When Samsung invited me to Sydney for a hands-on session, I didn’t quite know what to expect but when I left, I was thoroughly impressed. I got to spend the day in a swanky hotel room in the Sydney CBD with two of Samsungs newest Neo QLED TV’s and Sound bars. This year, Samsung is all about the fusion of visionary design, powerful hardware, a new Wireless One connect box and of course, a boatload of AI-powered features.
I spent a few hours testing the monolithic 85-inch 8K Neo-QLED QN990F, the chameleon-like 65-inch Frame Pro, and two premium soundbars: the powerhouse HW-Q990F and the adaptable HW-QS700F. Obviously, this is not a full review as I only spent five hours with the devices and it’s unlikely that Samsung would be able to ship an 85-inch TV to my house for proper one. Nonetheless, I got a pretty good idea of what these devices can do and I am very excited.
Immersive Physical Design: Artistry Meets Innovation
The QN990F is the kind of showpiece that looks like it belongs in a billionaire’s media room. Its Infinity Air Design is all screen—with near-invisible bezels and a chassis so thin, it feels like its supposed to be an OLED. At just a few millimeters thick, the display appears to float when wall-mounted. Adding to the illusion is the Wireless One Connect Box, which offloads ports and power to a remote hub, leaving your space free of cable clutter.
If the QN990F is a showstopper, then The Frame Pro is a master of disguise. This model is built to disappear into your decor when you’re not watching it. Its sleek, minimalist frame and ultra-clean design let it transform into a legitimate art piece. Samsung’s customizable magnetic bezels snap on easily, letting you match your interior style. Paired with a redesigned Matte Display and Anti-Reflection Film, The Frame Pro diffuses light naturally, eliminating glare and giving digital art a museum-quality appearance. No glassy TV shine, no fake digital gloss—just a natural-looking canvas that adjusts brightness and warmth using a built-in ambient light sensor.
Both TVs share a design language that champions elegance and understatement, but they’re tailored to different roles. One commands attention; the other subtly enhances your room like curated decor.
Samsung’s soundbars echo that same ethos. The HW-Q990F is big, bold, and meticulously sculpted to blend with high-end setups. It includes a central bar, two wireless rear speakers, and a redesigned subwoofer with dual 8-inch active drivers in a stylish cube form. Meanwhile, the HW-QS700F is compact and convertible. Thanks to a built-in gyroscope, it can detect its orientation and adapt audio output whether it’s wall-mounted or placed on a console—a thoughtful touch for smaller rooms or minimalist setups.
Underlying Technology: Neo-QLED Brilliance and AI Muscle
Let’s talk screen tech, because this is where Samsung flexes hard. The QN990F uses Neo-QLED technology, which trades traditional LEDs for miniature quantum dot-powered LEDs. This allows for more precise local dimming, better brightness control, and stunning color accuracy. Paired with the NQ8 AI Gen3 Processor, the TV processes imagery through 768 neural networks, upscaling content in real time and refining motion to near perfection.
The result is dazzling. 8K AI Upscaling Pro and Neo Quantum HDR 8K Pro mean that even standard 4K content looks freakishly lifelike. The level of detail—skin textures, foliage, atmospheric lighting—feels almost hyperreal. Whether I was watching a nature doco or playing a fast-paced game, the clarity was astonishing. I was particularly impressed with the TV’s handling of blooming, something Mini-LED’s still struggle with. I didn’t notice any of the usual artificats around captions and logos as much as last years models. My hardcore test of the title sequence of Star Wars Andor usually brings most Mini-LED’s to their nears in a hot mess of cloudy stars. Not so here as the QN990F expertly sidestepped that for some crisp twinkling stars.
Samsung’s Matte Display makes a dramatic impact here, especially on The Frame Pro. Unlike glossy panels that reflect every ceiling light, this screen swallows ambient light and scatters it evenly, reducing glare without dulling the image. The hotel room was flooded with light from giant french windows not to mention the down firing ceiling lights just above the TV’s. Despite that, I couldn’t see any reflections at all which is almost disconcerting because you expect that.
Combine that with Samsung’s glare reduction tech and adaptive brightness sensors, and you have a display that holds up beautifully even in bright, sunlit rooms. It’s not just a design flourish—it’s a functional leap forward for daytime viewing and digital art.
