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Best Phone to Buy for 2022
Best Phone to Buy for 2022
In 2022, there is no shortage of great phones. The best phones include the iPhone 13 Pro, the Pixel 6 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, and they offer everything you could want in a device. From high-end performance to beautiful cameras, they're top of the line. Of course, there are a number of other great phones with eye-catching features, such as Samsung's new Galaxy Z Fold 4 that has a bendy screen. These can be quite expensive, but if your cash doesn't stretch that far, worry not. More and more affordable phones, such as the new Pixel 6A, pack great specs, high-speed 5G connectivity and more approachable prices.
The sheer amount of smartphone competition means you get great options at whatever price suits your budget, regardless of whether your biggest concern is an AMOLED display, 5G data or a cracking camera.
To help you figure out the best of the best, we rounded up our picks for the best phone to buy in 2022. Every phone on this list has been thoroughly reviewed and tested, from its battery life to camera performance. Each link is to an unlocked phone, and the phones should run on most of the big four US wireless carriers, unless otherwise specified. We update this list regularly.
For more info, read our guide to help find the best phone for your needs and take a look at our tips on how to buy a new Apple iPhone or Android phone.
Samsung
Samsung's latest flagship superphone, the Galaxy S22 Ultra has an impressive lineup of specs, including a quadruple rear camera, a big, vibrant display and the S Pen stylus you might remember from the Galaxy Note series. It comes with a high price, but those of you looking for one of the best Android phones around should have this on your short list.
Google
The Google Pixel 6 Pro's unique design, great software additions, superb camera quality and solid all-around performance have already earned the phone an excellent rating in our full review. With performance that's every bit as good as its design, it's the best phone Google has ever made. The main camera is on par with the best iPhones. And at $899 for the base 128GB model, it trounces its premium phone rivals in price.
Read our Google Pixel 6 Pro review.
Patrick Holland/CNET
The standard iPhone 13 is a reliable choice for most people, sporting a 6.1-inch screen and two excellent rear cameras. For this model, Apple has pledged longer battery life, improved cameras and better durability than the Apple iPhone 12. What do you miss by not going Pro? A third rear camera with 3x optical zoom and a ProMotion screen with refresh rates up to 120Hz for smoother scrolling. It is not a cheap phone, but definitely a more affordable flagship pick than the Pro siblings.
Read our iPhone 13 review.
Andrew Lanxon/CNET
The OnePlus 10 Pro earned a good score in our review thanks to its slick design, its powerful performance and its price tag, which undercuts its main rivals. It needs a few improvements -- most notably to the camera, which is good, but not great -- but this flagship offers a great overall experience. If you're after a top-end 5G phone that's a bit different to your friends' iPhones and Galaxy phones then it's a solid option to consider.
Patrick Holland/CNET
Apple's 2022 iPhone SE may not have the incredible multiple cameras of the top-end iPhone 13 Pro, but the iPhone SE has a lot to offer if you're looking for a great experience without spending flagship levels of cash. It's 5G-enabled, for one, it runs the latest iOS 15 software and it packs the same A15 Bionic processor found in Apple's top phones. As a result, performance is lightning-fast.
Read our iPhone SE (2022) review.
Lisa Eadicicco/CNET
The Pixel 6A is Google's newest Android 12 phone, replacing the Pixel 5A as the $449 device in its lineup. CNET's Lisa Eadicicco called it the "best Android phone under $500" in her Pixel 6A review, calling out how it keeps the same Tensor chip seen in the $599 Pixel 6 and many of its features.
The phone is slightly smaller than the Pixel 6, featuring an 6.1-inch OLED display and a refresh rate of 60Hz. And it has a similar camera to the Pixel 5A, including a 12.2-megapixel main camera and a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera. But by including the Tensor chip, photos can benefit from its Real Tone skin tone feature, Face Unblur, Night Sight for darker photography and the Magic Eraser for removing unwanted elements from a photo.
Patrick Holland/CNET
Update: Samsung has recently unveiled the Galaxy Z Flip 4, an updated version of its smaller clamshell folding phone with a revised design and beefed-up specs. We're yet to give it the full review treatment so we can't say for certain it's a "best" phone for this list, but if you're considering the Z Flip 3 then it's worth holding onto your cash until we've given it a final verdict.
If the Galaxy Fold is a tablet that folds in half to become a phone, the Z Flip is a phone that folds in half to become a smaller phone. When it's open, this Samsung Galaxy phone has a big 6.7-inch display, but fold it in half and it becomes a small square that's easy to slide into a jeans or jacket pocket. We like its neat design, along with its decent all-round specs and 5G connectivity and it's a more affordable folding option among Samsung Galaxy phones.
Read our Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 review.
Patrick Holland/CNET
If you're someone who prefers smaller, pocket-friendly devices, this is the phone for you. The 6.1-inch iPhone 13 Mini is easy to use with one hand and even fits into tight jean pockets. Starting at $699, this is the cheapest model in Apple's iPhone 13 lineup. While battery life isn't as long as the iPhone 13, this petite Apple iPhone doesn't sacrifice on camera capabilities or processing power.
Another analyst firm has predicted phone shipments will drop this year, with IDC forecasting 3.5% fewer phone shipments in 2022 down to 1.31 billion units. The report, published Wednesday, attributes reduced demand for phones to inflation as well as China's COVID-19 lockdowns.
The lockdowns are creating a bottleneck for the production of smartphones, in addition to reducing demand in the Chinese market, IDC said.
"The smartphone industry is facing increasing headwinds from many fronts: weakening demand, inflation, continued geo-political tensions and ongoing supply chain constraints. However, the impact of the China lockdowns -- which have no clear end in sight -- are far greater," said Nabila Popal, research director at IDC's Worldwide Mobility and Consumer Device Trackers.
The analyst firm expects there to be a rebound and growth by 2026, however.
Read also: Best Phone to Buy For 2022
iPhones will be least affected by the shortage, IDC said, due to Apple having "greater control over its supply chain" and because its higher-end phone customers are less affected by inflation.
Strategy Analytics in April predicted smartphone shipments would contract by around 2% due to "geopolitical issues, component shortages, price inflation, exchange rate volatility and COVID disruption," while TrendForce in May downgraded its smartphone production forecast for a second time, citing rising inflation and the war in Ukraine.
It follows reports last week that iPhone production would remain flat in 2022 while Samsung reportedly cut its phone production by 30 million this year.
Apple and Samsung didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Best iPhone Deals: Save Up to $800 With Trade-In, Gift Card Deals and More
Best iPhone Deals: Save Up to $800 With Trade-In, Gift Card Deals and More
Apple's iPhones are among the best phones out there but they certainly aren't the cheapest. Some of the top iPhone models go for $1,000 and up. Even at the low end, Apple's entry-level iPhone SE will set you back $429 or more so it's well worth hunting down an iPhone deal to make the cost a little more palatable.
The iPhone 13 Pro is one of the top phones you can buy right now.
Andrew Hoyle/CNET
Fortunately, we're constantly scouring the web for the best iPhone deals so that you don't have to. We keep tabs on iPhone prices across all of the major retailers and also have our finger on the pulse when it comes to carrier promotions and phone deals during seasonal sales. Below, we've rounded up the best iPhone deals currently available to make things easy for you.
iPhone 13 deals
The iPhone 13 series is Apple's current flagship line of phones and includes the diminutive iPhone 13 mini, standard iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro and top-spec iPhone 13 Pro Max. Being Apple's latest and greatest, these phones don't come cheap though there are plenty of iPhone deals out there to cut their sticker prices down to size. Check out our iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro reviews for everything you need to know on these devices and scroll down for the latest iPhone 13 deals.
Apple is offering up to $600 in credit when you trade in an eligible device. The service is called Apple Trade In and the steps to get it are described on the Apple website. First, you'll answer some questions to get an estimated trade-in value. You can then finance your phone and Apple will apply the value as credit, or you can pay the full amount of the phone and they'll credit your payment method after receiving the old phone. Say you have an iPhone 12 that's in great condition and you get a $600 credit. That makes your new iPhone 13 just $200.
