Sony reveals surprisingly affordable pricing for 2018 OLED TVs
Sony has revealed that its latest OLEDs, the 55 and 65-inch AF8, will retail for just £2,499 and £3,299 respectively and will be available from the end of April.
It’s fair to say 2018 has been a bit of an iterative year for TVs so far. LG Display’s OLED panels aren’t due an upgrade until 2019, and the new HDMI 2.1 standard won’t be ready until later in the year.
As a result, we’ve seen most manufacturers focus on refining their existing technologies this year, rather than being able to offer anything entirely new. In the case of Sony’s OLED, this refinement has been across two areas: the stand, and the price.
Related: Sony TVs 2018
It’s the price that’s going to be the most appealing part for most people. When the company’s 2017 OLEDs launched, they had cripplingly high prices of £3500 for the 55-inch version ad £5000 for the 65-inch.
In contrast, 2018’s AF8 seems downright affordable, especially when you consider that its still packing the X1 Extreme processor that was so great at upscaling SDR to HDR content in its 2017 televisions.
However, aside from a slightly redesigned stand, the AF8 is exactly the same television as the Sony A1 that we enjoyed so much last year. We’ll nevertheless be reviewing the new TV for ourselves in the coming months to make sure that Sony hasn’t cut any corners this year to hit the new budget price.
How tempted are you by the Sony AF8’s price? Let us know @TrustedReviews.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.