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Get Samsung's ViewFinity S9 5K Smart Monitor for $999.99 ($600 Off) During Sitewide Winter Sale

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Samsung's Winter sale is still going on as we get closer and closer to Christmas, offering discounts across monitors, TVs, smartphones, tablets, computers, and home appliances. Many of the deals in this sale are the same prices we tracked during Samsung's Black Friday sale, and some are even beating their all-time low Black Friday prices.

samsung-best-holiday.jpg
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Samsung. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

The highlight of the sale is Samsung's ViewFinity S9 5K Smart Monitor at $999.99, down from $1,599.99. This is a record low price on the monitor, and it beats the previous all-time low price seen at Amazon earlier in the month by a few dollars.



Additionally, the Smart Monitor M8 is at its all-time low price on Amazon, available for $399.99 ($300 off). This has been one of the all-around best monitor deals we've tracked during this holiday season, and it's hard to say if it'll return after this sale ends, so if you've been holding off be sure to order soon. Unfortunately it may arrive after Christmas at this point, depending on your proximity to a distribution center that has stock.

Shoppers should note that the deadline for Christmas delivery has passed on Samsung, so none of the items in the sale will be able to arrive before December 25th at this point. There is an option to an in-store pickup at your local Best Buy, but not every product supports this option.

Other than monitors and TVs, we're also now tracking quite a few deals on refrigerators, tablets, and computers below. These sale prices will be live for this week only, so be sure to check out Samsung's event before the best prices of the year disappear.

Monitors

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TVs

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Refrigerators

fridge-holiday.jpg


Smartphones

smartphone-samsung.jpg

If you're shopping for a Samsung smartphone this week, there are extra cash discounts to be found on these devices when shopping via the Shop Samsung mobile app, beyond the trade-in bonus offers listed below.

  • Galaxy S23 Ultra - Get up to $800 instant trade-in credit with an eligible phone trade-in
  • Galaxy S23 - Get up to $500 instant trade-in credit with an eligible phone trade-in
  • Galaxy S23+ - Get up to $500 instant trade-in credit with an eligible phone trade-in
  • Galaxy Z Fold5 - Get a free storage upgrade and up to $1,000 instant trade-in credit
  • Galaxy Z Flip5 - Get up to $600 instant trade-in credit with an eligible phone trade-in

Smartwatches

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Earbuds

samsung-earbuds.jpg


Tablets
... Click here to read rest of article

Article Link: Get Samsung's ViewFinity S9 5K Smart Monitor for $999.99 ($600 Off) During Sitewide Winter Sale
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2023/12/21/samsungs-viewfinity-smart-monitor/
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Still not interested in a matte display. I work with zero shiny lights behind me so my glossy LG 5Ks are perfect.

What we need is someone to make a 5K 120hz panel. I’m sure the driver for this will be an Apple order for the next iMac with ProMotion
 
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5K "retina" with stand options, dual video inputs (instead of just one, offering easiest and best path for "old fashioned bootcamp" without having to swap cables and/or rely on ARM Windows + hope), superior webcam (removable instead of using the duct tape method), and comes with a remote and app capabilities so it can stand in as a 27" TV too.

Those longing for 27" iMac at traditional pricing could pair this with a good Mac Mini to get that < $2K total price while embracing separates (and ending the dreaded "throw baby out with the bathwater" problem when the computer portion is made obsolete or some part of it conks).

Competition is good and this is tangible competition for a 5K retina screen. Pay up for the logo or some nitpicking detail if you must buy Apple or put significant savings towards an upgraded Mini for an even better overall computer + screen. If you shop hard for a deep discounted Mac Studio, you could pair it with one of these for not much above traditional iMac 27" "starting at..." pricing, certainly if traditional iMac was upgraded with RAM and SSD to Mac Studio specs (even at competitive, third party pricing for those upgrades).
 
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I picked up a Viewfinity S9 last week when Amazon had it briefly for $950. Here are my thoughts (for reference I have an Apple Studio Display and set them up side by side):

Great panel as expected. I have one of the best 4K 27" monitors you could buy at the time (Dell Ultrasharp 4K U2720Q) and this much better. I do like the matte finish as in the room I have it in I am bothered by glossy displays (like the Apple Studio Display) at times. For that case it was much better. However the speakers are absolutely horrible. I get better sound out of my M1 MBA with the lid closed (which actually covers the speakers) than I do on this. The other features are also a bit bothersome as it always defaults to whatever Samsung calls their Smart TV features and I routinely had to then get out the remote and change it back to just the monitor. I didn’t play a lot with the Smart TV features as since the speakers are soooo bad I’d never watch anything from it anyway. The power brick is also huge, I don’t think I’ve ever seen one that big. It doesn’t support native sound/brightness controls from my Mac(s). I tried a 3rd party app and it worked sometimes, but was inconsistent. I haven't decided if I'm going to return it yet. The speakers are just so much of a turnoff and I don’t want to have to connect external speakers as I was looking for a more clean desktop environment where I'd end up putting it permanently. I still have a large return window so I do plan on doing some more tests, like hooking it up to two systems at once etc.

So my recommendation right now is only get it if a) you prefer or need matte, b) you plan on setting up your own speakers or don't do anything with sound anyway and c) want the extra connections or hook it up to a PC as well etc.
 
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I use the M8 at both the office and at home for gaming. It's a quality monitor for either function, and when bought at a discount I think it's a fantastic option.

For $400 I am tempted to get another for home use, even if my set up doesn't require it.
 