One of the best trade-in options is with AT&T. You can get up to $700 off your new iPhone 13, making it just $99 after trade-in. Eligible items include the iPhone 12, iPhone 11 and iPhone X. You have to pay the remaining balance in installments and it can only be activated with an AT&T monthly plan. This deal is open to both new and existing customers who want to upgrade or add a line.
Verizon is offering up to $800 off iPhone 13 purchases when you trade in your old or damaged device and get a new line. That figure falls to $440 for upgrading existing lines. You have to buy the iPhone 13 with a select 5G Unlimited plan, which can start at $65 a month for a welcome plan and go up to $90 a month for unlimited data and 50GB high-speed mobile hotspot data. Devices eligible for that maximum trade-in value include iPhone X or newer. You can get an extra $200 in credit when you switch from another carrier, or save up to $150 when you also purchase a smartwatch. Save $30 on AirPods, too, with any iPhone purchase at Verizon.
You can save up to $100 when you buy an iPhone 13 at Boost Mobile. Both new and existing customers can capitalize on this deal. The 13 Pro is also $100 off at the carrier. Since Boost Mobile is a prepaid carrier, you have to buy the phone outright; there are no financing options.
iPhone 12 deals
Though no longer the latest model, Apple still sells the iPhone 12 and reduced is price when the iPhone 13 launched in 2021 making for some stellar iPhone deals. It's a solid upgrade for anyone still using an older iPhone that doesn't want to spend top dollar to have the latest and greatest tech.
Apple offers as much as $600 off iPhone purchases with trade-in, though the top discounts are for people trading in iPhone 12 series devices which you're unlikely to be doing when buying an iPhone 12. That being said, older models like iPhone 11 Pro Max can still net you up to $400 off and select Android phones are also eligible for trade-in.
Verizon is offering $700 off iPhone 12 with a new line on an unlimited plan meaning you can effectively get the 64GB device for free there without the need to hand over your old phone. There's an additional $200 bonus for switchers, too. If you're upgrading an existing line, you'll get $350 off iPhone 12.
AT&T is cutting iPhone 12 prices in half and you don't even need to trade in an older device to get in on the savings. The deal requires an eligible installment plan and you'll receive the 50% discount (up to $365) in the form of bill credits applied over 36 months.
T-Mobile has a few deals on iPhone 12 right now including as much as $800 off when you trade in your old phone and add a new line ($400 for existing customers). Devices eligible for the maximum value include iPhone XR and newer plus a variety of Android phones. Alternatively, you can buy one iPhone 13 or iPhone 12 series device and get up to $700 off a second via 24 monthly bill credits when you activate two or more new lines. If the iPhone 12 mini is what you're after, there's an extra deal on that model dropping it down to just $250 for new customers.
You can save up to $200 when you buy an iPhone 13 at Boost Mobile. Both new and existing customers can capitalize on this deal. Since Boost Mobile is a prepaid carrier, you have to buy the phone outright; there are no financing options.
Get your iPhone 12 via Visible, port in your number, and receive $150 back as a gift card to spend wherever Mastercard is accepted. The deal requires you to transfer your number within 30 days and after completing three full months of service payments you'll receive a code to claim your virtual gift card. Go for the iPhone 12 mini and you'll get a $100 gift card.
iPhone SE (2022) deals
The budget option in Apple's lineup, the iPhone SE is targeted squarely at people who want a no-frills iPhone experience. It's the perfect device for anyone who wants to stick with the familiar home button-first experience and the device was updated for 2022 with powerful new internals to ensure the device will be functional for years to come. With a starting price of just $429, you can snag a great iPhone SE deal on one if you know where to look.
Surprisingly, Best Buy doesn't seem to be carrying any unlocked models of the iPhone SE. But if you're a T-Mobile customer, there is an offer you can take advantage of. Customers who use T-Mobile as their carrier can save up to $215 in monthly bill credits on their new iPhone SE. Just note that you'll have to add a new line of service, and choose the 24-month installment plan to get the discount. T-Mobile customers will also get an extra $100 in savings, on top of the usual value, when they trade in a used device.
If you prefer to buy your new iPhone right from the source, you can do that with the iPhone SE. Apple has all the carrier models along with the unlocked one. And if you're already an iPhone owner looking to switch to the new SE, Apple is offering up to $600 when you trade-in an iPhone 8 or newer. With a base price of $429, that means that you could theoretically get the new SE totally free. If your trade-in value exceeds the cost of your new phone, you'll receive an Apple Gift Card for the remainder. If your trade-in doesn't cover the full cost, you can pay the remaining cost in full, or or split it into 24 months of interest-free payments when you use an Apple Card during checkout.
There is also an exclusive offer for existing T-Mobile customers, who will receive up to $400 of credit with the trade-in of an iPhone X or newer.
While Verizon deals on upgrading existing lines are pretty slim right now, there is a great offer available if you're looking to add a new line of service. When you buy an iPhone SE on a new line with any unlimited plan, you can save $430, which gets you the 64GB model for free. Just note that the discount will be applied in the form of monthly credits over a three-month period, even if you buy the phone outright.
Plus, if you're in the market for even more Apple devices, Verizon is offering up to $200 off iPads and $150 off Apple Watches over a period of 36 months with the purchase of a new iPhone SE. This offer is valid for new and existing customers, but you are required to have a data plan for the new device as well as the phone.
New and existing customers on any Sprint or T-Mobile plan are able to save $400 on the iPhone SE when trading in an eligible device. This comes in the form of 24 monthly credits, but you'll only pay $29 (plus tax) for the iPhone SE. And if you're looking to add a new line to your plan, you can save up to $215 on the iPhone SE via 24 monthly credits, no trade-in required.
Buy your iPhone SE (2022) at Visible, port in your number, and receive $200 back as a gift card to spend wherever Mastercard is accepted. The deal requires you to transfer your number within 30 days and after completing three full months of service payments you'll receive a code to claim your virtual gift card.
Spectrum is another carrier that has the 2022 iPhone SE available for purchase, though the deals are pretty slim. The only offer available is an extra $100 on top of the estimated value of your device with a qualifying trade-in and a new line of service.
Metro has the best prepaid offer of any retailer or carrier out there at the moment. When you purchase an iPhone SE at full retail price and switch your existing number over to Metro's $60-per-month unlimited data plan, you'll get an instant $330 rebate. Meaning you're getting the iPhone SE for a single $100 purchase, rather than discounted via monthly credits. Those who don't have a number to switch over can still save $100 with the activation of a new line on a qualifying Metro plan. If you're looking to purchase your phone outright, this is the best offer you'll find, though you'll have to actually go to the store in person to claim it.
Note: Because Metro is owned by T-Mobile, this offer is not available to those switching their number from an existing T-Mobile plan.
Older iPhone deals
In recent years, Apple has formed a habit of keeping some older iPhone models in the lineup at reduced prices for those that don't want to pay more for newer devices. Because of this, it's possible to find some really competitive iPhone deals on previous-gen models.
Get your iPhone SE (2020) via Visible, port in your number, and receive $100 back as a gift card to spend wherever Mastercard is accepted. The deal requires you to transfer your number within 30 days and after completing three full months of service payments you'll receive a code to claim your virtual gift card.
Which iPhone is the best?
While it appears a simple question at first, the best iPhone for you might be different to the best iPhone for someone else. Apple currently sells eight different iPhone models, so choosing the right one for you means assessing your needs and preferences when it comes to things like design, features, cameras and price.
The current iPhone 13 is our pick as the best iPhone for most people as it balances top-tier features with a relatively affordable price (especially with the above deals). It has a bright and clear OLED display, 5G support, cameras that are more than good enough for day to day use and the A15 Bionic chip powering it is a portable powerhouse.
Take the step up to the iPhone 13 Pro line and you'll get an additional camera lens for macro photography, an extra GPU core, a high-refresh rate display and a heftier feeling stainless steel construction. It's the best iPhone for those that want the latest and greatest technology from Apple.
Sarah Tew/CNET
If value is your main decision driver, the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini are still available from Apple and from carriers with some significant markdowns. Just because these are previous-gen devices it doesn't mean they might not be the best iPhone for you with their great displays, cameras and speedy performance making them great value for money. Plus, Apple is great at supporting its older devices with software updates for many years after they are released.
