Samsung S95H vs S95F OLED: Is the new TV worth the upgrade?

It’s new-TV season, and the biggest brands in the industry are rolling out their freshest models. Samsung, makers of some of the best TVs on the market, is launching a slate of new sets for every size and budget.

The brand’s latest lineup includes a follow-up to one of the best OLED TVs of 2025, the Samsung S95F. This year’s mode is dubbed the Samsung S95H, and while it shares many of the same elements of its predecessor (like a quantum dot-enhanced OLED display, built-in smart features and more gaming features than you can shake a stick at), there are a handful of noteworthy upgrades that set it apart from the S95F.

I was recently lucky enough to go hands-on with the S95H at Samsung headquarters, and while I don’t have formal test data on its performance just yet, I’m already quite familiar with this high-end OLED. Here’s how it stacks up against its predecessor.

Samsung S95H vs S95F: specs compared

On paper, the main set of features on both of these TVs is largely the same. They're available in the same selection of sizes and are powered by the same processor.

Like all Samsung TVs, neither model supports Dolby Vision, the most widely used, enhanced HDR format. However, the newer S95H is one of the first Samsung TVs to arrive with HDR10+ Advanced, the newest, royalty-free Dolby Vision alternative. Its intended to compete directly with Dolby Vision 2, the newest version of Dolby Vision HDR.

Samsung S95H vs S95F: Design

When I spent an afternoon with the all-new S95H (seen above), it was wall-mounted in a cozy staging area to emphasize the series' newest, most eye-catching feature: a metal frame that surrounds its picture.

Rather than sitting within the frame from a recessed position, the OLED panel itself sits above the metallic frame, which elegantly lifts the entire picture closer to the viewer ever so slightly. The brushed-metal material occasionally caught light, giving the design a unique (albeit divisive) visual flare.

I don't mind the look of the S95H's frame when the TV is mounted on a wall, but it's important to mention that this frame is attached to the panel no matter what. I've yet to watch content on the S95H while the TV is attached to a stand, but I suspect that I might find the frame to be visually busy if it's not mounted on a wall.

Like the last two Samsung S95 Series OLEDs that preceded it, the S95H's screen features Samsung's now-iconic, glare-free finish, so it does a remarkable job of limiting the intensity of direct glare. (This means that the debate between matte or glossy OLED screens will continue into 2026.)

Compared to last-year's S95F (seen above), the newest design of Samsung's flagship OLED sets itself apart the most with its metallic frame. However, the S95F features an entirely different connectivity setup that hasn't carried over into 2026: the inclusion of Samsung's One Connect Box.

The One Connect Box is a separate unit that houses all of the S95F's connectivity options, including HDMI inputs. This box attached to the back of the S95F's stand, but it could also be moved around the TV. For folks with very particular home theater setups (or those who opt to wall-mount the S95F), the One Connect Box offers a ton of flexibility.

This year, the S95H's HDMI inputs are part of the panel. I could very much see this being a deal-breaker for anyone who had their sights set on a high-end Samsung OLED because of the inclusion of Samsung's One Connect Box, but for most people, the lack of a box likely won't even register.

Samsung S95H vs S95F: Performance

I wasn't able to formally test the S95H to measure things like peak brightness, color accuracy and color volume, so I can't compare performance benchmarks between these two sets. Still, I can report that the S95H does, in fact, seem to be an improvement over the S95F when it comes to some key metrics.

Samsung claims that the S95H is "brighter than ever before," and I'm inclined to believe that claim. Last year, we clocked the S95F at around 2,200 nits when measuring HDR highlight brightness, so the S95H will very likely exceed that measurement.

To my eye, the brightness boost most significantly affects specular highlight brightness, which is a fancy way of describing very small, intense pools of brightness that might show up during cinematic content. During "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker," for instance, the flashing sparks flying off of light sabers gave the picture a tremendous sense of depth and clarity.

Highlight brightness is especially important on an OLED TV, since its self-lit pixels are already doing a ton of heavy lifting in the contrast department. When all of the test data shakes out, I do expect the S95H to best the S95F when it comes to highlight brightness, but I'll be curious to see how its full-screen average picture brightness compares to last-year's model.

The same can be said for some of the finer details, like the S95H's color accuracy and its ability to showcase near-black shadow detail. I don't expect these areas of performance to get worse year over year, but how well they've improved on the newest model (if at all) remains to be seen.

Samsung S95H vs S95F: Smart platform and features

The S95H arrives with a refreshed version of Samsung's Tizen-based smart platform that's very similar to what we saw on various 2025 Samsung TVs. As someone who's had issues with the user experience of Samsung's software in the past, I was happy to see some minor changes made to the interface that make navigation a bit easier. The newer S95H, for instance, has an ever-present menu bar at the top of the screen that provides quick access to important settings.

By and large, though, the S95H is built around a similar software suite as the year-old S95F. It also comes with nearly all of the same streaming- and gaming-related features.

Both sets support 4K gaming at 120Hz (and up to 165Hz) across all four of their HDMI 2.1 inputs. You're also getting a bevy of critical gaming enhancements like FreeSync Premium Pro and G-Sync compatibility — same deal as last year.

In other words, I don't expect that these TVs' various bells and whistles will be the deciding factor for anyone choosing between them.

Samsung S95H vs S95F: Outlook

I won't know for sure which of these TVs is the better-performing model until we process all of our test data and spend more time with the S95H. That said, I can speak to the pricing of the S95H and show you how it compares to the current pricing of its predecessor.

Having been on store shelves for a year, the Samsung S95F's sale prices are significantly lower than the recently announced launch prices of the newer, upgraded S95H. This isn't surprising, as nearly every TV on the market steadily drops in price up to (and after) the release of newer models.

Right now, you can get the 65-inch Samsung S95F for $2,199 at Best Buy. That's $1,200 less than what you'll have to shell out for the 65-inch S95H, which is as much as some TVs cost altogether.

Ultimately, you'll have to decide if the S95H's new design and its ostensible performance upgrades are worth the added cost. Having yet to see its official test results, I'd be hesitant to splash out on the S95H until it's had some time on the shelf to dip in price. The S95F is a stunning TV, and if the S95H only improves on the margins, I can't see myself recommending it over the S95F until it goes on sale.

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