Here's When New Model TVs Come Out In 2023
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For the average American household, TVs continue to be central to entertainment at home, even with the shift towards higher consumption of media on smartphones. One out of four TVs in the U.S. is now seven years or older, which is longer than the average duration before Americans replace their TVs. This marks the beginning of a new refresh cycle for television sets in the U.S.
If you are among the folks looking to replace your older TV in 2023, or just looking to buy a new one anyway, it makes sense to wait until new models are released this year. This will help you choose a TV model with the latest technology, or bag great discounts for previous years' models. The new crop of TVs launching in 2023 has various display technologies — from QD-OLED to high-end LEDs, various software quirks, and improvements on the chip level to improve overall entertainment and gaming experiences.
Samsung refreshes premium OLED and QLED lineups
Samsung's popularity is represented by its largest share in the global TV market, where it accounts for over half of premium TV sales, including OLED and QLED TVs. Earlier this year, Samsung launched two high-end QD-OLED TV models in the U.S. — the Samsung S95C and S90C — with a massive screen size of up to 77 inches. The absolute top-of-the-line TVs use 4K OLED displays with a 144Hz refresh rate and a quantum dot array for better colors with the OLED's contrast.
Despite similar displays, the S95C features a slimmer profile with a "One Connect box" that runs all connections to the TV, while being hidden away in a nearby unit or storage. It also accompanies a 4.2.2 channel (four speakers, two sub-woofers, and two overhead speakers) surround sound setup with Dolby Atmos. The S90C, in contrast, lacks the One Connect box and comes with a 2.2.2 Dolby Atmos surround sound setup. Prices for the 55-inch S90C start at $1,799.99 and go up to $4,499.99 for the more premium S95C.
Additionally, Samsung's Neo QLED TV range also gets new 8K models, including the flagship QN900C with a 144Hz 8K Mini LED-based QLED display. For nearly $7,500, you get a 6.2.4 channel sound setup to complement the massive 85-inch display, while smaller 65-inch and 75-inch models start at $4,799.99. The Samsung QN800C 8K QLED TV offers similar features but with slightly less premium 4.2.2 audio and a somewhat dimmer display.
New Frame, affordable CU series to launch soon
At CES 2023, Samsung also showcased new TVs with microLED technology, succeeding The Wall series. Just like OLEDs, microLEDs are individually backlit instead of using a singular backlight for the entire panel — which renders better contrast and colors on microLED TVs as compared to standard LED, QLED, or Mini LED displays. Samsung's upcoming microLED TVs will start from 76 inches, and go up to 140 inches. All variants will have a minimum refresh rate of 120Hz, while the most premium "CX" variants will have a refresh rate of up to 240Hz.
These microLED TVs are expected to hit the market in the second half of 2023, but may be far from affordable given that these sets are targeting luxury experiences such as an in-home movie theater.
Samsung's Frame TVs, which display famous artworks when not in use, have also been revealed for 2023. Although there are no significant changes over the 2022 models, Samsung offers additional frame customization, including new metallic bezels beside the wooden ones. The Frame 2023 series has been launched in the U.K. and should be headed to the U.S. in the coming months, considering a new 32-inch model was revealed for the U.S. in May.
Further, Samsung will also announce new CU7000, CU8000, and CU8500 LED TVs for buyers on a limited budget.
LG's full wireless OLED TV arrives in late 2023
LG has a significant share in the premium TV market after Samsung, and its 2023 lineup looks even more promising. It includes the unique OLED Flex, a 42-inch TV that can be curved with a press of a button on the remote. There are 20 different levels of curvature on the $2,500 TV, making it worthy of the "Flex" name.
Another interesting concept is LG's M3 OLED TV which was also exhibited at CES 2023. The M3 is LG's fully wireless TV that can operate without any cables. Any peripheral is hooked to a "Zero Connect" box that can be placed up to 30 feet from the screen. The TV is expected to come in 77-inch, 83-inch, and 97-inch sizes in the second half of 2023.
Another premium model — the G3 — headlines LG's lineup of wired OLED TVs, and comes with Micro Lens Array (MLA) technology that involves using a mesh of tiny lenses to improve the sharpness of each pixel. It also uses a heatsink to prevent heat from building up inside the chassis, and LG claims the TV reaches a high brightness of over 2,000 nits. The LG G3 OLED is already available in 55-inch, 65-inch, 77-inch, and 83-inch models, with prices ranging between $2,299.99 and $6,499.99.
LG's cleaner webOS arrives with 2023 models
In addition, LG's C3 OLED gets a bright display similar to G3 in terms of the display, but without a heatsink or MLA technology. The B3 OLED is a slightly toned-down version of the G3, but also comes with a 120Hz panel and HDMI 2.1. Lastly, the A3 is more affordable, but it is limited to a 60Hz panel and HDMI 2.0.
LG's QNED85 2023 now gets a Mini LED panel, joining more premium 8K models in the QNED series. Meanwhile, relatively affordable QNED variants, namely QNED80 and QNED75, have also been refreshed for 2023 — but still have QLED panels.
