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The Samsung S95F has burst onto the scene as the brand's flagship OLED TV for 2025, and it certainly impresses. I recently had the opportunity to spend a day at Samsung's New Jersey facility, where I got hands-on with the S95F, alongside some of the company's other new television models. Without a doubt, the S95F left the most significant impression on me.

As a reviewer who evaluates the latest and greatest displays every year, I can confidently say that the image quality of this model is nearly unparalleled. One of its standout features is its glare-free matte screen, which effectively combats annoying reflections, making it a fantastic choice for bright rooms. However, this matte finish does have its downsides, notably affecting the TV's black levels. While Samsung has been promoting several new Vision AI features integrated into the TV, I found that none of these innovations were as groundbreaking as the marketing suggested.

Despite some minor drawbacks, the multitude of strengths found in the S95F vastly outweigh its flaws. Based on my initial testing, the S95F is undoubtedly a strong contender for the title of the best premium display for 2025.

Samsung's latest flagship 4K TV is available in sizes of 55, 65, and 77 inches, all featuring the advanced QD-OLED panel technology. This 'QD' stands for quantum dots, a cutting-edge color technology that allows for a more vibrant and extensive color range compared to traditional OLED displays. Excitingly, an 83-inch version of the S95F is set to launch in the coming months, which is significant as last year's model, the S95D, did not offer such a large size. However, it remains uncertain whether this larger variant will achieve the same level of color performance as its smaller counterparts, given that Samsung has historically not produced QD-OLED panels at that scale.

With a profile thickness of less than half an inch, the S95F is noticeably slimmer than most competing QLED displays, which require bulkier designs to accommodate their backlighting systems. All sizes of the S95F also incorporate Samsung's innovative 'One Connect Box,' a separate component that houses the TV's inputs. This design allows for enhanced flexibility in cable management, as users can mount the box onto the back of the TV or discreetly hide it in a media console.

When it comes to picture performance, the S95F excels remarkably well. To thoroughly evaluate its capabilities, I conducted my standard testing process, which includes measuring brightness with a colorimeter and assessing various scenes curated from a selection of movies and TV shows designed to highlight different image quality attributes. During most of my assessments, I utilized the TV's 'Filmmaker Mode,' as it provides the most accurate out-of-box picture quality. I also explored other modes to compare their performance.

Initially, I noticed that something appeared off about the S95F's picture qualitythe colors seemed somewhat muted, and the contrast didn't seem to pop as expected. However, after a factory reset was performed by Samsung, the issues vanished, revealing the stunning picture quality the S95F is known for. It's not uncommon for pre-production units to harbor lingering software glitches, which likely contributed to the initial problems.

The critical takeaway is that the S95F ultimately dazzled me with its image quality. With brightness levels that are among the highest for OLED TVs, it comes second only to LG's newest G5, which achieves slightly higher brightness levels. In a 10% test pattern, representing a white box occupying 10% of the screen, the S95F produced an impressive brightness of 2,170 nitsalmost 500 nits more than last year's S95D. Additionally, the S95F maintained this brightness for extended periods.

This high brightness is essential for evaluating a display's high-dynamic-range (HDR) performance, particularly since many HDR titles are now being mastered for 2,000 and 4,000 nits. Achieving over 2,000 nits is no minor feat for an OLED, allowing for a more authentic representation of how HDR movies and shows should appear. The combination of the S95F's infinite contrast ratio and high brightness leads to outstanding picture performance.

Scenes from films like "Mad Max: Fury Road" and "Aquaman," both available in 4K Blu-ray format, served as perfect demonstrations of the S95F's capabilities. These films are engineered for high brightness beyond the 1,000-nit mark, and the S95F successfully showcased specular highlightssuch as lightning strikes, explosive fireballs, and glistening armorwith a brilliance that surpasses previous OLED generations. The television also rendered colors vibrantly, bringing the lush and vibrant underwater world of Atlantis to life with rich saturation.

Thanks to its OLED technology, the S95F achieves an unrivaled contrast performance. Its pixel-level dimming capability grants it an infinite contrast ratio, resulting in deep blacks that completely vanish in dark environments. This was especially evident while watching dark scenes from classics like "The Matrix" and "1917," where shadows appeared profoundly inky, and bright elementssuch as a flashlight beam or an exploding flareshone brightly against pitch-black backdrops without any distracting blooming.

