Samsung announces new entry-level OLED TVs — likely with LG panels inside

In its quest to carve out a chunk of the OLED TV market, Samsung has, until now, focused on the premium end with impressive QD-OLED models. But today, Samsung announced the entry-level S85D series of OLED TVs, bringing the fight to LG Electronics at lower price points as well.

And here’s the interesting thing: these sets almost certainly include OLED panels manufactured by LG Display. Samsung placed a big order for them last year to help meet its production needs, establishing a business alliance that would’ve been unthinkable in the not-too-distant past.

The S85D comes in 55-inch ($1,699.99), 65-inch ($2,099.99), and 77-inch ($3,399.99) sizes — and inevitably, you’ll be able to nab them for less once retailers start discounting the lineup.

Digital Trends asked Samsung about the source of the panels in its entry-level OLED TVs, and the company responded with a total nonanswer, saying, “Samsung OLED TVs consistently offer a premium experience while delivering excellent viewing performance powered by our NQ4 AI Gen2 processor, regardless of the specific panels that are integrated into the product.”

So Samsung is suggesting that it doesn’t matter who’s making the panels since you’ll be getting all the same upscaling and image processing benefits available from its higher-end QD-OLEDs. That also means that, per usual, these TVs lack Dolby Vision support — unlike LG’s OLED family. But hey, you do at least get a native Xbox cloud gaming app on Samsung’s Tizen OS platform, which LG can’t (yet) say it does. And all four HDMI ports can hit 120Hz; I’m glad that’s finally becoming table stakes for TVs in this price range.

But there’s no mention of quantum dot color with these models; Samsung is instead highlighting that they offer “Pantone-validated colors” plus “pure blacks and bright whites.” That sure makes it sound like the company is using traditional WOLED panels for the S85D to hit its desired price points.