On the software front, LG is making major changes to its webOS TV operating system, which gets a new interface with better sorting options. Instead of placing all apps and menu options in a single scrollable row, webOS 23 allows users to group menu options into "Quick Cards" to declutter the home screen.
Sony's largest QD-OLED added to its 2023 portfolio
Unlike Samsung and LG, Sony shied away from major TV announcements at CES 2023, but announced a broad portfolio of Bravia XR TVs later in March 2023.
The leading model in this range is the Sony A95L QD-OLED TV, which is Sony's first QD-OLED to come in a 77-inch size. Notably, it uses the same panel as the Samsung S95C discussed earlier. Besides the larger unit, the A95L also comes in 65-inch and 55-inch models, and is claimed to be twice as bright as Sony's previous-gen flagship QD-OLED TV. Sony also offers a relatively affordable A80L OLED TV in 55-inch, 65-inch, 77-inch, and 83-inch models, starting at $1,899.99.
In addition to OLED, Sony's lineup for 2023 also includes the X93L — a high-end Mini LED TV. It is available in 65-inch, 75-inch, and 85-inch models priced up to $4,999.99. In addition, the more premium X95L gets better contrast with 20% more dimming zones than the X93L. Lastly, the X90L is Sony's full-array LED 4K TV, available in sizes between 55 and 98 inches, with prices starting at $1,199.99.
All the Sony TVs listed above come with "Cognitive Processor XR," which enhances HDR, improves color reproduction and can upscale lower-resolution content to 4K.
TCL's larger-than-life, 98-inch Mini LED TV
TCL is a brand that offers good value for money and recently launched its QLED TV range, including the flagship QM8, in May 2023. The QM8 features a Mini LED display with a quantum dot array, offering a peak brightness of 2,000 nits. It comes in 65-inch, 75-inch, 85-inch, and 98-inch models, with prices ranging between $1,699.99 and $9,999.99.
The QLED range also includes Q7 QLED TV, which features a 120Hz refresh rate panel, just like the QM8. Additionally, the TV's software features can upscale streams from gaming consoles to 240 FPS (frames per second) with the Game Accelerator mode. The Q7 range starts at $749.99 for the 55-inch model and goes up to $2,199.99 for the 85-inch model. Meanwhile, the Q6 with a 60Hz 4K QLED panel has models ranging from $499.99 for the 55-inch model and going up to $1,599.99 for the 85-inch variant.
Alongside the QLED TVs, TCL also announced its budget-friendly S series comprising the S2 with a 32-inch 720p screen, the S3 with 1080p resolution and sizes ranging from 32 inches to 43 inches, and the S4 with 4K display and sizes starting at 43 inches, and going all the way up to 85 inches. You get options between Google TV and Roku with the S series, which starts at just $169.99 for the S2 and goes up to $1,399.99 for the 85-inch model.
Sharp and Hisense move into the premium segment
Sharp and Hisense have recently gained momentum in the U.S. for their affordable, yet compelling TVs. Sharp's 2023 lineup includes the AQUOS XLED 4K TV, which combines Mini LED technology with a quantum dot array, otherwise seen on QLED and QD-OLED TVs. The range consists of 65-inch and 75-inch models, which were recently unveiled for Asia, Middle East, and Africa, and are expected to launch in the U.S. (although we are past the slated Spring 2023 launch).
Sharp showcased a 120-inch XLED at CES 2023, but that may not make it past the concept phase. In addition to the XLED series, which runs on the Google TV interface, Sharp also promised to launch six more TVs — two OLED and four new LED TVs — alongside the XLED in the U.S. with Roku pre-installed on them.
Meanwhile, Hisense announced its new ULED models in 2023, including the flagship 85-inch ULED X which offers 2500-nits brightness, and support for 4.1.2 Dolby Atmos audio. In essence, the ULED series is the company's branding for QLED TVs and is split into three tiers lower than the ULED X. These include the U8K, which supports a variable refresh rate (VRR) up to 144Hz, a built-in subwoofer, and up to 1,500-nits of brightness.
The more affordable U7K and U6K offer lower brightness and fewer premium features, but are available in sizes ranging from 50 inches to 85 inches — and have an attractive starting price of just $500.
When is the best time to buy a TV in the U.S.?
A new TV can be a significant expenditure, especially if you are looking at one of the latest and most advanced models we listed above. Since it is a purchase you make only once in several years, you can time it strategically to get the best value from a new TV.
Usually, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are considered the most rewarding shopping events of the year. However, online retailers such as Amazon and Best Buy kick off sales a few weeks following up to the main event around Thanksgiving. If you're looking to buy a TV sooner than November, there are several other windows to grab a good deal.
Some other shopping events to look out for include the Amazon Prime Day sale, which typically happens early in July every year. Amazon has yet to announce the Prime Day dates for 2023, but it will likely happen around July 10 based on the trends from recent years. Additionally, sales might also occur around the Fourth of July celebration as well.