The 10 best 55 inch TVs of 2026

The Samsung S90F is the bargain of the OLED world in 2026. In the 55 inch size it uses a QD-OLED panel, which combines the perfect blacks of OLED with quantum dot colour, so reds and greens look richer than on a standard OLED. Since its launch price of well over £1,000 it has settled at around £799 on Amazon.co.uk, which is remarkable for this level of picture quality.

Gamers get four HDMI 2.1 ports, 144 Hz and a Game Bar that shows frame rate and VRR status at a glance. Samsung's Tizen platform has every major UK app and Freeview Play, and the One UI updates are promised for seven years. The main trade-off is format support: Samsung still skips Dolby Vision, so Netflix and Disney+ titles play in HDR10 instead. UK reviewers rarely see that as a deal breaker, and many say the S90F looks brighter in daytime than the LG C5.

The Bravia 8 II is Sony's flagship OLED and uses a QD-OLED panel paired with the Cognitive Processor XR. What sets it apart is the processing: motion is smooth without the soap-opera look, skin tones are true to life and fine detail in dark scenes is preserved better than on almost any other TV. It is also noticeably brighter than the original Bravia 8, which makes HDR films look more impactful.

Sound is a strength too. Acoustic Surface Audio+ uses actuators behind the screen, so voices genuinely come from the actors on screen. Google TV gives you Freeview Play, BBC iPlayer, ITVX and the Sony Pictures Core streaming app. The weak spot is gaming connectivity, with only two full HDMI 2.1 ports, one of which doubles as eARC. At roughly £1,600 it costs twice as much as the Samsung S90F, but UK buyers who own it consistently describe it as the most film-like TV they have had.

The LG G5 is the step up from the C5 for people who watch a lot during the day. Its Primary RGB Tandem panel is considerably brighter, so HDR highlights pop and the picture holds up in rooms with big windows. Colours stay rich even at high brightness, which was always the limitation of older OLEDs.

The gallery design is very slim and the UK model comes with a flush wall bracket in the box, so it hangs almost like a framed picture. If you want it on a unit you need to buy a stand separately. Gaming support is excellent, with four HDMI 2.1 ports and a refresh rate of up to 165 Hz. webOS 25 is the same quick system as on the C5, with all the UK catch-up apps. At around £1,480 it costs about £430 more than the C5, so it really only makes sense if brightness is a priority in your room.

The Samsung QN90F is the best choice if your living room is bright. Thousands of Mini LEDs behind the panel push brightness well beyond any OLED in this list, and the Glare Free matte coating means windows and lamps barely reflect off the screen. Daytime football and Formula 1 look crisp and vivid.

The local dimming is good, though not perfect: around subtitles or bright objects on a black background you can sometimes see a faint halo. Viewing angles are also narrower than on OLED, so the picture fades a little if you sit far to the side. On the plus side there is no burn-in risk, which matters if you leave news channels or a game HUD on screen for hours. Gamers get four HDMI 2.1 ports and up to 165 Hz. UK buyers say it is easily the best Samsung LCD they have owned, and at around £899 it often costs less than an equivalent OLED.

The Hisense U7Q gives you a lot of TV for under £600. Its Mini LED backlight reaches high brightness levels and has enough dimming zones to keep blacks reasonably deep, so HDR films look punchy rather than washed out. Unusually at this price it supports both Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+, so you get the best version of whatever you stream.

Gamers are well catered for with a 165 Hz refresh rate, VRR and ALLM, though only two of the HDMI ports run at full HDMI 2.1 speed. The VIDAA smart system is simple and quick and includes Freeview Play, BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+, but you will not find every niche app you get on Google TV. Upscaling of standard definition channels is a step behind the premium brands. UK buyers mostly praise the brightness and value and say it outperforms TVs that cost hundreds more.

The TCL C7K is one of the cheapest ways to get a proper Mini LED TV with Google TV. Its quantum dot Mini LED panel has hundreds of dimming zones, so contrast is far better than on a standard edge-lit LED and HDR highlights are genuinely bright. Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ are both supported.

Google TV means you get every UK streaming app, Freeview Play and built-in Chromecast, which is handy if you cast from a phone a lot. The built-in sound system includes a small subwoofer and is better than most TVs at this price, though a soundbar still helps with films. Gamers get 144 Hz and VRR on two HDMI 2.1 ports. Buyers note that the default picture mode is a bit too blue and recommend switching to Movie mode, and the picture fades if you sit well off-centre. For around £549 it is a very strong all-rounder.

The Philips OLED760 combines a standard OLED panel with the feature that makes Philips unique: Ambilight. LEDs on three sides of the TV project the colours on screen onto the wall behind, which makes the picture feel larger and reduces eye strain in a dark room. Owners almost universally say they would not go back.

Picture quality is natural and accurate, with deep blacks and a P5 processor that handles motion well. It is one of the few TVs that supports both Dolby Vision and HDR10+. The switch from Google TV to Titan OS on this generation is the main drawback: the menus are clean and quick, and BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Netflix and Prime Video are there, but the app selection is smaller. Gamers get 144 Hz and VRR. At around £899 it costs a little more than the Samsung S90F, which is brighter, so choose this one if Ambilight appeals to you.

The Samsung Q7F is the entry point to Samsung's QLED range and one of the best-selling 55 inch TVs on Amazon.co.uk. Quantum dots give it noticeably richer colour than a basic LED set, and the 4K processor keeps Freeview and streaming content sharp. You also get exactly the same Tizen smart platform as on Samsung's flagships, so every UK app is there, along with SmartThings and AirPlay.

The limits show in dark scenes. Without local dimming, blacks look grey-ish in a dark room and HDR content never gets really bright. The panel runs at 60 Hz, so it supports 4K gaming but not 120 Hz modes on a PS5 or Xbox. For daytime TV, soaps, the news and the odd film, it does the job well, and UK buyers highlight how easy it is to set up. At around £449 it is a safe, no-nonsense choice.

The Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED is built around Alexa. Far-field microphones let you change channel, search for a programme or turn down the heating hands-free, and when the TV is idle Ambient Experience can show art, photos or a weather widget instead of a black screen. For homes full of Echo devices it fits in naturally.

Picture quality is solid for the money. A QLED panel with full-array local dimming gives better contrast than most budget TVs, and both Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ are supported. The Fire TV interface has all the main UK apps, including BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4 and Netflix, but it puts Prime Video and adverts front and centre, which some buyers find tiresome. Gamers should note it is limited to 60 Hz. With more than 6,500 ratings it is one of the most reviewed TVs on Amazon.co.uk, and most owners call it great value.