If you want the most affordable iPhone, you're going to be looking at the iPhone SE (at least when it comes to brand new phones, that is). Updated for 2022, the 3rd generation iPhone SE maintains the overall design of the iPhone 8 which will be familiar to a lot of iPhone buyers. Don't be fooled by its classic appearance, though, as inside it is powered by the beefy A15 Bionic chip found in the current flagship iPhone models. It also offers 5G connectivity and a 12-megapixel camera. For $429, it's a lot of iPhone for not a lot of money.
What is the cheapest iPhone?
To buy outright in new condition, the iPhone SE is going to offer the cheapest iPhone prices. It starts at $429 contract-free and you can find carrier deals offering iPhone SE deals from as little as $11 per month making it a super affordable choice.
Apple also still sells the iPhone 11 from $500 meaning you can get a more modern-looking device with an edge-to-edge display and dual camera system for not much more, though it's powered by the slower and older A13 Bionic chip.
When is the best time to buy an iPhone?
There are a few points in the year that make the most sense to buy an iPhone. The first is when a new model launches, usually in September each year. If you're an early adopter that wants the best device as soon as possible, that's when you'll get it. It's also a great time of year to buy if you're looking for an iPhone deal as prices on older models drop to make room for the new devices.
Other times of year that make the most sense are during major sale seasons, including annual events like Labor Day sales, Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day. Apple tends not to participate in these events, at least not directly, but you can bet third-party retailers and carriers will be offering some of their best iPhone deals of the year at these times.
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What to expect from the housing market in 2022: Another sellers' market
What to expect from the housing market in 2022: Another sellers' market
This story is part of The Year Ahead, CNET's look at how the world will continue to evolve starting in 2022 and beyond.
The last 22 months have been some of the wildest in real estate history, as the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the speed and intensity of recent trends. Home prices surged to record-breaking highs. Interest rates dropped to historic lows. And, amongst it all, the new era of online home buying and selling took further root. On top of that, just about every contemporary macro-economic trend -- from inflation to supply chain woes to labor shortages -- made an appearance in the 2021 housing market, increasing the advantages of existing homeowners, daunting prospective homebuyers and, ultimately, further widening wealth inequality in the US.
Though no one can predict what the next year will bring, we've asked some industry experts to help us read the tea leaves. Perhaps most significantly, home prices are expected to continue to rise, though at a slower rate than last year. As such, the 2022 housing market will present challenges for new buyers looking to get a foothold. For those looking to sell, new technologies like iBuying will continue to streamline and simplify real estate transactions. And existing homeowners will likely have another year to capitalize on rising property values through refinancing -- if they haven't already.
Experts also predict an extension of two major 2021 trends: low housing inventory and supply chain issues, both of which will continue to hamstring construction and renovations. Meanwhile, there are two new spectres on the scene: inflation and rising interest rates. "For a homebuyer, 2022 is going to require patience and strategy," said Robert Dietz, chief economist the National Association of Home Builders.
"If you think you're going to wait on the sidelines for the market to cool off, that usually doesn't work," cautions Karan Kaul, senior research associate at the Urban Institute. "Timing" the market is a tricky enterprise, and prices seem unlikely to decrease meaningfully any time soon.
With the caveat that political and virological developments can wreak havoc on this unpredictable corner of the economy, here are some of the major factors experts see influencing the housing market in 2022.
Still smoking: Home prices continue to rise
If you already own a home, you're more than likely to be in a fortunate position. Skyrocketing home values have continued to increase equity for homeowners in many US regions throughout the pandemic, according to Dietz.
Combined with historically low interest rates, a record-breaking number of homeowners were able to tap into their home equity in 2020. As property values surged during the first year of the pandemic, cash-out refinancing levels were at their highest since the 2007 financial crisis.
Of course, this creates a much more difficult situation for prospective homebuyers. And that's unlikely to change much in 2022. Although prices are expected to increase at a lower rate next year, they are expected to continue to rise. And that -- in addition to higher interest rates -- will create considerable headwinds for buyers throughout 2022.
Clogged supply chains cause more delays
Supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic continue to delay shipments which impedes new construction. That is only making the market that much more competitive along with the rising price of existing homes across the US. And the number of people looking to buy is also increasing, thanks in large part to millennials entering the housing market in growing numbers.
"We've seen so much interest in buying homes over the past year and a half, it's a bit difficult to project when that is going to lose some steam," according to Robert Heck, vice president of mortgage at Morty, a mortgage-tech start-up. But it's clear there are still plenty of buyers trying to enter the market despite prices continuing to creep up.
"Despite the fact that builder confidence is pretty strong right now, in the short run there is a lack of building materials, higher cost of building materials like lumber, appliances, windows and doors, and even garage doors," said Dietz. And further complicating the picture is a sustained labor shortage, particularly for skilled construction workers.
Delivery delays can extend build time by as much as four to eight weeks for a typical single family home. And if there aren't enough contractors on hand to use those materials once they show up, it's clear that demand will continue to outweigh supply for some time to come.
Macro headwinds: Interest rates and inflation
Prospective homebuyers will want to keep their eyes on some wonky stuff in 2022. The Federal Reserve announced that it will wind down bond purchasing and look to raise interest rates next year. And higher interest rates will only make things more difficult for those looking to buy, as they raise both the average monthly payment and the total lifetime cost of a mortgage.
And don't forget about inflation! That will almost certainly increase both the cost of home building materials and skilled labor. In fact, the National Association of Realtors' anticipates that annual median home prices will increase by 5.7% in 2022.
And yet it's not all doom and gloom. Mortgage interest remains are still quite low. And there are pockets of affordability in many regions of the US, creating a key opportunity for those fortunate enough to be able to work remotely.
"Mortgage rates are still at historical lows, and it's been harder than ever to predict where things are going thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic," said Heck.
Tech innovations reshape home buying
Digital lending has already impacted the way Americans shop for homes. The rapid rise of online real estate brokerages and mortgage marketplaces has made it easier than ever to browse properties and finance a home. That's unlikely to change: Almost 40% of millennials said they would feel comfortable buying a home online in a recent Zillow study.
"Consumers like the ability to bid remotely, and to really take a look at properties and neighborhoods online," said Miriam Moore, division president of default services at ServiceLink, a mortgage transactional services provider. This will likely impact both sides of transactions, as sellers learn to adapt their home's curb appeal to someone looking at it on their phone and buyers (and agents and investors) look for ways to arbitrage the market.
An evolving challenge: Climate change
Perhaps the biggest unknown in real estate is how soon climate change will become the dominant factor. According to experts across the industry, every part of the homebuying process will eventually be affected by changing weather patterns, encroaching shorelines, shifting flood zones and an increasingly complicated insurance marketplace. Case in point: Moore, who is in the mortgage business, has seen an increase in inspections due to weather and fire over the last year.
New construction may prove to be both more energy efficient and more durable in the face of extreme weather. "People want to live in energy efficient homes, but they can only buy them if they exist," said Kaul, at The Urban Institute.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Buying a house remains one of the most reliable ways to build wealth and has long been a key milestone for Americans in establishing long-term financial security. And although interest rates remain as low as ever, given all of the other trends impacting the real estate market in 2022, the balance of power is likely to remain in the hands of sellers.
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TV Shopping? Consider buying a 2021 TV (and Save Money)
TV Shopping? Consider buying a 2021 TV (and Save Money)
What's happening
New 2022 TV models are now available, but plenty of 2021 TVs are still out there.
Why it matters
2022 TVs might be newer, but they're also more expensive and have similar features to the 2021 models. You'll save money right now by grabbing a 2021 unit. Or wait until the fall when 2022 TVs will be on sale.
If you're looking to get a new TV without breaking the bank, opting for last year's model or waiting a few months until prices drop on 2022 models are your best bets to get all the features you want while still saving money. That's because TVs are a mature technology, which means that new, groundbreaking features don't come out every single year. Changes are incremental, with new models adding only minor updates year-over-year. For example, a 2021 TV at a given size or price will generally have similar picture quality and features to its 2022 counterpart. There are still deals on 2021 TVs, which are significantly less expensive than the current models.
