Skip to main content

The Cadillac of TVs costs more than a Cadillac: Samsung prices S9 at $40,000

Samsung's 85-inch S9 series
Image used with permission by copyright holder

As 4K resolution and OLED technology make the march from prototypes to store shelves, we’ve seen some outrageous TV prices – from LG’s $12,000 55-inch OLED to Sony’s $25,000 84-inch 4K. But on Wednesday, Samsung topped them all. At a launch event in New York City, the company revealed it will sell its flagship S9 Ultra HD (UHD) TV for a whopping $40,000.

Samsung first unveiled the S9 at CES 2013 in January, where it drew as many stares for its unusual bezel and stand as for its ultra-sharp resolution. The floor-standing TV sits within an oversized metal frame, which reclines like an easel. It also boasts a three-way, 120-watt sound system and Samsung’s proprietary technology for converting 1080p content to UHD. That will come in handy, considering UHD content is nowhere in sight.

Even within the rarefied air of UHD televisions, Samsung’s S9 is breaking new ground with its $40,000 asking price. The aforementioned Sony XBR-84X900 goes for $25,000, and LG’s 4K offering, the 84LM9600, retails for “only” $20,000. How much are an extra inch and fancy bezel worth to you? Samsung’s apparently hoping at least $15,000.

Still on board? Ransack your retirement fund and head over to Samsung.com, where you’ll be able to preorder the UN85S9 for $39,999 starting at the end of March.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Nick Mokey
As Digital Trends’ Managing Editor, Nick Mokey oversees an editorial team delivering definitive reviews, enlightening…
Samsung S95C OLED hands-on review: it’s time to get excited
Samsung S95C OLED.

What could be worth traveling 3,000 miles in a cramped airplane to New Jersey? The chance to go hands-on with not one, but three of Samsung's most hotly anticipated TVs for 2023.

I got up close and personal with the 65-inch QN95C Neo QLED, the 75-inch QN900C 8K Neo QLED, and the 77-inch S95C QD-OLED. I had Samsung representatives on hand to address questions as I had them, and I got the opportunity to make some comparisons among the TVs that I don't often get a chance to do so soon after the TVs have been announced.

Read more
Samsung accidentally reveals price of its 77-inch QD-OLED TV
The Samsung S95C on display at CES 2023.

Usually, when new TVs are announced at CES, it can take months for companies to reveal pricing and availability. And perhaps Samsung was planning to do just that with its 77-inch S95C, its largest QD-OLED TV to date. But the company seemingly let the cat out of the bag on January 26, by including the new model -- and its price -- on its U.S. website, according to Sammobile.

The S95C details are no longer on the website, so Digital Trends can't verify the information, however, a screenshot taken at the time shows a price of $4499.99, making the larger model $1,500 more expensive than its currently available 65-inch S95B, which sells for $3,000. If this seems like a bigger gap in price than we're used to for models that exist in both 65- and 77-inch sizes, it could be because the S95C is going to be Samsung's premium 77-inch QD-OLED, with the planned S90C arriving in a 77-inch size but with fewer features.

Read more
Samsung shows off the first two 77-inch QD-OLED 4K TVs at CES 2023
Samsung S95C QD-OLED 4K TV.

Samsung was the first company to show off a 4K TV based on QD-OLED technology at CES 2022, and now, at CES 2023 it has unveiled two new QD-OLED models -- the S95C Samsung OLED and S90C Samsung OLED -- and each will be available as 77-inch models. Both will also be offered in 55- and 65-inch sizes.  The news came one day after Samsung Display confirmed it would show its next-gen "QD-OLED 2023" panel at the show in a 77-inch size.

When QD-OLED-based TVs debuted in 2022, Samsung and Sony revealed the first two 4K TVs models within hours of each other: the Samsung S95B and the Sony A95K. Both TVs proved to be absolutely stunning in terms of picture quality, leaving our reviewer no choice but to award them a rare 10/10 rating. But the TVs themselves weren't especially large; only 55- and 65-inch sizes were introduced.

Read more