Samsung’s latest high-resolution monitors go all-in-one on HDR

Samsung launched its line of high-resolution monitors for businesses and consumers, and this year all 12 support HDR. The flagship S8 line includes two 27-inch models (S80A and S80UA) and one 32-inch model (S80A), all featuring billion-color (10-bit) IPS panels and 3840 x 2160 (4K Ultra HD). Although Samsung qualifies these displays as HDR10 compatible, they do not meet the minimum VESA-certified DisplayHDR specification of 400 nits for brightness, as they only emit 300 nits. However, they will make you enjoy the wide color gamut for content creation and streaming services like Netflix.

S8 monitors have a flat, borderless design with thin bezels and support 10Gbps data via USB-C, as well as a USB hub. One of the 27-inch models, the S80UA, even supports 90W charging, which could be handy for USB laptops or for fast charging a smartphone. Other features include full swivel and tilt functions, a relatively fast 5 millisecond response time for gaming, DisplayPort 1.2 and HDMI 2.0 input.

The S7 series includes two models, the 27-inch S70A and the 32-inch S70A. Both have 4K flat panel displays with HDR10, 1.07 billion colors (10-bit), a slim bezel design, and tilt adjustment. The S6 line includes six models ranging from 24 to 34 inches, all of which offer a QHD resolution of 2560 x 1440. The exception is the S65UA, a 34-inch curved design with UWQHD (3440 x 1440) resolution (here -above). All S6 models feature HDR10 with support for 1.07 billion colors (10-bit), and Samsung’s datasheet says they use VA panels with 300 nits of brightness.

The fact that all of these monitors support HDR shows that Samsung believes the technology is important for the future of PCs and Macs, even for the average user. Although the panel brightness does not meet HDR specifications, these displays are still brighter than regular consumer and commercial models, and content creators will benefit from the additional color gamut. Samsung has yet to release pricing or availability.