The Samsung S95H is not only one of the best OLED TVs of the year, it's one of the best TVs I've ever seen. It recently earned our coveted five-star rating thanks to its jaw-dropping performance and its thorough array of features, but starting at $2,299 (for 55-inch) its prohibitively pricey for most people and its metal-frame design is divisive.
The Samsung S85H, which earned 4 stars in our review, is the brand's entry-level OLED for 2026. As such, it's far less expensive than its flagship-level sibling, starting at $1,199 for a 48-inch. It comes with a ton of nifty features despite its entry-level status, but its otherwise-impressive picture can't compete with the quantum dot-enhanced performance you'll see on the S95H.
If you're shopping for an OLED TV this year, these sets are worthy candidates. Fortunately, we've tested both extensively, and I've got over a decade of experience under my belt. Here's how the Samsung S95H and S85H OLED TVs compare — from performance to features and price.
Simply put, the Samsung S95H is one of the best OLED TVs ever made, as it delivers incredible, quantum dot-enhanced picture quality and nearly every feature under the sun. It's also one of the priciest TVs of the year, so it won't be a good financial fit for most people.
Samsung's entry-level OLED is one of the more affordable ways to secure an OLED TV in 2026, and it arrives with plenty of useful features. Thanks to its OLED display, the S85H's picture quality is quite good, but it's nowhere near as bright and colorful as the S95H.
Samsung S95H vs S85H: Specs compared
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Samsung S95H | Samsung S85H |
|---|---|---|
Sizes | 55", 65", 77", 83" | 48", 55", 65", 77", 83" |
Ports | 4x HDMI 2.1 | 4x HDMI 2.1 |
Resolution | 3,840 x 2,160p | 3,840 x 2,160p |
Refresh rate | 165Hz | 120Hz |
HDR | HDR10, HDR10+, HDR10+ Advanced, HLG | HDR10, HDR10+, HDR10+ Advanced, HLG |
Smart TV software | Tizen OS | Tizen OS |
ATSC 3.0 support? | No | No |
Processor | NQ4 AI Gen3 | NQ4 AI Gen2 |
These TVs share many of the same specs despite their different price points. Like all Samsung TVs, neither of these OLEDs supports Dolby Vision, the most widely used, enhanced HDR format. However, they're among the very first Samsung TVs to arrive with HDR10+ Advanced, an all-new, royalty-free Dolby Vision alternative. HDR10+ Advanced is a direct competitor of Dolby Vision 2, the newest version of Dolby Vision HDR.
Conveniently, the S85H is available in a smaller, 48-inch screen size and goes up to 83 inches. This is good news for people looking for a more modestly sized OLED TV. The S95H starts at 55 inches and goes up to 83 inches.
Although both sets support 4K content at 120Hz (the highest 4K spec for current-gen gaming consoles), the S95H can showcase 4K/165Hz content with a PC linked up. And, while it's only relevant for a small subset of people, the S95H can support an optional, external One Connect Box if you need up to four additional HDMI ports.
Winner: Samsung S95H
Samsung S95H vs S85H: Design
The Samsung S95H's most eye-catching feature is its metal frame.
The first thing we ought to discuss is the Samsung S95H's most eye-catching (albeit divisive) feature: a metal frame surrounding its picture.
The S95H's OLED screen sits above this metallic frame, elegantly lifting the entire picture closer to the viewer. The brushed-metal material looks and feels like a premium flourish, but it won't be everyone's cup of tea.
Personally speaking, I don't mind the look of the S95H's frame when the TV is mounted on a wall, but it draws more attention to itself when its positioned atop the S95H's included feet. (It's important to note that the frame can't be detached, so if you don't dig the look, you won't be able to duck it.)
The metal frame isn't the only bold design choice found on the S95H. Like the pair of Samsung-branded flagship OLEDs that preceded it, the S95H's screen features Samsung's now-iconic, Glare Free display.
This matte-style finish does a fantastic job of eliminating direct glare, but there's a catch: During daytime viewing (or whenever there's an average amount of ambient light), the S95H's matte-style screen lifts its black levels due to the scattering of light. When this happens, darker sequences can appear purplish-gray instead of deep, inky and black.
Here's my expert guide to the matte or glossy OLED screen debate.
The S85H (seen above) doesn't come with Samsung's Glare Free display. Instead, it features a good ol' fashioned, glossy-style screen.
This means that, when there's an average amount of light in the room, the S85H's black levels will appear darker, and closer to the way you might expect when imagining OLED-backed performance.
Unfortunately, if a bright source of light (like a window or lamp) is caught in the S85H's reflection, you'll see most of its impact on the picture. It simply can't blunt the contours of that glare as effectively as the S95H's matte screen.
The S85H isn't sporting a wide, metallic frame, either, which could be a positive or a negative depending on your taste. Its pair of L-shaped feet keep the panel in place without much wobble, and without the frame, its wafer-thin panel is proudly spotlighted.
Both OLEDs arrive with Samsung's Solar Cell remote control in the box. It's light-powered lithium-ion battery is mighty convenient and saves on waste, but its lack of backlight feature (to say nothing of its missing input button) remains a drag in 2026.
While there's no denying that the S95H's overall build quality comes with a more premium look and feel, its bold aesthetic touches will either entice or repulse depending on the viewer. Points for style, I suppose.
Winner: Samsung S95H
Samsung S95H vs S85H: Performance
Before we dive into which of these TVs is the better performer, let's compare their test results. (Both TVs were switched into Samsung's Filmmaker picture mode when these tests were taken.)