In contrast, even the best QLED TVs featuring high-end Mini LED panels are susceptible to backlight fluctuations and halo effects during intricate sequences. Yet, the S95F handled such content with ease, proving itself as a formidable option for discerning viewers. For additional information on the benefits and drawbacks of OLED technology, readers can refer to our comprehensive comparison of QLED versus OLED displays.

In addition to high-quality 4K content, I explored lower-resolution HD sources from platforms like YouTube and Samsung TV Plus, Samsung's ad-supported streaming service. While Sony TVs are often celebrated for their top-tier upscaling and picture processing, Samsung and LG have made impressive progress in this area, and the S95F is a testament to these advancements. Although lower-quality content still looks noticeably softer compared to native 4K material, the S95F's processing capabilities clearly outshine those of cheaper brands like TCL, Hisense, and Roku.

Gaming capabilities on the S95F align with what you would expect from a flagship television in this category. It features variable refresh rate (VRR) and auto low latency mode (ALLM) support for seamless gameplay and minimal input lag. Notably, the S95F has increased its refresh rate from 144Hz in last year's S95D to 165Hz, catering especially to PC gamers with high-end graphics cards. This is an impressive enhancement for gaming enthusiasts.

When it comes to competition, only LG's new G5 OLED can rival the S95F in terms of picture capabilities. However, the G5 edges out the S95F in brightness, providing even more intensity in highlights for certain HDR content. On the other hand, the S95F holds an advantage in color volume, especially with brilliantly bright colors.

The S95F's matte technology effectively mitigates reflections, making it ideal for bright environments, although it can sometimes give dark scenes a more faded appearance due to elevated black levels. Similar to the S95D model from the previous year, the S95F employs Samsung's glare-free technology, which utilizes a matte screen instead of a glossy one. Glossy screens, common in competing models like LG's G5, are known for preserving higher contrast ratios, but they can also create mirror-like reflections in well-lit rooms.

The S95F's matte screen does an excellent job of scattering and diffusing glare, allowing for a near-complete elimination of direct reflections. According to Samsung, this second-generation glare-free screen provides even better performance than last year's version. Although I couldn't directly compare the S95D and S95F side-by-side, the latter certainly excels at reducing glare. Under bright lighting conditions, I noticed minimal reflections on the screenthough some haze occurs when light is shone directly upon it, this is far less distracting than the mirror-like surface of glossy OLED screens.

Unfortunately, the matte finish does come with a recurring drawback that I encountered with the S95D: it raises black levels in bright environments. The way the anti-glare filter scatters light diminishes the depth of black levels, resulting in a slightly washed-out appearance, particularly during darker scenes. However, in dimly lit rooms, the S95F's black levels are as profound as those found in competing OLED models with glossy screens.

While I noticed this effect on the S95F, it seemed to bother me less than it had with the S95D. It's unclear whether the new screen manages contrast slightly better or if I've simply grown accustomed to the appearance of matte panels. Nonetheless, I appreciated the overall benefits of the S95F's glare-free technology more than I did with last year's model. Ultimately, while I still prefer the deeper black levels offered by glossy panels, the S95F represents an excellent solution for rooms plagued by reflections that cannot easily be rectified with curtains or shades.

Samsung's smart TV system remains robust, although I found the new AI features to be somewhat underwhelming. The S95F operates on the latest iteration of Samsung's Tizen smart TV operating system, which performs adequately, offering smooth navigation and access to essential functions. In terms of design and usability, I would compare it favorably to LG's webOS and consider it a notable improvement over Amazon's Fire TV OS, which I find cluttered with sponsored content. However, I still prefer the streamlined interfaces of Google TV and Roku OS.

The S95F's sidebar panel grants access to dedicated sections for search, ambient mode, Samsung Daily+ (covering health, work, and smart device management), and a gaming hub that includes cloud services like Nvidia GeForce Now, Amazon Luna, and Xbox Game Pass. Notably, Samsung and LG are the only brands that support the Xbox app, allowing subscribers to play Xbox games without needing a console. Of course, the functionality of this feature is heavily reliant on your internet connection, but it represents a compelling addition.