When deciding which TV to buy and when, everyone should know about the annual television pricing cycle. It starts at CES, the huge tech show that happens every January, when new TVs (plus other tech like laptops and car technology) are announced each year. Later in the spring and summer -- basically now -- many of the new models are already on the shelves. But those new sets are at their highest prices of the year. During the fall, manufacturers start slashing prices to make way for next year's crop of new TVs.
If you want the latest and greatest technology you're probably already set on a 2022 model and you'll certainly be able to save money on those in the fall. But if you're looking to get a new TV right now, scooping up a deal on a 2021 set is going to be the most affordable option. Just know that you'll probably have to jump on a bargain when you see them, as eventually manufacturers will sell out of their 2021 models.
Read more: LG C1 vs. LG C2: Which OLED TV Should You Buy?
Sony and Samsung TVs with QD-OLED, a new technology promising better picture quality, are expensive and only available in 55- and 65-inch sizes.
Sony
If I buy a 2021 model now, what new features am I missing?
To put it succinctly, not too much. There's always something new around the corner, but changes from year-to-year are usually incremental. If you worry about missing out on the latest and greatest tech, it should give you peace of mind that even if something really new hits the market, it's going to be very expensive.
New QD-OLED TVs from Samsung and Sony are a good example. They combine OLED displays with quantum dot technology, and claim higher brightness and better color compared to current OLED TVs. One of these new sets might sound enticing, but QD-OLEDs come with a premium price tag, so they might be tough to recommend over more-affordable OLEDs like the LG C2.
Read more: QD-OLED: Everything We Know About the Newest TV Tech From Samsung and Sony
In 2022, traditional OLED TVs are arriving in untraditional sizes. This year, LG introduced the 42-inch C2 Series TV, the smallest OLED on the market, while also laying claim to the largest OLED available with the 97-inch G2 TV.
New for 2022, LG's OLED C2 now comes in 42- and 97-inch sizes.
Richard Peterson/CNET
Mini-LED TVs are also on the rise and could deliver close-to-OLED picture quality, but the new models we know about so far will also be expensive. The Sony Z9K and X95K are the company's first models with mini-LED, and the TCL X925pro has a new kind of slimmer mini-LED backlight, but none of them will be cheap. Samsung, TCL and Vizio are expected to announce more TVs later this year, many of which will use mini-LED, but we doubt they'll offer huge improvements over the 2021 models.
Also rolling out across the country is NextGen TV, aka ATSC 3.0. This is free over-the-air 4K TV, and it's moving forward quite quickly -- it might already be available in your city. In 2022 we'll see more TVs with built-in tuners that cost less than ever. Don't feel you need to rush to upgrade, or get those specific models however, since in the worst case you'll be able to buy a cheap external tuner and connect that to your TV.
Read more:Gaming Modes, Webcams and QD-OLED: Which 2022 TV Trends Stand Out?
There's also HDMI 2.1. While 2.1 has several new technologies that are great, it's not going to make any current TVs obsolete (unless it's a current 8K TV, but that's yet another story). As long as your current TV works with your current sources, you should be fine.
Really old TVs, older than 10 years, might have issues connecting to modern streaming and disc sources, but there's no real workaround for that. If your TV doesn't work with a new Roku or Blu-ray player, then you might need to upgrade if you want to use one of those.
Do I need to upgrade?
Forget all the new tech. If your TV works and you're happy with it, keep it. Don't feel any pressure to upgrade.
Modern TVs are, on average, brighter and have better picture quality than the TVs from a few years ago. Unless you're the type of videophile who wants to tweak every setting and fixates on nits and color accuracy, however, you probably don't need a new TV.
The pressure to upgrade is pervasive in our tech culture, but TVs tend to last (and be perfectly functional) longer than most devices. They don't, for example, have batteries that lose capacity like mobile phones -- or have wires that wear out like headphones. A TV from five or even 10 years ago likely works fine, though it might not look as good as the current 4K HDR TVs. So again, if that's not a huge deal for you, you can likely keep what you have for a few more years.
Read more: Best TVs for PS5 and Xbox Series X, Series S
This is even true when considering new consoles, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. If you've got a PS4, Xbox One or any console connected via HDMI, the new consoles should work fine. They might look better on a new TV, but they'll still look great on yours.
If your TV is having issues, or you just want something larger, that's a different story. New TVs are much cheaper per inch than TVs of the past. You'll be able to replace your current TV with something the same size, looks better and is cheaper than your old TV. Or you can pay the same amount as your old TV and get something that's far bigger.
When is the best time to buy a TV?
TV sales are the biggest in the fall and culminate on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. There are always some incredibly cheap 4K TVs on offer, but that's not the whole story.
First of all, the TVs that get the huge discounts are usually either no-name brands, or low-end models from name brands. They're fine if you just want a cheap TV, but they're not going to offer the picture quality of an even slightly higher-end model. The best TVs go on sale as well, but deep discounts on those are less common.
TV sales happen all year, but Black Friday season sees the biggest discounts.
Roberto Machado Noa/Getty Images
Second, massive discounts on TVs are rare in general. It might be counterintuitive, but TVs typically don't have much mark-up. There isn't a lot of profit in a $500 TV. So unless the store is trying to clear out stock, you shouldn't expect a gigantic drop in price even during sales. Plenty of good discounts are available, they're just not going to be "50% off" or similar, unless there's a specific reason that model is getting such an extreme discount. Or it's a doorbuster in limited quantities.
Third, most big companies don't allow stores to offer their own pricing. This is called UPP, or unilateral pricing policy. It means that a TV from that company is going to cost the same, whether it's on Amazon, in Best Buy, or anywhere else. Well, anywhere else that wants to continue selling TVs from that company. If this sounds sketchy, it is, but that's a topic for a different article.
The Samsung Frame may look sophisticated, but your current TV might work just as well.
Samsung
All in all, is it worth upgrading my TV?
Here's the short version:
Get a new TV now if:
Your current TV is having issues, or is too old to connect to a streaming service like Netflix.
You're willing to buy from a place that has a price-match policy, in case there's a sale.
You want something bigger than what you have now.
Don't get a TV now if:
Your current TV works fine.
There's literally anything else you need or want to spend money on.
If you've got the itch for something new, but you're still on the fence, consider giving your TV a bit of a makeover. If you've never adjusted the settings, it's easy to do and will probably make your TV look better than it ever has. That might tide you over for a bit.
And if you finally decide that, yes, you're ready to buy a new TV now, we at CNET do have some guidelines and suggested models.
As well as covering TV and other display tech, Geoff Morrison does photo tours of cool museums and locations around the world, including nuclear submarines, massive aircraft carriers, medieval castles, airplane graveyards and more.
You can follow his exploits on Instagram and his travel video series on YouTube. He also wrote a bestselling sci-fi novel about city-size submarines, along with a sequel.
§
NextGen TV, aka ATSC 3.0, is continuing its rapid rollout across the country. Major markets like Los Angeles, Atlanta, Denver, Houston and more all have stations transmitting. Meanwhile New York, Boston, and many other markets are slated to have broadcasts later this year. While not every station in every market has a NextGen TV counterpart, more and more are coming on the air.
What's NextGen TV? It's an update to the free HDTV you can already get over-the-air in nearly every city in the US. There's no monthly fee, but you do need either a new TV with a built-in tuner or a standalone external tuner. The standard allows broadcast stations to send higher quality signals than ever before with features like 4K, HDR, 120 Hz, and more. ATSC 3.0 proponents also claim better reception indoors and on-the-go -- whether it's on your phone, or even in your car. The best part is that if you're watching it on your TV it uses the same standard antennas available today.
One potential downside? ATSC 3.0 will also let broadcasters track your viewing habits, information that can be used for targeted advertising, just like companies such as Facebook and Google use today.
Read more:Best TV antennas for cord cutters, starting at just $10
NextGen TV to you
ATSC.org
Here's the top-line info:
If you get your TV from streaming, cable or satellite, NextGen TV/ATSC 3.0 won't affect you at all.
The transition is voluntary. Stations don't have to switch. Many have already, however, for reasons we'll explain below.
It's not backwards-compatible with the current HD standard (ATSC 1.0), so your current TV won't be able to receive it. Your current antenna should work fine though.
