releases are on the horizon?

Samsung Neo QLED Flagships: If you prioritize extreme brightness and no risk of image retention, a flagship Mini-LED like Samsung’s QN900C (2023) or the new QN990F (2025) might catch your eye. These 8K Mini-LED TVs can reach eye-searing peak brightness – often 2,000–4,000 nits in small highlights – exceeding even the S95F avforums.com avforums.com. They use thousands of backlight zones to boost contrast. For example, Samsung’s QN990F is an 8K set launching in 2025 that uses a wireless One Connect box (first of its kind) and an edge-lit Mini-LED array with an astonishing number of dimming zones flatpanelshd.com flatpanelshd.com. It’s said to have the same NQ4 Gen3 processor as the S95F avsforum.com and focuses on convenient installation with no video cable (only a power cord to the panel) flatpanelshd.com. Mini-LED sets excel in bright environments – they often have anti-glare coatings and can sustain very high full-screen brightness (like 1000 nits across the screen, something OLEDs can’t do for long due to ABL). They’re great for vivid HDR in well-lit rooms or for very large sizes (since you can get 85″, 98″ Mini-LEDs more easily). However, even the best Mini-LEDs still suffer some blooming/haloing (light leakage around bright objects on dark backgrounds) – an area where OLED has a clear advantage (each pixel is independent). They also usually have worse viewing angles (colors can shift off-axis) unless special filters are used. So, a set like Samsung’s QN990F might be the choice for someone who watches a lot in bright conditions or wants an 85″+ screen with uncompromised HDR highlights (and doesn’t mind paying a fortune for 8K). But for pure home theater in dark rooms, the S95F will deliver a more uniform, artifact-free image with perfect blacks.

Other Brands’ Mini-LEDs: TCL and Hisense have been making waves with high-brightness, zone-dense Mini-LED TVs at aggressive prices. For instance, TCL’s 2024 flagship (e.g. TCL X955 in some regions) reportedly has over 5,000 dimming zones and can exceed 2,000 nits. Hisense’s UX model (also known as U8K 75″ Anniversary Edition) uses over 5,000 zones and hits ~1500–2000 nits. These are very impressive on paper and can challenge OLEDs in bright-room performance. However, they often can’t match the per-pixel contrast finesse of OLED – even with many zones, you might see slight halos and the black level is not a true zero (more like an extremely dark gray in challenging scenes). They also may not reproduce cinematic color as accurately as a QD-OLED like S95F, especially in dark scenes where local dimming might crush some details. Still, if one’s use case is 50% daytime TV watching or if you want say a 100-inch display (some new Mini-LED TVs coming in 98-100″ sizes at relatively affordable prices compared to OLED), these are compelling.

MicroLED: The true next-gen tech, MicroLED, promises the best of both worlds – OLED-like per-pixel emissive contrast with LED-like brightness and no burn-in. Samsung has shown prototypes and even sells ultra-expensive MicroLED sets (like The Wall). In 2025, Samsung introduced a slightly more “accessible” 76″ MicroLED CX model – though “accessible” is relative, as it still costs tens of thousands of dollars. MicroLED currently is a luxury showcase, not a mainstream product. By August 2025, no MicroLED is directly competing in the consumer market with S95F in terms of price. But it’s worth mentioning as an upcoming high-end TV technology: perhaps in a few years, MicroLED TVs will be more common. They would offer incredible brightness (2000+ nits) with no risk of burn-in and modular scalability. For now, though, if you’re shopping high-end TVs, you’re likely looking at OLED or Mini-LED LCD.

Other OLED Brands: Outside of Samsung, LG, Sony – Panasonic and Philips also make flagship OLED TVs (using LG’s panels often with their own twists like heatsinks or custom processing). For example, Panasonic’s 2023 flagship MZ2000 used an MLA OLED panel with a heatsink, achieving similar ~1500 nit performance as LG G3, but tuned for reference accuracy (Panasonic is renowned for color grading monitors and they tune their TVs similarly). Philips’ OLED+908 (2024) also used the MLA “META” panel and added their Ambilight and Bowers & Wilkins sound integration. These sets often compete in Europe/UK markets; Panasonic even offers features like Filmmaker Mode with ambient sensing, etc., to optimize picture. If you’re in a region where those are sold, they are definitely among the “high-end TVs” to consider. However, in many regions (like North America), Samsung, Sony, and LG are the primary players.

Notably, Panasonic and Philips also planned 2024/2025 models with the new LG “META” 4-stack panel (similar to LG G5’s tech). For instance, Panasonic’s 2024/25 model (maybe the MZ2100 or MX series) likely uses that panel plus their HCX Pro AI processor. These can often equal LG’s brightness but with color tuning that some purists love. Again, region availability is a factor.

