Every year, Samsung radically changes the TV market with its new offerings. What we are looking at this year is the new line-up of its ultrapremium Neo QLED TV range in India, including the Neo QLED 8K TVs, that’s equipped with Samsung’s latest hardware and software advancements, offering clarity, dynamic contrast and colours suited for any viewing environment. And it increases the brightness bar by many degrees. These are TVs that don’t hold back on anything — be it becoming the ultimate gaming setup, outstanding upscaling, excellent black levels or immersive inbuilt sound. Plus, there are more sustainability features.
STRESS-FREE EXPERIENCE
All this and more will help Samsung retain its number one position globally. “We have maintained that pole position for the last 17 years now globally. That’s because we invest almost $18 billion on R&D on a yearly basis; the money $18 billion is across product segments. What gets used today on television may tomorrow find its way on mobiles, or viceversa.
What we have launched is the flagship Neo QLED series, including the Neo QLED 8K TV, thereby expanding the range of premium televisions that we have,” said Mohandeep Singh, senior vice president, Consumer Electronics Business, Samsung India.
Picture and sound quality are the two most important things when it comes to an entertainment device such as the television. Consumer expectations and what consumers desire out of this product are changing fast. Besides maintaining the leadership on picture quality, sound quality, there are a few things that Samsung has kept in mind while designing these products. The new lineup comes with Calm Onboarding feature with built-in IoT Hub for an ultimate connected device experience.
“The real philosophy is that our product experience should be very intuitive, it should be easy, and it should be stress-free. All this is seen in the new lineup. You will see a clear focus on connected living experiences through SmartThings. The Neo QLED televisions are embedded with an IoT hub. So not only are these IoT devices themselves, but they also have an inbuilt IoT hub. It makes it easier for a consumer to set up other smart devices or connect to other smart devices with a single touch or with a single command. You don’t need to be an expert to connect your other devices to the television because it can automatically detect smart devices in the vicinity and prompt the user to connect them,” said Singh.
SUSTAINABILITY AND INCLUSIVITY
Like in the past, Samsung continues to drive sustainability efforts with its new products and also there is a high degree of inclusivity. We have seen this on the way the company presents smartphones; it’s also here on TVs.
“Our new televisions uphold and strengthen our values of sustainability, in line with the latest environmental strategy that was announced last year. To give you an example, we’ve expanded the use of recycled packaging material. We also use recycled resins and apply them on the back panel of the television,” said Singh.
GLOBAL MARKET LEADER ATTRACTS YOUNG CONSUMERS
Samsung has been leading the TV industry globally for a very long time and with its QLED offerings, its market share will continue to improve.
“In the QLED TV segment, which is synonymous with premium TVs, Samsung saw growth of 2X between 2020 and 2022. Riding on the new lineup of Neo QLED 8K and Neo QLED TV, we expect to grow by 2X in 2023. QLED 8K TV business grew 2X in 2022 and we expect to grow 3X in 2023. We are seeing two trends play out in the market. One is on the larger screen and the other is on the premium televisions. And both these trends seem to be gaining momentum. For example, Samsung TVs above 55-inch saw a massive growth of 150 per cent between 2020 and 2022; 65-inch and above TVs grew 230 per cent while those above 75-inch saw 300 per cent growth. In 2023, we expect 55-inch and above TVs to grow by 2X over the previous year.”
There is also another interesting thing that Singh touches upon — the average age of consumers of such premium offerings. “Another change that we’re seeing is that when it comes to QLED televisions, over the past few years, we are seeing the averageage of premium television buyers come down steadily. In 2020 it was 38 years and now it is 34 years. Younger consumers are using new technology and they want smart home technologies, besides keeping an eye on sustainability.”
Also, many young consumers are buying premium television sets to fulfil their gaming needs. “The Gaming Hub interests them. We see India as one of the largest markets when it comes to gaming. And that’s also something that has been kept in mind while designing these televisions.”
Sporting several HDMI 2.1 ports, there are Samsung sets that are more than equipped to handle the next-gen demands of consoles like PS5 and Xbox Series X, with theability to display 4K.
GROWTH OF 8K CONTENT
Watching 8K content on a Samsung TV is an experience. It’s among the first companies to give 8K content recording a push through its smartphones. You can record 8K on the phones and watch them on some of the latest Samsung TVs.
“More 8K content is coming our way and when it comes to gaming, there are a lot more options available. From Samsung’s perspective, you can create content using your Samsung smartphones and then watch it on a Samsung TV. We are seeing a proliferation of content.”
The televisions that are coming your way come with excellent sound,which is unlike what most rival brands have to offer. The great thing about the new series is that you don’t need to attach a soundbar because of the audio depth. But the trend is that more and more people are looking at soundbars with such premium offerings, especially Samsung, which allows you to use the speaker on the TV simultaneously with thoseon the soundbar.
“We have a technology called Q-Symphony. It utilises the power of the soundbar and also optimises the onboard speakers of the television. The sound output takes on a new dimension.”
The Neo QLED series will get a big push from Samsung retail stores. “Last year, we were selling these products from 2,500 retail outlets, and this year, we are going to expand it to 5,000 retail outlets. Most importantly, there are trained in-store promoters for these TVs, who will be able to explain the technology.”
What we can be assured of is quality. The flagship Neo QLED series is the most premium television the company has to offer, taking performance to a new level.