Samsung enhanced its low-cost smart TV strategy earlier this year by releasing an oversized 98-inch Crystal 4K model. New reports now say the company initially considered releasing an even bigger TV but held back. However, a 100-inch (or larger) Crystal variant will reportedly hit the shelves in 2025.
Aside from lifestyle TVs, Samsung offers three main consumer-grade smart TV lineups, including Neo QLED, (QD-)OLED, and Crystal. While the company's Neo QLED and OLED TVs boast newer, more advanced, but pricier display technologies, Crystal TVs use traditional LCD panels, which are cheaper.
In recent years, the market has slowly shifted toward larger TVs, even in the low-cost bracket. LCD TVs are growing in size as more buyers want larger screens, and Samsung wants a piece of that pie.
Samsung Crystal to surpass the 100-inch barrier
ETNews claims that Samsung released the 98-inch Crystal TV earlier this year as a response to TV rival companies from China, which have supported the TV market with oversized but cheap LCD models.
TCL, for example, offers 98-inch LCD TVs, and Hisense offers a 100-inch LCD model. Both companies also sell Mini LEDs exceeding 110 inches.
Samsung thought about releasing a 100 or 100+ inch LCD model this year but decided against it, thinking that an LCD TV with such a large panel wouldn't be very marketable. Larger screens tend to be expensive, and LCD technology is not meant to be that pricey.
However, the 98-inch Crystal TV released in 2024 may have proved otherwise. It seems like there are enough customers who value size more than image quality and would pay a bit more for an oversized LCD panel than paying the same sum for a smaller but more advanced Neo QLED TV.
More details after the break
The 98-inch Crystal 4K (DU9000) went on sale earlier this year for $3,999. That sounds like a lot for an LCD, but it's actually quite affordable when you put things into perspective. A similarly sized QLED is $7,999, and a 98-inch QN90D Neo QLED TV costs $14,999. They're usually available at discounts, but so is the 98-inch Crystal.
All in all, the DU9000 4K Crystal released a few months ago may have been successful enough to convince Samsung that it is worth releasing even bigger 4K LCD TVs on a budget in 2025.
Image Credit: Samsung