Upcoming Releases & News: As of August 2025, most manufacturers have revealed their lineup for the year. Here are some highlights of recent news in the TV world relevant to this topic:

• Samsung: In addition to the S95F OLED, Samsung launched the S90F and S85F OLED models as cheaper alternatives (these use slightly lower-spec QD-OLED panels or older processors – e.g. S85F uses Gen2 processor – and they lack the ultra anti-glare coating) samsung.com sammobile.com. Samsung also introduced The Frame Pro (2025) with a new wireless One Connect and even a Mini-LED edge-lit backlight to improve its picture flatpanelshd.com flatpanelshd.com. For 8K fans, the QN990F Neo QLED 8K is the flagship, featuring the wireless box and likely insane brightness with over 15K miniLEDs. Samsung’s also continuing to tease MicroLED in more sizes (a 92″ and 76″ were shown). No new 8K OLED from Samsung yet – they remain focused on 4K QD-OLED for now.
• LG: LG’s 2025 OLED lineup will include the LG G5 (discussed) and C5 series using the new META panel in various trims. There’s buzz about an LG M4 wireless OLED (successor to 2023’s 97″ wireless M3 OLED) possibly in smaller sizes, which would integrate a wireless HDMI transmitter so you can hang a completely cable-free OLED on the wall. LG also continues with QNED Mini-LED TVs (their LCD line), but those haven’t matched Samsung’s popularity. On the cutting edge, LG demonstrated a 27″ 240Hz OLED gaming monitor and other new form-factors at trade shows, hinting at how OLED tech is branching out.
• Sony: Sony’s 2025 Bravia lineup update not only brought the Bravia 8 II (QD-OLED) but also a new Bravia 8 (WOLED) which is basically a carry-over of A80L, and a surprise in the Bravia 9 series – there are rumors of a BRAVIA 9 being a higher model possibly microLED or something exotic, but details are scarce (Rtings listed a placeholder “Sony BRAVIA 9” which might be a concept or a future Mini-LED 8K model) rtings.com. Sony also launched the Bravia 5 series, a midrange 4K TV using Mini-LED for the first time in that segment (replacing the X90L FALD with a Mini-LED backlight for better contrast) theverge.com. And interestingly, Sony showed off a prototype of “Sony’s new RGB backlight tech” that, according to The Verge, “absolutely smokes regular Mini LED” theverge.com – this might be a reference to their Backlight Master Drive evolution or a dual-layer LCD approach (something to keep an eye on, though not a product yet).
• TCL/Hisense: These brands continue to offer quasi-flagship performance at lower costs. TCL’s 2025 models (like the QM8E or X-series) might bring even more zones or perhaps the first QLED (quantum dot) with dual-panel LCD for better blacks. Hisense showed a prototype Laser OLED (combining OLED with a laser phosphor??) but that’s early tech. They also have their ULED X which in 2024 was a tech showcase of 8K MiniLED with 20,000 zones.

In short, the high-end TV landscape in 2025 is incredibly exciting and dynamic. Samsung’s S95F is at the forefront, but LG and Sony have answered with formidable contenders. Meanwhile, Mini-LED LCD TVs offer an alternative path to high brightness and big sizes, and looming on the horizon are MicroLED sets that could one day dethrone both. For now, however, the consensus among experts is that the best overall picture quality still comes from these flagship OLEDs.

Conclusion – Which TV Should You Choose?

If you’re shopping for a no-compromise television in late 2025, the Samsung S95F QD-OLED should be on your shortlist. It represents the cutting-edge of Samsung’s display tech, combining the strengths of OLED (perfect blacks, wide viewing angles, superb contrast) with the brightness and color of quantum dots and some of the anti-reflection tricks learned from LCD TVs. Reviewers have heaped praise on it: T3’s Mike Lowe calls it “the pinnacle of OLED technology” and “an untouchable all-rounder” t3.com, and TechRadar similarly gave it five stars, highlighting its “stunning picture quality, high brightness, and rich contrast,” with the anti-glare screen allowing OLED to “work in any room” techradar.com. Rtings.com flatly says it’s “an amazing TV for any usage” screenscribe.net. Those are high commendations.

However, being a savvy consumer means looking at the competition: LG’s OLEDs have never been better, with the G4/G5 pushing brightness to new highs and offering features (like Dolby Vision) that Samsung lacks. Sony’s OLEDs bring reference-grade image processing and cinematic accuracy that might appeal to movie enthusiasts. And high-end Mini-LED TVs can outright wow you with brightness in a bright living room or for giant-sized screens.

