Samsung on Wednesday announced its 2024 range of premium Smart TVs with tons of AI features. The flagship models – Samsung Neo QLED 8K and Neo QLED 4K are targeted at a super premium range and, much like other Samsung products this year, have AI-powered features baked in. This year, Samsung has gone all out with AI integration across products – be it smartphones, appliances, and smart TVs. However, with the 2024 range of premium Smart TVs, Samsung has broader ambitions for the Indian market. Gadgets 360 got a chance to speak with Mohandeep Singh, Senior Vice President, Visual Display Business, Samsung India, ahead of the announcement and to understand the company’s plans for the TV business and more.
Samsung’s plans for premium TV segment
Mohandeep Singh confirmed that Samsung plans to double the business on super-premium Smart TVs in India this year. Singh stressed that the user pattern is gradually changing in Smart TVs, favouring premium models, and 2024 is the year when non-smart TV models will see degrowth. He added that the degrowth of non-smart TV models in India has been steadily happening since last year and will continue beyond the 32-inch screen size.
According to data from Omdia, a research firm, Samsung led the 55-inch and above premium TV segment in India in 2023. The South Korean giant has a TV manufacturing facility in Chennai as part of its ‘Make in India’ strategy.
Target audience for Samsung premium TVs
When asked about user purchase behaviour in Smart TVs, Singh added that per the company’s data, 40 percent of Samsung TVs purchased in India use an EMI option. “Both from a consumer behaviour perspective, who clearly is upgrading, and it’s not a metro phenomenon. It is a phenomenon across the country,” Singh added, talking about how the premium TV segment is finally catching up.
When asked about the target audience for the new premium TVs, Singh added that the latest models are targeted at Gen MZ (or those born between 1981 and 2009) and, of course, for audiences with high-income brackets.
How new premium TVs are handling user data
With the influx of AI features on the latest devices, one of the biggest concerns has been user data. Will it be locally stored on the device or sent to the cloud, and how secure is overall user data? Singh stressed that “Security is paramount, and with Samsung Knox, every feature, app, and platform benefits from robust protection, allowing connected experiences to remain private and secure.”
He added, “Interesting is that whatever data is stored on the television is encrypted. The encryption happens on the television itself. The encryption key is also on the television but not sent to a server. So that makes it a very secure environment. So, whatever is inside the TV is secured and encrypted. It also works in the background to ensure that phishing and malicious sites cannot access your devices.”
Highlights of new premium TVs
The new Smart TVs offer a more personalised experience with apps and platforms. Samsung has added new widgets, and TV screens have personalised dashboards that allow users to easily monitor home status, camera feeds, energy usage, weather updates, and more.
Samsung’s Neo QLED 8K will be available in two models – QN900D and QN800D, in sizes of 65, 75, and 85 inches. Powered by the company’s in-house NQ8 AI Gen3 processor, the Neo QLED 8K bring 8K AI Upscaling Pro, sharpening low-resolution content so that it shows up in ultra-high resolution and AI Motion Enhancer Pro, which automatically detects the type of sports on TV and tracks fast moving objects like football or cricket ball on-screen during a live match. There’s also Real Depth Enhancer Pro, which again uses AI to detect the parts of a scene on which the human eye would naturally focus and bring them to the foreground. The advantage of this feature is that it makes the images on the screen appear more lifelike with more details.
The list of AI features is long and includes AI Picture Technology, AI Sound Technology, AI Auto Game Mode, AI Customization Mode, and AI Energy Mode.
Next, the Neo QLED 4K is dubbed a glare-free OLED. It is powered by the company’s NQ4 AI Gen2 processor and has a Pantone-validated display and Dolby Atmos. It is available in two models—QN85D and QN90D—and will be available in 55, 65, 75, 85, and 98 inches.
Apart from the high-end QLED models, Samsung on Wednesday also announced OLED models which are also touted as glare-free OLED, which is claimed to remove unnecessary reflection while watching content in any lighting condition. These OLED models are also powered by NQ4 AI Gen2 processor and pack features like Real Depth Enhancer, OLED HDR Pro, and Motion Xcelerator. The Samsung OLED TV will be available in S95D and S90D models in sizes 55, 65, 77 and 83 inches.
Bundled offers
Samsung is making sure that customers get bundled offers while buying these premium devices, making the overall deal sweet. The company has announced pre-order offers where consumers buying the new Neo QLED 8K, Neo QLED 4K and OLED range will receive a free soundbar worth up to Rs. 79,990, a Freestyle projector worth Rs. 59,990, and a Music Frame speaker worth Rs. 29,990, depending on the model. Consumers are also being offered up to 20 percent cashback depending on the model. Notably, these bundled offers are valid until April 30, 2024.