Stations that switch to NextGen TV will still have to keep broadcasting ATSC 1.0 for five years.
There are multiple models and sizes of TV with built-in tuners available now from Hisense, LG, Sony, Samsung and others.
As of the beginning of 2022 the majority of the largest markets in the US have at least one channel broadcasting NextGen TV. By the end of 2022, nearly all major and many minor markets will have multiple channels .
Here's the map of actual stations as of January 2022. Orange denotes stations that are live now. Blue is launching before summer. White sometime after the summer.
ATSC
How it will work in your home
Put simply: If you connect an antenna to your TV you will receive free programming, just like most people can get now. Yet, that is selling the potential benefits of NextGen TV short.
NextGen TV is IP-based, so in practice it can be moved around your home just like any internet content can right now. For example, you connect an antenna to a tuner box inside your home, but that box is not connected to your TV at all. Instead, it's connected to your router. This means anything with access to your network can have access to over-the-air TV, be it your TV, your phone, your tablet or even a streaming device like Apple TV. There will be traditional tuners as well, of course, but this is a new and interesting alternative.
This also means it's possible we'll see mobile devices with built-in tuners, so you can watch live TV while you're out and about, like you can with Netflix and YouTube now. How willing phone companies will be to put tuners in their phones remains to be seen, however. You don't see a lot of phones that can get radio broadcasts now, even though such a thing is easy to implement. We'll talk more about that in a moment.
'Voluntary'
In November of 2017, the Federal Communications Commission approved ATSC 3.0 as the next generation of broadcast standard, on a "voluntary, market-driven basis" (PDF). It also required stations to continue broadcasting ATSC 1.0 (i.e. "HD"). This is actually part of the issue as to why it's voluntary.
During the mandatory DTV transition in the early 2000s, stations in a city were given a new frequency (channel, in other words), to broadcast digital TV, while they still broadcast analog on their old channel. These older channels were eventually reclaimed by the FCC for other uses when the proverbial switch was flipped to turn off analog broadcasts. Since a changeover isn't occurring this time around, stations and markets are left to themselves how best to share or use the over-the-air spectrum in their areas.
Because there's no new bandwidth, broadcasters will temporarily share transmitters. Two or more stations will use one tower for ATSC 1.0 (HD) broadcasts and those stations will use another tower for ATSC 3.0 (UHD) broadcasts. This will mean a temporary reduction in bandwidth for each channel, but potentially a limited impact on picture quality due to the better modern HD encoders. More info here.
ATSC/TVTechnology.com
While it's not a mandatory standard, many broadcasters still seem enthusiastic about NextGen. At the beginning of the roll-out, then executive vice president of communications at the National Association of Broadcasters Dennis Wharton told CNET that the improvement in quality, overall coverage and the built-in safety features mean that most stations would be enthusiastic to offer ATSC 3.0.
John Hane, president of the Spectrum Consortium (an industry group with broadcasters Sinclair, Nexstar and Univision as members), was equally confident: "The FCC had to make it voluntary because the FCC couldn't provide transition channels. [The industry] asked the FCC to make it voluntary. We want the market to manage it. We knew the market would demand it, and broadcasters and hardware makers in fact are embracing it."
Given the competition broadcasters have with cable, streaming and so on, 3.0 could be a way to stabilize or even increase their income by offering better picture quality, better coverage and, most importantly, targeted ads.
Ah yes, targeted ads…
Broadcast TV will know what you're watching
One of NextGen TV's more controversial features is a "return data path," which is a way for the station you're watching to know you're watching. Not only does this allow a more accurate count of who's watching what shows, but it creates the opportunity for every marketer's dream: targeted advertising.
Ads specific to your viewing habits, income level and even ethnicity (presumed by your neighborhood, for example) could get slotted in by your local station. This is something brand-new for broadcast TV. Today, over-the-air broadcasts are pretty much the only way to watch television that doesn't track your viewing habits. Sure, the return data path could also allow "alternative audio tracks and interactive elements," but it's the targeted ads and tracking many observers are worried about.
The finer details are all still being worked out, but here's the thing: If your TV is connected to the internet, it's already tracking you. Pretty much every app, streaming service, smart TV and cable or satellite box all track your usage to a greater or lesser extent.
Return data path is still in the planning stages, even as the other aspects of NextGen TV are already going live. There is a silver lining: There will be an opt-out option. While it also requires Internet access, if this type of thing bothers you, just don't connect your TV or NextGen TV receiver to the internet. You will inevitably lose some of the other features of NextGen TV, however.
That said, we'll keep an eye on this for any further developments.
Free TV on your phone?
Another point of potential contention is getting ATSC 3.0 tuners into phones. At a most basic level, carriers like AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile are in the business of selling you data. If suddenly you can get lots of high-quality content for free on your phone, they potentially lose money. Ever wonder why your phone doesn't have an FM radio tuner? Same reason.
T-Mobile made a preemptive strike along those lines all the way back in September 2017, writing a white paper (PDF) that, among other things, claims, "In light of the detrimental effects that inclusion of ATSC 3.0 can have on the cost and size of a device, the technology trade-offs required to accommodate competing technologies, and the reduced performance and spectral efficiency that it will have for other mobile bands and services, the decision as to whether to include ATSC 3.0 in a device must be left to the market to decide."
"The market" determined you didn't need an FM tuner in your phone, and in the few phones that had an FM tuner, if you bought it through an American provider, it was almost always disabled.
TV broadcasters, on the other hand, are huge fans of ATSC 3.0 on mobile phones. It means more potential eyeballs and, incidentally, a guarantee of active internet access for that return data path. John Hane of the Spectrum Consortium feels that tuners built into phones is "inevitable," and that international adoption of ATSC 3.0 will help push it forward. Wharton says that the focus is getting TVs to work, but mobile is in the plan.
Then there's portable TVs, of which there are HD versions on the market and have been for years. The next-generation ATSC 3.0 versions of these will likely get better reception in addition to the higher resolution offered by the new standard.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Cost (for you)
NextGen TV is not backward compatible with current TV tuners. To get it, you'll eventually need either a new TV or an external tuner.
However, you shouldn't feel a push to upgrade since:
1. NextGen TV/ATSC 3.0 isn't mandatory, and it doesn't affect cable, satellite or streaming TV.
2. HD tuners cost as little as $30 to $40 now, and NextGen TV tuners, which currently sell between $200 and $300, will eventually be cheap as well.
3. Even after they start NextGen broadcasts, stations will have to keep broadcasting regular old HD.
Here's the actual language:
"The programming aired on the ATSC 1.0 simulcast channel must be 'substantially similar' to the programming aired on the 3.0 channel. This means that the programming must be the same, except for programming features that are based on the enhanced capabilities of ATSC 3.0, advertisements and promotions for upcoming programs. The substantially similar requirement will sunset in five years from its effective date absent further action by the Commission to extend it."
In other words, the HD broadcast has to be essentially the same as the new 3.0 broadcast for five years, perhaps longer depending on future FCC actions.
Which brings us to point 3. By the time people had to buy them, HD tuners were inexpensive and are even more so now. The HD tuner I use is currently $26 on Amazon. The first generation NextGen tuners available now are more expensive than that, though they're not outrageous. We'll discuss those below. By the time anyone actually requires one, however, they'll almost certainly be affordable.
Which is good, because there aren't any planned subsidies this time around for people to get a tuner for cheap. I'm sure this is at least partly due to how few people actually still use OTA as their sole form of TV reception. Maybe this will change as more stations convert, but we're a ways away from that.
As you can see, there are lots of parts that need to get upgraded all along the chain before you can get 3.0 in your home.
ATSC/TVTechnology.com
Here's another way to think about it: The first HD broadcasts began in the mid-90s, but when did you buy your first HDTV? As far as the 3.0 transition is concerned we're in the late-90s, maybe generously the early 2000s, now. Things seem like they're moving at a much more rapid pace than the transition from analog to DTV/HDTV, but even so, it will be a long time before ATSC 3.0 completely replaces the current standard.
How to get NextGen right now
LG
If you want to check it out for yourself, many of you already can. The first stop is to go to WatchNextGenTV.com. That website will help you find what stations in your area are broadcasting, or which ones will soon.