To distill the advice:

• Samsung S95F – Best for bright-room viewers and gamers who want the brightest OLED and cutting-edge features. You get a premium design (One Connect, ultra-slim), top-notch gaming support (165Hz, ALLM, 4x HDMI 2.1), and a screen that performs in any lighting. Downsides: No Dolby Vision, and it’s priced at a premium (though likely to fall during sale seasons). Expert quote: “Excellent brightness and color… One Connect box is a great addition,” notes TechRadar techradar.com, though they flag the minor “black crush in places” and lack of Dolby Vision as cons techradar.com.
• LG G4/G5 – Best for a balance of very high brightness and comprehensive format support in a home theater context. The G5 in particular with its 4-stack panel is a technical marvel, yielding “exceptional brightness and color” with “excellent black tones even in brighter light,” as TechRadar’s James Davidson writes techradar.com techradar.com. It’s also a bit more affordable for similar performance. Downsides: Still some glare in bright rooms, no HDR10+ (but Dolby Vision instead), and LG’s focus on wall-mount design might not suit everyone’s setup.
• Sony A95L / Bravia 8 II – Best for purists who want movies to look as they would on a mastering monitor, and who might be using a dark room. Sony’s set will give you exquisite color accuracy, great upscaling, and the benefit of Dolby Vision for content that supports it. Plus, the Acoustic Surface sound and Google TV smart system are strong points. Downsides: Generally the most expensive, fewer gaming features, only 2 HDMI 2.1 ports, and not as bright as Samsung in absolute terms (though the new 8 II closes the gap). What Hi-Fi says the Bravia 8 II “has more shadow detail” and the “most faithful” image reproduction whathifi.com theverge.com – it could be the connoisseur’s choice.

For those open to non-OLED options: A top-tier Samsung Neo QLED (like QN95C or QN90D 4K, or QN900C/QN990F 8K) might be ideal if your environment is sun-filled or you want an extremely large screen. You’ll get unmatched brightness, and no worries of burn-in if you leave news or sports on all day. But in dark room performance, even the best Mini-LED will show a bit of blooming and won’t have the same uniformity in blacks as these OLEDs.

In terms of value, if you find a deal on last year’s models (like LG G3/G4 or Samsung S95C/D or Sony A95L), know that you’re still getting something very close to the bleeding edge – 2024 models were already phenomenal. The 2025 iterations are iterative improvements (except perhaps LG’s jump to 4-stack in G5, which is notable). Sometimes you can save a lot by opting for a year-old flagship with 90% of the performance of the new one.

To conclude, there’s never been a better time to be a TV enthusiast. The Samsung S95F exemplifies how far display tech has come – a few years ago, an OLED this bright and versatile was unimaginable. Now it’s reality, and it’s facing off against equally impressive innovations from LG and Sony. As always, consider your room, the content you watch, and your priorities (be it gaming, movies, or general use). If possible, view these TVs in person – some people prefer the subtlety of Sony’s image, others the punch of Samsung’s, others the vibrancy of LG’s.

Rest assured, all these high-end sets deliver jaw-dropping picture quality that will make 4K HDR content truly shine. Whether Samsung’s S95F is “the best TV of 2025” will ultimately depend on personal preference – but it’s certainly a contender for that title, and it pushes its rivals to be better as well. As one expert succinctly put it: “This is the definition of a premium TV” techradar.com.

Sources for further reading: For detailed reviews and measurements, check out Rtings’ deep-dive reviews (e.g. Samsung S95F OLED Review rtings.com, Sony Bravia 8 II Review rtings.com), TechRadar’s hands-on comparisons techradar.com techradar.com, and Vincent Teoh’s HDTVTest YouTube channel for visual comparisons. These will give you an even more granular look at how these TVs perform and differ. Happy viewing!

Sources:

• FlatpanelsHD – “Samsung launches S95F QD-OLED flagship…” (R. Larsen, Apr 15, 2025) flatpanelshd.com flatpanelshd.com
• TechRadar – “Samsung S95F vs LG G5: which flagship OLED TV to buy” (J. Davidson, Aug 2, 2025) techradar.com techradar.com techradar.com techradar.com
• TechRadar – Samsung S95F Review (J. Davidson) techradar.com techradar.com
• T3 – “Samsung S95F review: most tantalising TV of the year” (M. Lowe, Jul 3, 2025) t3.com t3.com
• What Hi-Fi – “Sony Bravia 8 II vs A95L” (2025) whathifi.com whathifi.com whathifi.com
• The Verge – “Sony’s new Bravia lineup… ‘King of TV’ successor” (S. Byford, Apr 2, 2025) theverge.com theverge.com
• Rtings.com – Samsung S95F OLED Review (2025) rtings.com
• Rtings.com – Sony BRAVIA 8 II OLED Review (2025) rtings.com.