Most people find January a struggle. It's cold; it's dark. The Christmas festivities are well and truly over, and we're all a bit larger around the waist and thinner in the bank balance. There is, however, a lot of good TV on at the moment, so you might think a new OLED model would be a wise investment.
But stop. January is not the time to be shelling out on a new TV. For a start, we have just had the biggest sales period of the year – Black Friday and Cyber Monday, preceded by Amazon Prime Day and closely followed by the Boxing Day sales. After all those discounts, retailers put their prices back up to near normal in order to maximise profit.
Second, most of the big TV makers (LG, Samsung and Panasonic) have just announced their new ranges for 2025. With new models set to launch soon, last year's models will soon start to look a bit dated. That doesn't mean you should count them out – they are still excellent TVs. It's just that more discounts will be coming soon.
That's because while some 2025 ranges have been announced, they won't go on sale until the spring at the earliest. (Sony and Philips don't even announce their TVs until then. And Panasonic has announced only two 2025 models so far, with the full slate to follow later in the year.)
So the wise money would wait. Don't believe us? Let's dig into the data.
The above graph shows the price history of the 65-inch LG G4. The price first dropped last summer, and (mostly) steadily declined until it reached a low around Black Friday at the end of November. It went back up in December, and while it has dropped slightly since, it is currently £200 higher than its lowest ever price.
It's a similar story for the 55-inch model, as you can see below.
Here the discounts didn't start until much later – in October, in fact. But the price drop was far more dramatic. Again, the price trickled down steadily until Black Friday, then it recovered somewhat before dipping slightly again. It is currently just under £100 more than its lowest ever price.
It's not just LG whose flagship TVs are currently pricier than they have been. Here's Sony's Award-winning 65-inch Bravia 8.
As you can see, it currently sits at £274 more expensive than its best ever price. That would buy you one of the best budget soundbars.
The price difference is even bigger with Samsung's 65-inch S95D.
This model is £347 pricier than at the start of December. Ouch.
And what about the Philips 65OLED809? This model launched much later than the others mentioned here, so its price history is a lot shorter. But there is still a stark difference between its current price (£1749) and its lowest so far (£1599). A £150 saving certainly isn't be sniffed at.
Now there are some caveats. These graphs show prices on Amazon only (though they do include third-party sellers through Amazon, where applicable), so there is a chance you will find a better deal elsewhere. And not all TVs fit the mould – the LG C4 currently sits just £10 more expensive than its best ever deal at 42 inches, £55 pricier at 55 inches and it matches its lowest-ever price at the 65-inch screen size. (The same goes for the 55-inch Samsung S95D, which is just £10 higher than its best-ever price.) Prices also change quickly, and once one retailer offers a great deal, others usually seek to match it so they don't miss out. So if you do see a great deal, by all means, snap it up.
Nevertheless, we would recommend holding off if you can. Once the new models start hitting shops in the spring, last year's models are sure to tumble in price, hitting new lows while still offering superb picture quality. Spring is the time for rejuvenation, after all, so when better to refresh your home AV setup? Keep an eye on our best TV deals page for all the latest discounts.
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