Next up you'll need something to receive it. If you're in the market for a new TV there are several options available from Hisense, LG, Samsung, and Sony. Here's our list of all the 2022 TVs with built-in next-gen tuners.
If you want to check out NextGen TV without buying a new television, you'll need an external tuner. It's still early days, so there aren't many options.
The Tablo ATSC 3.0 Quad HDMI DVR
Nuvvyo
At CES 2022 Nuvvyo announced the Tablo, a quad-tuner box that can connect to a TV directly, or transmit over a network to Rokus, Apple TVs, or computers on your home network.
The Silicon Dust has two models, the $199 HomeRun Flex 4K and the $279 HomeRun Scribe 4K. Both have ATSC 1.0 and 3.0 tuners.
If you want a more traditional tuner, BitRouter plans to start shipping its first ZapperBox M1 tuners in the spring. You can reserve one now for $249. It doesn't have internal storage, but BitRouter plans to add the ability to save content on network-attached storage, or NAS, devices via a firmware update. They also plan to add the ability to send the content around your home network, like what the Scribe 4K does.
Zapperbox
Then there's what to watch. Being early in the process, you're not going to find much 4K content, possibly not any. This was the same with the early years of HDTV. It's also going to vary per area. There is certainly a lot of 4K content being produced right now, and that has been the case for several years. So in that way, we're in better shape than we were in the early days of HD.
Basic and paid cable channels over-the-air?
One company is using the bandwidth and IP nature of NextGen to do something a little different. It's a hybrid paid TV service, sort of like cable/satellite, but using over-the-air broadcasts to deliver the content. It's called Evoca, and right now it's available only in Boise, Idaho. Edge Networks is the company behind it, and it wants to roll it out to other small markets where cable offerings are limited, and broadband speeds are slow or expensive.
It's an interesting idea for underserved and often forgotten-about markets.
Read more: Cable TV channels and 4K from an antenna?
Seeing the future
The transition from analog broadcasting to HD, if you count from the formation of the Grand Alliance to the final analog broadcast, took 16 years.
Though many aspects of technology move rapidly, getting dozens of companies, plus the governments of the US and many other countries, all to agree to specific standards, takes time. So does the testing of the new tech. There are a lot of cogs and sprockets that have to align for this to work, and it would be a lot harder to fix once it's all live.
But technology moves faster and faster. It's highly doubtful it will take 16 years to fully implement NextGen TV. As we mentioned at the top, dozens of stations are already broadcasting. Will every station in your city switch to NextGen TV? Probably not, but the bigger ones likely will. This is especially true if there are already other NextGen TV stations in your area. There's a potential here for stations to make additional money in the long run with 3.0, and that's obviously a big motivator.
There's also the question of how much content there will be. If it follows the HDTV transition model, big sporting events in 4K HDR will come first, followed by lots and lots of shows featuring nature scenes and closeups of bugs. Seriously -- this was totally a thing. Then we'll see a handful of scripted prime-time shows. My guess would be the popular, solidly profitable ones that are produced (not just aired) by networks like CBS and NBC.
So should you hold off buying a new TV? Nope, not unless you only get your shows over the air. And even if you do, by the time there's enough content to be interesting, there will be cheap tuner boxes you can connect to whatever TV you have.
For now, NextGen TV seems to be well on its way.
As well as covering TV and other display tech, Geoff does photo tours of cool museums and locations around the world, including nuclear submarines, massive aircraft carriers, medieval castles, epic 10,000 mile road trips, and more. Check out Tech Treks for all his tours and adventures.
He wrote a bestselling sci-fi novel about city-size submarines, along with a sequel. You can follow his adventures on Instagram and his YouTube channel.
TV Shopping? Consider buying a 2021 TV (and Save Money)
TV Shopping? Consider buying a 2021 TV (and Save Money)
What's happening
New 2022 TV models are now available, but plenty of 2021 TVs are still out there.
Why it matters
2022 TVs might be newer, but they're also more expensive and have similar features to the 2021 models. You'll save money right now by grabbing a 2021 unit. Or wait until the fall when 2022 TVs will be on sale.
If you're looking to get a new TV without breaking the bank, opting for last year's model or waiting a few months until prices drop on 2022 models are your best bets to get all the features you want while still saving money. That's because TVs are a mature technology, which means that new, groundbreaking features don't come out every single year. Changes are incremental, with new models adding only minor updates year-over-year. For example, a 2021 TV at a given size or price will generally have similar picture quality and features to its 2022 counterpart. There are still deals on 2021 TVs, which are significantly less expensive than the current models.
When deciding which TV to buy and when, everyone should know about the annual television pricing cycle. It starts at CES, the huge tech show that happens every January, when new TVs (plus other tech like laptops and car technology) are announced each year. Later in the spring and summer -- basically now -- many of the new models are already on the shelves. But those new sets are at their highest prices of the year. During the fall, manufacturers start slashing prices to make way for next year's crop of new TVs.
If you want the latest and greatest technology you're probably already set on a 2022 model and you'll certainly be able to save money on those in the fall. But if you're looking to get a new TV right now, scooping up a deal on a 2021 set is going to be the most affordable option. Just know that you'll probably have to jump on a bargain when you see them, as eventually manufacturers will sell out of their 2021 models.
Read more: LG C1 vs. LG C2: Which OLED TV Should You Buy?
Sony and Samsung TVs with QD-OLED, a new technology promising better picture quality, are expensive and only available in 55- and 65-inch sizes.
Sony
If I buy a 2021 model now, what new features am I missing?
To put it succinctly, not too much. There's always something new around the corner, but changes from year-to-year are usually incremental. If you worry about missing out on the latest and greatest tech, it should give you peace of mind that even if something really new hits the market, it's going to be very expensive.
New QD-OLED TVs from Samsung and Sony are a good example. They combine OLED displays with quantum dot technology, and claim higher brightness and better color compared to current OLED TVs. One of these new sets might sound enticing, but QD-OLEDs come with a premium price tag, so they might be tough to recommend over more-affordable OLEDs like the LG C2.
Read more: QD-OLED: Everything We Know About the Newest TV Tech From Samsung and Sony
In 2022, traditional OLED TVs are arriving in untraditional sizes. This year, LG introduced the 42-inch C2 Series TV, the smallest OLED on the market, while also laying claim to the largest OLED available with the 97-inch G2 TV.
New for 2022, LG's OLED C2 now comes in 42- and 97-inch sizes.
Richard Peterson/CNET
Mini-LED TVs are also on the rise and could deliver close-to-OLED picture quality, but the new models we know about so far will also be expensive. The Sony Z9K and X95K are the company's first models with mini-LED, and the TCL X925pro has a new kind of slimmer mini-LED backlight, but none of them will be cheap. Samsung, TCL and Vizio are expected to announce more TVs later this year, many of which will use mini-LED, but we doubt they'll offer huge improvements over the 2021 models.
Also rolling out across the country is NextGen TV, aka ATSC 3.0. This is free over-the-air 4K TV, and it's moving forward quite quickly -- it might already be available in your city. In 2022 we'll see more TVs with built-in tuners that cost less than ever. Don't feel you need to rush to upgrade, or get those specific models however, since in the worst case you'll be able to buy a cheap external tuner and connect that to your TV.
Read more:Gaming Modes, Webcams and QD-OLED: Which 2022 TV Trends Stand Out?
There's also HDMI 2.1. While 2.1 has several new technologies that are great, it's not going to make any current TVs obsolete (unless it's a current 8K TV, but that's yet another story). As long as your current TV works with your current sources, you should be fine.
Really old TVs, older than 10 years, might have issues connecting to modern streaming and disc sources, but there's no real workaround for that. If your TV doesn't work with a new Roku or Blu-ray player, then you might need to upgrade if you want to use one of those.
Do I need to upgrade?
Forget all the new tech. If your TV works and you're happy with it, keep it. Don't feel any pressure to upgrade.
Modern TVs are, on average, brighter and have better picture quality than the TVs from a few years ago. Unless you're the type of videophile who wants to tweak every setting and fixates on nits and color accuracy, however, you probably don't need a new TV.
