Head to any electronics store, and you’re likely to see four letters beaming out at you from incredibly vibrant television screens: OLED (organic light-emitting diode).
This kind of display technology uses organic compounds to create clusters of red, green, blue, and white light to make up individual pixels on the TV screen. So, a 4K OLED television is likely to have a single panel that comprises 8.29 million pixels. Each of these pixels produces its own light, and can individually be switched on or off.
Should I buy an OLED TV?
What this means for the viewer is that you get a TV screen with an incredible, pixel-level control of brightness, along with the best contrast you can find on any screen today.
It's why OLEDs consistently outperform LED TVs – which use standard LCD panels. Anila Nair, assistant manager at Home Genie, an online platform for home services, based in Dubai, told Gulf News: “For better picture quality OLED is much lighter and thinner, and also better than LED/LCD at handling darkness and lighting precision. Refresh rates and motion processing is also better with OLED.”
While well-known brands like Sony, and most recently, Samsung, all have their own OLED TV offerings, one brand stands out: LG. It’s one of the only manufacturers of OLED panels, and offers the widest selection of TVs using this technology, in a range of budgets. Nair said: “LG’s OLED [offers] a richer, more immersive picture compared to LCD technology. LG not only makes the best 4K OLED TVs around, it sells OLED panels to the likes of Panasonic, Philips and Sony to use in their televisions.”
Here is our pick of the best OLED TVs you can get in the UAE. Take advantage of Amazon’s professional installation services, and their sale on TVs, and become a Prime member to get your spanking new TV as early as tomorrow:
1. Best Overall: LG OLED Evo C2 Series, 65-Inch
Pros
- Premium design
- Spectacular 4K HDR picture quality
- Great connectivity options (four HDMI 2.1 ports)
- Excellent performance
- Extensive gaming features
Cons
- No HDR10+ support
- Panel is very delicate, reviewers say
This year’s top performer in OLED TV offerings is LG’s C2 Series. With a new Alpha 9 Gen 5 processor, the television ensures better, brighter visuals than you’re used to. The C2 also delivers better object enhancement and dynamic tone mapping than the older C1 Series, along with far superior virtual surround sound. If you like gaming, you’ll love this TV’s full array of HDMI ports, with enough slots to plug in your video game consoles. The television itself looks stunning, with an impossibly thin panel, measuring 0.1-inch thick across the top half of the TV. While it’s beautiful and sleek, some reviewers recommend getting it for a room where children don’t spend much of their time, to avoid accidental damage.
Bonus: Buy with 0% installments and pay Dh557.42 for 12 months with select banks.
Warranty: Amazon offers 1-year extended warranty for Dh397, 1-year accidental damage protection for Dh664, and 2-year damage protection with 1-year extended warranty for Dh847.
2. Best Mid-Range TV: Sony BRAVIA XR A80K, 65-Inch
Pros
- Brilliant contrast and brightness
- Includes XR 4K Upscaling technology
- Lifelike colours and textures
- Excellent HDMI 2.1 gaming features
- Wide viewing angle
Cons
- Not as bright as other OLED TVs
Sony’s A80K gives you everything you want from an OLED TV: deep blacks, well-saturated colour, 4K resolution with 120Hz support for gaming, and excellent audio with Sony’s Acoustic Surface Audio+ technology. With 65 inches of real estate, this television remains under five digits – a rarity in the OLED world. Sony’s mid-range TV packs a punch in what it has to offer, whether you’re buying it for sports, movies, or gaming. Even in brightly lit rooms, it manages reflective glare well. Although it may be slightly less brighter than other OLED TVs, the A80K’s Cognitive Processor XR delivers rich, deep blacks, detailed shadows and resplendent colours.
Bonus: Buy with 0% installments and pay Dh616.58 for 12 months with select banks. A wall mounting service with free wall bracket is available at no added cost.
Warranty: Manufacturer provides 1-year warranty. Amazon offers 1-year extended warranty for Dh426, 1-year accidental damage protection for Dh712, and 2-year damage protection with 1-year extended warranty for Dh908.
3. Best Premium TV: LG OLED evo G2 Series, 65-Inch
Pros
- Fantastic visuals
- Beautiful design
- AI-boosted sound quality
- Great connectivity options
Cons
- Can only be mounted on an LG-made mount
- Expensive
LG pulled out all the stops with its upgraded premium G2 Series TV, which was released earlier this year. As one of the brand’s ‘Gallery’ series televisions, this device is beautiful even when you don’t switch it on. The minimalistic black frame offers an almost completely bezel-free appearance, but it still accommodates a whole suite of four HDMI 2.1 ports and three USB ports. It’s one of LG’s brightest OLED TVs, packed with great features, like a new webOS interface, an immersive Dolby Atmos, and the latest a9 Gen5 AI Processor.
Bonus: Buy with 0% installments and pay Dh762.42 for 12 months with select banks. A wall mounting service with free wall bracket is available for Dh89.10.
Warranty: Manufacturer provides 1-year warranty. Amazon offers 1-year extended warranty for Dh426, 1-year accidental damage protection for Dh712, and 2-year damage protection with 1-year extended warranty for Dh908.
4. Best QD-OLED TV: Samsung S95B, 65-Inch
Pros
- Stunning colour and contrast
- Laser-slim design
- Brilliant 4K Upscaling for older content
- Includes Eye Comfort Mode
- Great audio
Cons
- No Dolby Vision support
Developed by Samsung, QD-OLED combines quantum dot technology (where each nano crystal emits a different colour, enhancing overall colour saturation and brightness) with OLED. In short, it brings together two amazing technologies, and the result is the dazzling S95B. The futuristic TV comprises the latest artificial intelligence-inspired picture processor, a Tizen smart system, along with the latest features in gaming. Its ultra-slim design is fantastic, and it’s one of the few televisions out there, where its audio quality matches its spectacular visuals, thanks to Dolby Atmos technology. If you have a soundbar, you can elevate the audio even further with Samsung’s Q-Symphony feature, which allows the TV and soundbar speakers to operate simultaneously for a surround effect.
Bonus: Buy with 0% installments and pay Dh495.15 for 12 months with select banks.
Warranty: Amazon offers 1-year extended warranty for Dh341 and 1-year accidental damage protection for Dh569.
5. Best Budget: LG A1 Series, 55-Inch
Pros
- Excellent response time
- Superb viewing angles
- Intuitive webOS platform
- Great picture quality
Cons
- May not be bright enough to overcome glare
- Only three HDMI ports my not be enough for serious gamers
Another LG television is our value pick. Its 4K OLED panel is the same as the ones you can find in its C1 Series, so it’s great, but its refresh rate is lower, at 60Hz rather than 120Hz. The A1 is outfitted with the Alpha 7 Gen 4 processor, which works well, but not to the level of upscaling and motion handling that C1 and G1 models have. Still, the A1 delivers, with an unheard-of, affordable price for OLED technology that retains vibrant colours and brilliant resolution. The device also supports auto low-latency mode (ALLM), which means if you plug in your video game console, it’ll automatically switch to game mode. Reviewers said they enjoyed the screen from various viewing angles, and that its webOS interface and magic remote are both very easy to use.
Bonus: Buy with 0% installments and pay Dh233.25 for 12 months with select banks. A wall mounting service with free wall bracket is available for Dh89.10.
Warranty: Amazon offers 1-year extended warranty for Dh171, 1-year accidental damage protection for Dh285, and 2-year damage protection with 1-year extended warranty for Dh363.
Our recommendations are independently chosen by Gulf News editors. If you decide to shop through links on our website, we may earn an affiliate commission, as we are part of Amazon Services LLC Associates Program.
