Budget
Real QLED color at a low price, but no local dimming means HDR falls flat, exactly what independent testing found. Regularly drops to under $300, and that's the price where this TV makes sense.
Samsung 43″ QLED Q7F Vision AI Smart TV (2025)
Reviewed by Chue Len, Lead Editorial
Updated August 23, 2026
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Specifications
Chue Len
Oversees all editorial content on the site, keeping coverage accurate, timely, and on-brand.
Been mapping out Vice City since the first trailer dropped, still finds something new on every pass through the map.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Real QLED quantum dot color at a genuinely low price, Tom's Guide's own testing confirms accurate, well-saturated color output
- 2,700+ free streaming channels through Samsung TV Plus, no extra subscription needed
- SolarCell remote charges from room light, one less thing to worry about batteries for
- Low input lag and responsive performance, per P.C. Richard & Son's hands-on notes, decent for casual gaming
Cons
- No full-array local dimming. Tom's Guide's testing found the picture looks flat and HDR content loses its impact without one.
- 60Hz only, no 120Hz mode, a real ceiling for fast motion or console gaming beyond standard frame rates
- Hisense's U65QF undercuts it on paper with Mini-LED backlighting at a similar price, a genuine competitive gap Tom's Guide called out directly
- Storage for apps is limited enough that P.C. Richard & Son's own listing recommends being selective about what you install
How We Tested It
We haven't run our own test on this unit. The findings above draw specifically from Tom's Guide's hands-on review, which measured HDR performance and color accuracy directly, along with P.C. Richard & Son's listed notes on gaming responsiveness. If your team spends time with this TV, worth adding: how dark scenes look in your own room, and real input lag measured with a controller, not just a spec claim.
Who It's For
A second TV, bedroom, guest room, dorm, where color quality matters more than contrast or motion handling. Reasonable as a primary set too if your room stays well-lit most of the day, since QLED handles glare better than most budget panels. Skip it if you watch a lot of dark content or want deep blacks, the lack of local dimming shows up exactly there, per hands-on testing. Skip it too if 120Hz gaming matters to you.
Our Verdict
Tom's Guide put it plainly: better than a basic TV, but not by much. That's a fair summary. The QLED color is real and it tests well. What's missing is a proper backlight to back it up, no local dimming means HDR content doesn't hit the way the "Quantum HDR" name implies, and Hisense's U65QF beats it on paper at a similar price with Mini-LED. At full price this is an average buy. At the $278 to $298 it regularly drops to, the math changes considerably, and it becomes a genuinely reasonable pick for a second room. Wait for the discount.