Samsung’s newest OLED TV costs just as much as the LG C3 OLED

The Samsung S95C OLED TV sitting in a living room.
(Image credit: Samsung)

After announcing their existence back in January, Samsung has now announced the pricing for the top-tier Samsung S95C OLED and less expensive Samsung S90C OLED TVs.

According to information from Samsung to Tom’s Guide, the cheaper of the two QD-OLED models — the Samsung S90C — will be available in three sizes (55”, 65”, 77”) and pricing will start at $1,899. 

If that number sounds familiar, that’s exactly how much you’ll be paying for a 55-inch LG C3 OLED — which, very likely, is not a coincidence but rather a strategic move on Samsung’s part to create some competition for one of 2023’s best OLED TVs.

Similarly, the Samsung S95C OLED will also be available in three sizes (55”, 65”, 77”) but its pricing starts at $2,499 instead. Not coincidentally, I think, that's the exact same price as the high-end 55-inch LG G3 OLED

Here’s the full breakdown of the prices:

  • 77" Samsung S95C OLED: $4,499 
  • 65” Samsung S95C OLED: $3,299 
  • 55” Samsung S95C OLED: $2,499 
  • 77" Samsung S90C OLED: $3,599 
  • 65” Samsung S90C OLED: TBA
  • 55” Samsung S90C OLED: $1,899 

What's the difference between the S90C and S95C?

As you can see, there's a $600 price difference between the two 55-inch models and a $900 difference between the two 77-inch models. So what are you getting out of it?

For one, the Samsung S95C comes with the OneConnect Box that better hides cables. Admittedly, it's wild that a TV as expensive as the S90C doesn't come with it by default, but unfortunately it only comes with the more premium OLED.

On the performance side of things, Samsung says the S95C is brighter than the S90C by around 20%. When we last visited Samsung to test the Samsung S95C ahead of launch, we measured the peak brightness of the TV in Filmmaker Mode at around 1,374 nits in a 10% window. Given that data, it's fair to expect the S90C to output around 1,000 nits in its Filmmaker Mode and maybe a bit more in Standard.

Lastly, the Samsung S95C will have the larger built-in sound system. According to their specs, the S95C uses a 70W 4.2.2 channel set-up with top speakers while the S90C only uses a 40W 2.1 system. Expect there to be a huge difference in sound quality between the two TVs.

Until we get them both into our labs for testing, we can't say for sure if the upgrade to the S95C is a worthwhile one, but for now you'll at least know what the differences are between the two QD-OLEDs on paper.

Not ready to pay those kinds of prices for a new OLED? Check out the Samsung S95B OLED from 2022 that's now down to just $1,599.

More from Tom's Guide

Nick Pino
Managing Editor, TV and AV

Nick Pino heads up the TV and AV verticals at Tom's Guide and covers everything from OLED TVs to the latest wireless headphones. He was formerly the Senior Editor, TV and AV at TechRadar (Tom's Guide's sister site) and has previously written for GamesRadar, Official Xbox Magazine, PC Gamer and other outlets over the last decade. Not sure which TV you should buy? Drop him an email or tweet him on Twitter and he can help you out.

  • Tanquen
    So far, I'm going with the LG G3 77. If the Samsung 77 is the same price, I'd rather have the lower rate of burn in, sharper text and Dolby Vision.
    Reply