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Samsung S95H | Samsung S85H |
|---|---|---|
SDR Brightness (10%, in nits) | 253 | 470 |
Delta-E (lower is better) | 2.2 | 1.7 |
HDR Brightness (10%, in nits) | 2,721 | 770 |
UHDA-P3 Gamut Coverage | 99.92% | 97.5% |
Rec. 2020 Gamut Coverage | 89.6% | 72.9% |
Input latency (milliseconds) | 9.7 | 9.2 |
Somewhat surprisingly, in Filmmaker mode, the entry-level S85H offers slightly brighter performance when showing SDR content. This means that run-of-the-mill, average stuff like cable TV, YouTube videos and most over-the-air programming are a touch brighter on the S85H when watching in Samsung's most-accurate picture mode.
That said, I need to stress that the difference in brightness in SDR is quite slim, and the S95H's superior processing (which includes upscaling) is the real difference-maker during most SDR content.
In nearly every other way that matters, the S95H is a better-performing TV, and it all comes down to OLED type; the lower-end S85H taps a standard WOLED display, while the 55-, 65- and 77-inch versions of the flagship-level S95H are equipped with Samsung Display's quantum dot-enhanced OLED display.
The 83-inch S95H also leverages enhanced OLED technology. This model makes use of LG Display's RGB Tandem OLED panel, a sort of souped-up WOLED display.
There are many differences between QD-OLED and WOLED, but for our purposes, here's what you need to know: Every size option in the S95H series offers better HDR brightness and color volume than what you'll see across the S85H series, and it's not particularly close.
As you can see from our test results, the S95H is capable of driving over twice the highlight brightness in HDR compared to the S85H. In real-world terms, this means that small, shimmering reflections of sunlight, distant streetlights and muzzle flashes will look far more realistic on the S95H.
Everything from skin tones to sunsets look truer to life on the higher-end S95H.
The S95H also excels in the always-important color category. Thanks to its enhanced OLED display, it covers a whopping 89% of the BT.2020 color space compared to about 73% on the S85H.
In a footrace, quantum-dot OLEDs gain most of their ground against WOLED due to their ability to work with brighter, purer shades of color. As a result, everything from skin tones to sunsets look truer to life on the higher-end S95H.
(I should note that, while we haven't tested the 83-inch version of the S95H, I don't expect its RGB Tandem OLED panel to be quite as colorful as the quantum dot-equipped displays attached to the 55-, 65- and 77-inch versions. Nevertheless, I do expect this version to offer significantly better color volume than all sizes of the S85H.)
The good news is that, no matter its limitations, the S85H is still an OLED TV. It still comes with perfect black levels and pixel-level dimming. Like all OLEDs, it's not saddled with light bloom, nor does it exhibit haloing around super-bright objects.
Most folks will be gobsmacked by the S85H's picture quality. The S95H is simply brighter, more colorful and guided by more-advanced processing, and in a side-by-side comparison, the differences are overwhelming.
Winner: Samsung S95H
Samsung S95H vs S85H: Smart platform and features
Both the S95H and the S85H arrive with a refreshed version of Samsung's Tizen-based smart platform. It's similar to what we saw across various 2025 Samsung TVs, but there are some minor changes to the interface that make navigation a bit easier. For instance, new this year is a menu bar at the top of the screen that provides quick access to important settings.
Samsung Gaming Hub is still prominently featured within the newest interface, but nothing is more omnipresent than the platform's various AI-based features — none of which have helped me solve a problem nor sparked joy in the several hours I've spent testing Samsung TVs this year. Your mileage may vary.
As far as nuts-and-bolts gaming stuff goes, you're getting support for 4K/120Hz gaming on both of these TVs, but only the S95H can hit 4K/165Hz with a gaming rig linked up. Both sets offer stock VRR, G-Sync compatibility and FreeSync Premium (though the S95H is rocking FreeSync Premium Pro).
The overall user experience of these TVs is quite similar. That said, the S95H offers more features than almost every other Samsung TV on the market.
Winner: Samsung S95H
Samsung S95H vs S85H: Verdict
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Samsung S95H | Samsung S85H |
|---|---|---|
Specs (25) | 24 | 22 |
Design (25) | 23 | 21 |
Performance (25) | 25 | 21 |
Features (25) | 24 | 23 |
Total Score (100) | 96 | 87 |
The Samsung S95H is one of the best OLED TVs I've ever laid eyes on. It's also one of the brightest OLEDs you can buy, which not only makes it one of the safest OLED-based options for brighter-than-average rooms, but also allows for an astonishing sense of cinematic, visual depth.
There's no way around it, however: Many people will bump up against the S95H's bold design elements, and while it's a fantastic bright-room OLED, some home theater enthusiasts won't dig the TV's raised black levels while it sits in a bright room.
And then there's the price. Right now, the 65-inch Samsung S95H is $3,299 at Best Buy. That's a lot of money.
The Samsung S85H is nowhere near as impressive-looking as the S95H, but you're still getting a similar set of features. In addition, as an OLED TV, it's got a bunch of built-in benefits over similarly priced LCD TVs, and its "safer" design has wider appeal than that of the S95H.
I suspect that the S85H's price will be the thing that catches the conscience of most shoppers. Currently, the 65-inch Samsung S85H is $1,899 at Best Buy — a full $1,400 cheaper than the S95H.
I can't argue that the S95H's higher-end performance isn't worth the added $1,400 over the S85H. It's a truly stunning TV and, in my estimation, worthy of its high price. Nevertheless, it's an order of magnitude more expensive than Samsung's entry-level OLED, and the S85H is plenty good for the price, too.
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