The pressure to upgrade is pervasive in our tech culture, but TVs tend to last (and be perfectly functional) longer than most devices. They don't, for example, have batteries that lose capacity like mobile phones -- or have wires that wear out like headphones. A TV from five or even 10 years ago likely works fine, though it might not look as good as the current 4K HDR TVs. So again, if that's not a huge deal for you, you can likely keep what you have for a few more years.
Read more: Best TVs for PS5 and Xbox Series X, Series S
This is even true when considering new consoles, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. If you've got a PS4, Xbox One or any console connected via HDMI, the new consoles should work fine. They might look better on a new TV, but they'll still look great on yours.
If your TV is having issues, or you just want something larger, that's a different story. New TVs are much cheaper per inch than TVs of the past. You'll be able to replace your current TV with something the same size, looks better and is cheaper than your old TV. Or you can pay the same amount as your old TV and get something that's far bigger.
When is the best time to buy a TV?
TV sales are the biggest in the fall and culminate on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. There are always some incredibly cheap 4K TVs on offer, but that's not the whole story.
First of all, the TVs that get the huge discounts are usually either no-name brands, or low-end models from name brands. They're fine if you just want a cheap TV, but they're not going to offer the picture quality of an even slightly higher-end model. The best TVs go on sale as well, but deep discounts on those are less common.
TV sales happen all year, but Black Friday season sees the biggest discounts.
Roberto Machado Noa/Getty Images
Second, massive discounts on TVs are rare in general. It might be counterintuitive, but TVs typically don't have much mark-up. There isn't a lot of profit in a $500 TV. So unless the store is trying to clear out stock, you shouldn't expect a gigantic drop in price even during sales. Plenty of good discounts are available, they're just not going to be "50% off" or similar, unless there's a specific reason that model is getting such an extreme discount. Or it's a doorbuster in limited quantities.
Third, most big companies don't allow stores to offer their own pricing. This is called UPP, or unilateral pricing policy. It means that a TV from that company is going to cost the same, whether it's on Amazon, in Best Buy, or anywhere else. Well, anywhere else that wants to continue selling TVs from that company. If this sounds sketchy, it is, but that's a topic for a different article.
The Samsung Frame may look sophisticated, but your current TV might work just as well.
Samsung
All in all, is it worth upgrading my TV?
Here's the short version:
Get a new TV now if:
Your current TV is having issues, or is too old to connect to a streaming service like Netflix.
You're willing to buy from a place that has a price-match policy, in case there's a sale.
You want something bigger than what you have now.
Don't get a TV now if:
Your current TV works fine.
There's literally anything else you need or want to spend money on.
If you've got the itch for something new, but you're still on the fence, consider giving your TV a bit of a makeover. If you've never adjusted the settings, it's easy to do and will probably make your TV look better than it ever has. That might tide you over for a bit.
And if you finally decide that, yes, you're ready to buy a new TV now, we at CNET do have some guidelines and suggested models.
As well as covering TV and other display tech, Geoff Morrison does photo tours of cool museums and locations around the world, including nuclear submarines, massive aircraft carriers, medieval castles, airplane graveyards and more.
You can follow his exploits on Instagram and his travel video series on YouTube. He also wrote a bestselling sci-fi novel about city-size submarines, along with a sequel.
§
NextGen TV, aka ATSC 3.0, is continuing its rapid rollout across the country. Major markets like Los Angeles, Atlanta, Denver, Houston and more all have stations transmitting. Meanwhile New York, Boston, and many other markets are slated to have broadcasts later this year. While not every station in every market has a NextGen TV counterpart, more and more are coming on the air.
What's NextGen TV? It's an update to the free HDTV you can already get over-the-air in nearly every city in the US. There's no monthly fee, but you do need either a new TV with a built-in tuner or a standalone external tuner. The standard allows broadcast stations to send higher quality signals than ever before with features like 4K, HDR, 120 Hz, and more. ATSC 3.0 proponents also claim better reception indoors and on-the-go -- whether it's on your phone, or even in your car. The best part is that if you're watching it on your TV it uses the same standard antennas available today.
One potential downside? ATSC 3.0 will also let broadcasters track your viewing habits, information that can be used for targeted advertising, just like companies such as Facebook and Google use today.
Read more:Best TV antennas for cord cutters, starting at just $10
NextGen TV to you
ATSC.org
Here's the top-line info:
If you get your TV from streaming, cable or satellite, NextGen TV/ATSC 3.0 won't affect you at all.
The transition is voluntary. Stations don't have to switch. Many have already, however, for reasons we'll explain below.
It's not backwards-compatible with the current HD standard (ATSC 1.0), so your current TV won't be able to receive it. Your current antenna should work fine though.
Stations that switch to NextGen TV will still have to keep broadcasting ATSC 1.0 for five years.
There are multiple models and sizes of TV with built-in tuners available now from Hisense, LG, Sony, Samsung and others.
As of the beginning of 2022 the majority of the largest markets in the US have at least one channel broadcasting NextGen TV. By the end of 2022, nearly all major and many minor markets will have multiple channels .
Here's the map of actual stations as of January 2022. Orange denotes stations that are live now. Blue is launching before summer. White sometime after the summer.
ATSC
How it will work in your home
Put simply: If you connect an antenna to your TV you will receive free programming, just like most people can get now. Yet, that is selling the potential benefits of NextGen TV short.
NextGen TV is IP-based, so in practice it can be moved around your home just like any internet content can right now. For example, you connect an antenna to a tuner box inside your home, but that box is not connected to your TV at all. Instead, it's connected to your router. This means anything with access to your network can have access to over-the-air TV, be it your TV, your phone, your tablet or even a streaming device like Apple TV. There will be traditional tuners as well, of course, but this is a new and interesting alternative.
This also means it's possible we'll see mobile devices with built-in tuners, so you can watch live TV while you're out and about, like you can with Netflix and YouTube now. How willing phone companies will be to put tuners in their phones remains to be seen, however. You don't see a lot of phones that can get radio broadcasts now, even though such a thing is easy to implement. We'll talk more about that in a moment.
'Voluntary'
In November of 2017, the Federal Communications Commission approved ATSC 3.0 as the next generation of broadcast standard, on a "voluntary, market-driven basis" (PDF). It also required stations to continue broadcasting ATSC 1.0 (i.e. "HD"). This is actually part of the issue as to why it's voluntary.
During the mandatory DTV transition in the early 2000s, stations in a city were given a new frequency (channel, in other words), to broadcast digital TV, while they still broadcast analog on their old channel. These older channels were eventually reclaimed by the FCC for other uses when the proverbial switch was flipped to turn off analog broadcasts. Since a changeover isn't occurring this time around, stations and markets are left to themselves how best to share or use the over-the-air spectrum in their areas.
Because there's no new bandwidth, broadcasters will temporarily share transmitters. Two or more stations will use one tower for ATSC 1.0 (HD) broadcasts and those stations will use another tower for ATSC 3.0 (UHD) broadcasts. This will mean a temporary reduction in bandwidth for each channel, but potentially a limited impact on picture quality due to the better modern HD encoders. More info here.
ATSC/TVTechnology.com
While it's not a mandatory standard, many broadcasters still seem enthusiastic about NextGen. At the beginning of the roll-out, then executive vice president of communications at the National Association of Broadcasters Dennis Wharton told CNET that the improvement in quality, overall coverage and the built-in safety features mean that most stations would be enthusiastic to offer ATSC 3.0.
John Hane, president of the Spectrum Consortium (an industry group with broadcasters Sinclair, Nexstar and Univision as members), was equally confident: "The FCC had to make it voluntary because the FCC couldn't provide transition channels. [The industry] asked the FCC to make it voluntary. We want the market to manage it. We knew the market would demand it, and broadcasters and hardware makers in fact are embracing it."
Given the competition broadcasters have with cable, streaming and so on, 3.0 could be a way to stabilize or even increase their income by offering better picture quality, better coverage and, most importantly, targeted ads.
Ah yes, targeted ads…
Broadcast TV will know what you're watching
One of NextGen TV's more controversial features is a "return data path," which is a way for the station you're watching to know you're watching. Not only does this allow a more accurate count of who's watching what shows, but it creates the opportunity for every marketer's dream: targeted advertising.