Finally, wireless TV
In a world filled with wireless electronic devices, TV’s have been one of the stalwarts but that’s starting to change. Both the QN990F and the Frame Pro work with Samsungs new Wireless One Connect Box which can sit up to 10 meters away from the TV letting you have a true wireless setup. Well, wireless upto the power cord of course but it is nice to have to deal with only one cable.
The Wireless One Connect Box isn’t just about tidying up your cables—it’s a technological marvel that serves as a dedicated high-bandwidth, low-latency signal hub. Under the hood, it leverages the full power of HDMI 2.1, enabling support for eye‐popping features like VRR, ALLM, and even the transmission of 8K video at 120Hz or 4K video at 240Hz. This means that whether you’re deep into competitive gaming or streaming high-bitrate HDR content, every frame is delivered with razor-sharp precision and minimal delay.
This wireless connection reliably transmits data without any degradation, ensuring that the quality of your visuals remains uncompromised no matter how far the box is from your display. For this setup, the Frame Pro had its wireless connect box hidden in a bedside table while in the living room, the QN990F’s box was hidden in a little office nook. It’s truely wild to see.
AI-Driven Excellence: Smarter, Faster, and Smoother
Samsung’s pioneering use of AI features across its lineup elevates the experience beyond conventional high-end entertainment. The TVs’ built-in Samsung Vision AI automatically adjusts picture and sound settings based on ambient conditions and the nature of the content. This means, for instance, that a fast-paced action movie not only looks sharper with vivid contrasts but also sounds more dynamic thanks to the optimized audio settings activated under AI Mode.
And it would be complete without some AI image generation which is particularly suited to the Frame Pro where you can show off your custom artwork. The prompts are confined so you can’t just ask the TV to make you a flaming unicorn driving a golf cart for instance. Its more tame, similar to what you’d get on the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s Wallpaper generator. If you aren’t into that, there’s a whole Art store with tons of famous and not so famous artworks that you can download onto the TV for display.
In the realm of gaming, the AI Auto Game Mode intelligently detects your game type and tweaks picture settings on the fly—ensuring minimal input lag, optimal brightness, and fluid motion clarity. Paired with HDMI 2.1 support and ultra-smooth refresh rates (up to 240Hz on some settings), the QN990F redefines what gamers can expect from home consoles and PCs alike. It’s a harmonious interplay of smart AI processing that minimizes distractions and maximizes immersion, making every gaming session feel both intuitive and spectacular.
The soundbars continue this AI-enhancement narrative. Their systems analyze room acoustics and content in real time, autonomously balancing dialogues, background scores, and explosive effects. Whether it’s the HW-Q990F’s integrated Q-Symphony that pairs perfectly with the TV’s speakers or the HW-QS700F’s adaptive orientation capabilities, Samsung’s intelligent audio ecosystem ensures that you’re never left wanting a moment of sub-par sound.
Gaming Experience: Built for Play
For gamers, this goes next-level. The AI Auto Game Mode detects what type of game you’re playing and optimizes latency, brightness, and motion clarity accordingly. The QN990F supports up to 240Hz refresh rate, HDMI 2.1, Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), and Motion Xcelerator 240, offering one of the most fluid gaming experiences outside of a dedicated gaming monitor.
Even The Frame Pro isn’t a slouch here. It supports 144Hz refresh rate and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, making it surprisingly capable for fast-paced gaming. Whether you’re admiring Monet in Art Mode or dominating in “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare,” this display keeps up.
There’s a reason this lineup feels tailor-made for players. The QN990F’s 240Hz refresh rate is a dream for competitive FPS fans who demand ultra-smooth motion. The VRR support means no screen tearing, even during the most chaotic firefights. And for those of us with consoles, Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) kicks in instantly to minimize input lag. But if you absolutely OCD about input latency over wireless, the QN990F also has a micro HDMI 2.1 port on the back of the TV to plug directly into your gaming PC.
Samsung’s built-in Game Bar 4.0 is also a legit asset. It overlays real-time stats like FPS, HDR settings, and input lag—so you can tweak performance on the fly without leaving your game. Plus, the Mini Map Zoom and Virtual Aim Point tools? Total game-changers for RTS and shooter fans alike.And don’t get me started on the aspect ratio switcher that can turn the TV into a 32:9 super ultrawide displayed.
