4 Cool New Features From Samsung’s 2026 QLED TVs – BGR

Recently, Samsung unveiled its latest line of television sets, consisting of the Samsung Mini LED and Samsung Neo QLED 4K. QLEDs (short for Quantum Dot LEDs) use microscopic particles to display light, which makes them brighter and more efficient than OLED displays.

Samsung is selling two different models of its new QLED TVs: the QN80H and the QN70H. The former comes in 55, 65, 75, 85, and 100-inch varieties, while the latter offers 43, 50, 55, 65, 75, and 85-inch versions. The QN70H is the more budget-friendly of the two, with prices ranging from $599.99 to $2,299.99, whereas the QN80H’s prices start at $1,299.99 and stretches as high as $5,499.99. 

Regardless of how much you end up paying, if you buy one, you are still purchasing a product from one of the best smart TV brands in terms of customer satisfaction, and Samsung has added quite a bit of new functionality that might help it maintain that title. Here’s a list of what we believe are the coolest new features in Samsung’s 2026 QLED TVs.

All of Samsung’s 2026 QLED TVs run on the NQ4 AI Processor, with the higher-end model using the Gen2 version of this chip. As its name suggests, this component features AI capabilities designed to enhance your viewing experience. And quite a few systems are working under the hood to do just that.

One of the Neo QLED 4K’s coolest features is its AI optimization system. This program upgrades the picture in real time. Watching an older movie that predates HD and even SD technology? The TV will automatically transform the images into HDR and even 4K-like quality.

Not every video mode is ideal for every type of show and movie. You wouldn’t want to watch a slasher film with brightness settings intended for baseball, would you? Samsung’s QLED TVs also have you covered with their AI Customization Mode. Just tweak the video settings to your liking (as you should do with any smart TV), and the AI software will automatically swap between various presets by determining what you’re watching. Samsung even built in a setting specifically for soccer games.

Visuals are only half of the entertainment experience. Without good sound control, you might as well be watching a silent movie. Plenty of built-in TV settings can change how you hear movies and shows, but Samsung’s QLED audio goes several steps further.

Like with visuals, the Neo QLED’s processor optimizes sound in real time. The AI can recognize when voices are being drowned out by other effects and give the sound mixing an extra boost so you can hear what the actors are saying. You can even use built-in microphones to tell the AI how to tweak different audio settings. The TVs can also alter the levels of certain effects to maximize their impact in different room setups and layouts.

Samsung’s 2026 Neo QLED TVs also carry forward several features from prior models, including out-of-the-box Dolby Atmos and Object Tracking Sound Lite, which provides a 3D audio effect without the need for multiple speakers. Explosions on the left side of the screen will now emanate from the leftmost speakers. And we can’t forget about Live Translate, which will ship with support for additional languages. Now you won’t fall behind on your favorite foreign dramas just because translators haven’t posted a localization yet.

The Neo QLED’s AI functionality extends beyond just optimizing pixels and decibels. The TVs also feature Samsung AI Vision Companion, a digital assistant powered by Bixby — Samsung’s proprietary AI software, which is also featured in devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S26. Without this program, you wouldn’t be able to control the smart TV’s video and audio-enhancing AI with your voice.

The Samsung AI Vision Companion also ties into the Neo QLED’s updated Generative Wallpaper functionality. In prior Samsung smart TVs, you could use this feature to create unique wallpapers for your setup, but in the Neo QLED 2026 lineup, you can just tell the TV what you want.

Since Samsung is promising seven years’ worth of updates for these new QLED TVs, the company is not-so subtly hinting that the Neo QLED’s AI features could see improved and expanded functionality later down the line. You might even eventually get to use new AI-powered features that aren’t ready for release right now.

While Samsung smart TVs receive generally positive reviews on the hardware front, their software leaves a lot to be desired. Tizen, Samsung’s smart TV OS built on top of Linux, is one of the worst smart TV operating systems according to users. That could change with the 2026 QLED TVs.

According to Samsung, the Neo QLED 4K TVs (and the new Mini LED TVs) ship with an “enhanced version” of One UI Tizen, which is supposed to “streamline the interface” and make it easier to access apps. Admittedly, some criticisms of Tizen stem from a “cluttered” UI, but the majority of complaints criticize laggy response times. Still, that issue might become a thing of the past thanks to the new AI-powered processor.

Even taking Tizen’s issues into account, prior versions weren’t without merit. The OS still had plenty of free, on-demand movies and shows you just couldn’t get through other smart TV systems. Tizen also has a game streaming service, which in and of itself isn’t new, but should pair well with the AI-powered optimizations in Samsung’s 2026 QLED TVs.