Ads specific to your viewing habits, income level and even ethnicity (presumed by your neighborhood, for example) could get slotted in by your local station. This is something brand-new for broadcast TV. Today, over-the-air broadcasts are pretty much the only way to watch television that doesn't track your viewing habits. Sure, the return data path could also allow "alternative audio tracks and interactive elements," but it's the targeted ads and tracking many observers are worried about.
The finer details are all still being worked out, but here's the thing: If your TV is connected to the internet, it's already tracking you. Pretty much every app, streaming service, smart TV and cable or satellite box all track your usage to a greater or lesser extent.
Return data path is still in the planning stages, even as the other aspects of NextGen TV are already going live. There is a silver lining: There will be an opt-out option. While it also requires Internet access, if this type of thing bothers you, just don't connect your TV or NextGen TV receiver to the internet. You will inevitably lose some of the other features of NextGen TV, however.
That said, we'll keep an eye on this for any further developments.
Free TV on your phone?
Another point of potential contention is getting ATSC 3.0 tuners into phones. At a most basic level, carriers like AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile are in the business of selling you data. If suddenly you can get lots of high-quality content for free on your phone, they potentially lose money. Ever wonder why your phone doesn't have an FM radio tuner? Same reason.
T-Mobile made a preemptive strike along those lines all the way back in September 2017, writing a white paper (PDF) that, among other things, claims, "In light of the detrimental effects that inclusion of ATSC 3.0 can have on the cost and size of a device, the technology trade-offs required to accommodate competing technologies, and the reduced performance and spectral efficiency that it will have for other mobile bands and services, the decision as to whether to include ATSC 3.0 in a device must be left to the market to decide."
"The market" determined you didn't need an FM tuner in your phone, and in the few phones that had an FM tuner, if you bought it through an American provider, it was almost always disabled.
TV broadcasters, on the other hand, are huge fans of ATSC 3.0 on mobile phones. It means more potential eyeballs and, incidentally, a guarantee of active internet access for that return data path. John Hane of the Spectrum Consortium feels that tuners built into phones is "inevitable," and that international adoption of ATSC 3.0 will help push it forward. Wharton says that the focus is getting TVs to work, but mobile is in the plan.
Then there's portable TVs, of which there are HD versions on the market and have been for years. The next-generation ATSC 3.0 versions of these will likely get better reception in addition to the higher resolution offered by the new standard.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Cost (for you)
NextGen TV is not backward compatible with current TV tuners. To get it, you'll eventually need either a new TV or an external tuner.
However, you shouldn't feel a push to upgrade since:
1. NextGen TV/ATSC 3.0 isn't mandatory, and it doesn't affect cable, satellite or streaming TV.
2. HD tuners cost as little as $30 to $40 now, and NextGen TV tuners, which currently sell between $200 and $300, will eventually be cheap as well.
3. Even after they start NextGen broadcasts, stations will have to keep broadcasting regular old HD.
Here's the actual language:
"The programming aired on the ATSC 1.0 simulcast channel must be 'substantially similar' to the programming aired on the 3.0 channel. This means that the programming must be the same, except for programming features that are based on the enhanced capabilities of ATSC 3.0, advertisements and promotions for upcoming programs. The substantially similar requirement will sunset in five years from its effective date absent further action by the Commission to extend it."
In other words, the HD broadcast has to be essentially the same as the new 3.0 broadcast for five years, perhaps longer depending on future FCC actions.
Which brings us to point 3. By the time people had to buy them, HD tuners were inexpensive and are even more so now. The HD tuner I use is currently $26 on Amazon. The first generation NextGen tuners available now are more expensive than that, though they're not outrageous. We'll discuss those below. By the time anyone actually requires one, however, they'll almost certainly be affordable.
Which is good, because there aren't any planned subsidies this time around for people to get a tuner for cheap. I'm sure this is at least partly due to how few people actually still use OTA as their sole form of TV reception. Maybe this will change as more stations convert, but we're a ways away from that.
As you can see, there are lots of parts that need to get upgraded all along the chain before you can get 3.0 in your home.
ATSC/TVTechnology.com
Here's another way to think about it: The first HD broadcasts began in the mid-90s, but when did you buy your first HDTV? As far as the 3.0 transition is concerned we're in the late-90s, maybe generously the early 2000s, now. Things seem like they're moving at a much more rapid pace than the transition from analog to DTV/HDTV, but even so, it will be a long time before ATSC 3.0 completely replaces the current standard.
How to get NextGen right now
LG
If you want to check it out for yourself, many of you already can. The first stop is to go to WatchNextGenTV.com. That website will help you find what stations in your area are broadcasting, or which ones will soon.
Next up you'll need something to receive it. If you're in the market for a new TV there are several options available from Hisense, LG, Samsung, and Sony. Here's our list of all the 2022 TVs with built-in next-gen tuners.
If you want to check out NextGen TV without buying a new television, you'll need an external tuner. It's still early days, so there aren't many options.
The Tablo ATSC 3.0 Quad HDMI DVR
Nuvvyo
At CES 2022 Nuvvyo announced the Tablo, a quad-tuner box that can connect to a TV directly, or transmit over a network to Rokus, Apple TVs, or computers on your home network.
The Silicon Dust has two models, the $199 HomeRun Flex 4K and the $279 HomeRun Scribe 4K. Both have ATSC 1.0 and 3.0 tuners.
If you want a more traditional tuner, BitRouter plans to start shipping its first ZapperBox M1 tuners in the spring. You can reserve one now for $249. It doesn't have internal storage, but BitRouter plans to add the ability to save content on network-attached storage, or NAS, devices via a firmware update. They also plan to add the ability to send the content around your home network, like what the Scribe 4K does.
Zapperbox
Then there's what to watch. Being early in the process, you're not going to find much 4K content, possibly not any. This was the same with the early years of HDTV. It's also going to vary per area. There is certainly a lot of 4K content being produced right now, and that has been the case for several years. So in that way, we're in better shape than we were in the early days of HD.
Basic and paid cable channels over-the-air?
One company is using the bandwidth and IP nature of NextGen to do something a little different. It's a hybrid paid TV service, sort of like cable/satellite, but using over-the-air broadcasts to deliver the content. It's called Evoca, and right now it's available only in Boise, Idaho. Edge Networks is the company behind it, and it wants to roll it out to other small markets where cable offerings are limited, and broadband speeds are slow or expensive.
It's an interesting idea for underserved and often forgotten-about markets.
Read more: Cable TV channels and 4K from an antenna?
Seeing the future
The transition from analog broadcasting to HD, if you count from the formation of the Grand Alliance to the final analog broadcast, took 16 years.
Though many aspects of technology move rapidly, getting dozens of companies, plus the governments of the US and many other countries, all to agree to specific standards, takes time. So does the testing of the new tech. There are a lot of cogs and sprockets that have to align for this to work, and it would be a lot harder to fix once it's all live.
But technology moves faster and faster. It's highly doubtful it will take 16 years to fully implement NextGen TV. As we mentioned at the top, dozens of stations are already broadcasting. Will every station in your city switch to NextGen TV? Probably not, but the bigger ones likely will. This is especially true if there are already other NextGen TV stations in your area. There's a potential here for stations to make additional money in the long run with 3.0, and that's obviously a big motivator.
There's also the question of how much content there will be. If it follows the HDTV transition model, big sporting events in 4K HDR will come first, followed by lots and lots of shows featuring nature scenes and closeups of bugs. Seriously -- this was totally a thing. Then we'll see a handful of scripted prime-time shows. My guess would be the popular, solidly profitable ones that are produced (not just aired) by networks like CBS and NBC.
So should you hold off buying a new TV? Nope, not unless you only get your shows over the air. And even if you do, by the time there's enough content to be interesting, there will be cheap tuner boxes you can connect to whatever TV you have.
For now, NextGen TV seems to be well on its way.
As well as covering TV and other display tech, Geoff does photo tours of cool museums and locations around the world, including nuclear submarines, massive aircraft carriers, medieval castles, epic 10,000 mile road trips, and more. Check out Tech Treks for all his tours and adventures.
He wrote a bestselling sci-fi novel about city-size submarines, along with a sequel. You can follow his adventures on Instagram and his YouTube channel.