Even better, if you don’t have a console, Samsungs Game Hub supports Xbox Cloud Streaming and Nvidia GeForce Now. Just pair a bluetooth controller to the TV and off you go. And because the TV is using WiFi 7, streaming will be buffer free experience. There’s also a couple of Tizen games that you can install too.
Then there’s sound. The HW-Q990F makes explosions, footsteps, and ambient cues feel like they’re coming from exactly where they should be. In fast-paced games, that kind of spatial precision can mean the difference between reacting first or respawning.
This is the kind of gear that doesn’t just support gaming—it amplifies it. Whether you’re grinding out XP, chasing leaderboard glory, or just getting lost in an open-world RPG, these TVs and soundbars make everything feel more responsive, more cinematic, and way more fun.
Redefining Audio: Sound That Moves With You
If there’s a sleeper hit in this lineup, it’s the audio. The HW-Q990F is a 11.1.4 channel monster with 23 speakers, including up-firing drivers and satellite rears. With Object Tracking Sound Pro, audio shifts based on screen motion. Hear footsteps behind you? That’s the rear speakers. Explosion to the left? That’s where the boom hits. The new subwoofer with AI-powered dynamic bass control keeps lows clean, tight, and punchy—no flab, no rattle.
Meanwhile, the HW-QS700F packs serious smarts in a smaller footprint. The soundbar has a built-in gyroscope which allows it to adapts its channel output depending on where and how it’s placed. It’s specifically designed to be wall mounted underneath the Frame Pro but you can also sit on a TV Stand as usual and the bar will automatically detect its orientation and adjust the sound so you are still getting the best. Samsung told me it takes about 20 secs for the audio to reorient but I could barely notice the switch when I moved the sound bar around in real time.
And with Q-Symphony, like the Q990F the QS700F can pair with Samsung TVs to create a wider, layered soundstage using the TV as another speaker. It’s the kind of compact solution that doesn’t sound compact—ideal for apartment dwellers or minimalist setups.
Both soundbars scan your room in real-time, adjusting levels for dialogue clarity, background effects, and spatial immersion. It’s surround sound that doesn’t just fill a room—it reads it. And oh yeah, it’s definitely likely to get you in trouble with your neighbours if you live in apartment.
Watching the opening minutes of Andor Season2 as Cassian tries to comedically steal a prototype imperial star fighter was such a treat. The rear speakers do a great job of filling out the rear channels while the tiny subwoofer belies it’s power. Turning to Black Panther 2 Wakanda Forever, the chase scene with Shuri, Okoye and Riri was literally heart-pounding thanks to the insane soundtrack and sound effects. This is undoubtedly one of the best ways to watch movies at home.
Final Thoughts: The Future, But Priced for the 1%
After spending those few short hours with Samsung’s 2025 flagship lineup, I walked away both impressed—and a little heartbroken. These TVs and soundbars represent the bleeding edge of home entertainment. The QN990F stands as an audiovisual juggernaut, the kind of TV that redefines what your console or streaming service is capable of—with the 85‑inch model fetching around $11,999 AUD through major Australian retailers. Oh and there is no other size with this one so it’s clearly a singular product category.
Thankfully, The Frame Pro, which practically reinvents what we think a “TV” should be by merging art with function, is available in sizes starting from a more wallet friendly $4,000 AUD for a 65-inch model. That can climb to nearly $7,000 AUD for the 85-inch, depending on your space.
The soundbars, on the other hand, don’t merely complement the visuals—they elevate them entirely. Take the HW‑Q990F for example; available for roughly $1,999 AUD, its room‑shaking scale delivers immersive, cinematic audio, while the adaptive elegance of the $999 HW‑QS700F ensures every piece of dialogue and soundtrack is rendered with meticulous clarity. As good as the sound is coming out of the TV’s, you really need to pair them with one of these soundbars for the best experience.
Yet, these are undeniably premium products with premium price tags. Not everyone will be able to bring this vision home and I personally don’t hang in the kinds of circles where someone could afford to buy a $7000 TV to use as an art piece. Even so, experiencing these devices firsthand was a treat and made me really excited for Samsungs line up going forward. I might not be able to afford it now but if history has taught us anything, it’s only a little while before all this dope tech trickles down to more affordable models. So, in the meantime, I’ll hang on to my kidneys.
Samsung Australia provided flights and transportation to this writer for the purpose of attending this hands on experience but they did not have any editorial input into this piece.