For voice control, users can opt for either Samsung's Bixby virtual assistant or Amazon Alexa. Commands can be issued hands-free using a designated wake word or via a button press on the included SolarCell remote. This remote has a compact design and can be charged via sunlight or indoor lights, eliminating the need for battery replacements. It can also be recharged quickly with a USB-C connection. However, I was disappointed to find that the remote is not backlit, which has become a standard feature among remotes from brands like Hisense and TCL.

Samsung has heavily marketed its new Vision AI suite of smart features across its 2025 TV lineup. Unfortunately, many of these AI-powered functions appear to be merely upgraded versions of features already present in the company's older models. While various AI upscaling and image/audio enhancement modes have seen improvements, they don't introduce anything groundbreaking. These features can be beneficial for users who are dissatisfied with the TV's image or audio quality, but they often introduce unnecessary adjustments. I generally recommend sticking to the Filmmaker or Standard modes for the best experience. The few genuinely new AI features introduced in 2025 have so far struck me as underwhelming.

Among the more notable functions is the AI-driven Live Translate feature, which delivers real-time subtitles in up to seven languages. While this sounds impressive, its utility is limited as it only works with live broadcasts from an over-the-air (OTA) antenna. Since most people access content via cable or streaming platforms, this is a significant limitation. Although I was unable to test this feature during my review session due to not having an antenna available, I plan to explore it further when I review other Samsung TV models in the upcoming months. Given its restriction to OTA broadcasts, I doubt it will be a significant selling point in its current form.

Samsung has also introduced the Click to Search feature, which allows users to press a button on the remote to retrieve information about the content currently being viewed, including details about the cast. This feature resembles Amazon's Prime Video X-Ray, but it only functions with live OTA broadcasts, cable TV, and Samsung TV Plus, meaning it won't work when watching popular streaming apps like Netflix or Disney+. Even when compatible sources are at play, the Click to Search feature feels somewhat lackluster. During my testing while browsing Samsung TV Plus, I activated it while "La La Land" was on. The side panel displayed the movie's name, its IMDB rating, and upcoming titles on the same channel. Another tab showed the main actors in the film along with a few additional movies they starred in. While this information is fine, it pales in comparison to the detailed insights provided by Prime Video's X-Ray, which can pull up details on all actors in a specific scene rather than just the top-billed names. Given its limited compatibility and information, I find it hard to believe many users will regularly utilize this function.

As I continue to evaluate the Vision AI features in other Samsung TVs throughout the year, my initial experience suggests there isnt a significant advancement in the brand's smart TV capabilities compared to last year's models. However, thats not necessarily a bad thing; Samsung's smart TVs have already been quite intelligent, so the S95F's enhancements are satisfactory. Nevertheless, the notion that Samsung's 2025 models are introducing a new era of 'AI TVs' feels exaggerated.

So, should you consider purchasing the Samsung S95F? The S95F is shaping up to be one of the standout high-end TVs of the year. It boasts a noticeable increase in brightness over last year's already impressive S95D, along with refinements to its glare-free screen and a few new AI-powered functionalities.

However, those AI features are not as groundbreaking or beneficial as Samsung's promotional materials suggest. Moreover, the TV's matte panel remains a polarizing feature that may not appeal to everyone. For consumers who prefer a glossy finish, I would recommend considering the LG G5 as a superior OLED alternative.

For shoppers on a budget who still desire a matte-screen OLED, last year's S95D presents a compelling option. Although it may not achieve the brightness of the S95F, it offers similar overall performance and is currently available at significant discounts. At the time of writing, the 65-inch S95D is priced approximately $1,000 less than the S95F.

The S95F's increase in HDR brightness is impressive, but whether it justifies an extra $1,000 compared to the previous year's model depends on the individual buyer. If you are an AV enthusiast with a willingness to spend for top-tier picture quality, then its a worthy investment. The S95 series represents Samsung's flagship offering, tailored for those prepared to pay a premium for exceptional performance. In this context, the S95F clearly stands out as the superior model.

It's also important to consider that high-end television sets like this often see significant discounts as the year progresses. While tariffs may restrict the possibility of substantial price drops, I still anticipate this model becoming more affordable during major sales events like Prime Day and Black Friday. At its full price, I can only endorse the S95F for dedicated enthusiasts, but if its price decreases later this year, its appeal would likely broaden significantly.