Rychiar said:
simply not possible without thunderbolt 5 which no one has yet
Click to expand...
DisplayPort Alt Mode on existing Thunderbolt standards converts the connection to a one-way 80 Gbps interface, so it could theoretically drive 5K at 120 Hz (although I don't know that the standard formally supports that), but you'd lose the USB ports, webcam, microphone, and likely speakers built into the display.
 
azentropy said:
I picked up a Viewfinity S9 last week when Amazon had it briefly for $950. Here are my thoughts (for reference I have an Apple Studio Display and set them up side by side):

Great panel as expected. I have one of the best 4K 27" monitors you could buy at the time (Dell Ultrasharp 4K U2720Q) and this much better. I do like the matte finish as in the room I have it in I am bothered by glossy displays (like the Apple Studio Display) at times. For that case it was much better. However the speakers are absolutely horrible. I get better sound out of my M1 MBA with the lid closed (which actually covers the speakers) than I do on this. The other features are also a bit bothersome as it always defaults to whatever Samsung calls their Smart TV features and I routinely had to then get out the remote and change it back to just the monitor. I didn’t play a lot with the Smart TV features as since the speakers are soooo bad I’d never watch anything from it anyway. The power brick is also huge, I don’t think I’ve ever seen one that big. It doesn’t support native sound/brightness controls from my Mac(s). I tried a 3rd party app and it worked sometimes, but was inconsistent. I haven't decided if I'm going to return it yet. The speakers are just so much of a turnoff and I don’t want to have to connect external speakers as I was looking for a more clean desktop environment where I'd end up putting it permanently. I still have a large return window so I do plan on doing some more tests, like hooking it up to two systems at once etc.

So my recommendation right now is only get it if a) you prefer or need matte, b) you plan on setting up your own speakers or don't do anything with sound anyway and c) want the extra connections or hook it up to a PC as well etc.
Click to expand...
Looks like Amazon has it for $952 today. Thanks for the review.
 
$2000 for a Fold5 but they'll give you $1000 free for an old phone trade-in. Shows you how much the phone could/should actually sell for.
 
azentropy said:
I picked up a Viewfinity S9 last week when Amazon had it briefly for $950. Here are my thoughts (for reference I have an Apple Studio Display and set them up side by side):

Great panel as expected. I have one of the best 4K 27" monitors you could buy at the time (Dell Ultrasharp 4K U2720Q) and this much better. I do like the matte finish as in the room I have it in I am bothered by glossy displays (like the Apple Studio Display) at times. For that case it was much better. However the speakers are absolutely horrible. I get better sound out of my M1 MBA with the lid closed (which actually covers the speakers) than I do on this. The other features are also a bit bothersome as it always defaults to whatever Samsung calls their Smart TV features and I routinely had to then get out the remote and change it back to just the monitor. I didn’t play a lot with the Smart TV features as since the speakers are soooo bad I’d never watch anything from it anyway. The power brick is also huge, I don’t think I’ve ever seen one that big. It doesn’t support native sound/brightness controls from my Mac(s). I tried a 3rd party app and it worked sometimes, but was inconsistent. I haven't decided if I'm going to return it yet. The speakers are just so much of a turnoff and I don’t want to have to connect external speakers as I was looking for a more clean desktop environment where I'd end up putting it permanently. I still have a large return window so I do plan on doing some more tests, like hooking it up to two systems at once etc.

So my recommendation right now is only get it if a) you prefer or need matte, b) you plan on setting up your own speakers or don't do anything with sound anyway and c) want the extra connections or hook it up to a PC as well etc.
Click to expand...
If you want to keep your desk clean and don’t normally put anything under your monitor you could try one of the soundbar type speakers. There are smaller ones for computer use.

Personally, I ended up with the Creative Stage Air V2. It slides right under my Dell Ultrasharp, although I do have it all propped up on a monitor stand. It’s only like $40, and the sound quality is totally decent for general use. For serious tv/movie watching you’ll probably want something with more oomph/bass though.
 
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azentropy said:
I picked up a Viewfinity S9 last week when Amazon had it briefly for $950. Here are my thoughts (for reference I have an Apple Studio Display and set them up side by side):

Great panel as expected. I have one of the best 4K 27" monitors you could buy at the time (Dell Ultrasharp 4K U2720Q) and this much better. I do like the matte finish as in the room I have it in I am bothered by glossy displays (like the Apple Studio Display) at times. For that case it was much better. However the speakers are absolutely horrible. I get better sound out of my M1 MBA with the lid closed (which actually covers the speakers) than I do on this. The other features are also a bit bothersome as it always defaults to whatever Samsung calls their Smart TV features and I routinely had to then get out the remote and change it back to just the monitor. I didn’t play a lot with the Smart TV features as since the speakers are soooo bad I’d never watch anything from it anyway. The power brick is also huge, I don’t think I’ve ever seen one that big. It doesn’t support native sound/brightness controls from my Mac(s). I tried a 3rd party app and it worked sometimes, but was inconsistent. I haven't decided if I'm going to return it yet. The speakers are just so much of a turnoff and I don’t want to have to connect external speakers as I was looking for a more clean desktop environment where I'd end up putting it permanently. I still have a large return window so I do plan on doing some more tests, like hooking it up to two systems at once etc.

So my recommendation right now is only get it if a) you prefer or need matte, b) you plan on setting up your own speakers or don't do anything with sound anyway and c) want the extra connections or hook it up to a PC as well etc.
Click to expand...
Thanks for that review. Great information.

There are issues with both this monitor (bad speakers, embedded intrusive smart software, needing a remote, the power brick) and the ASD (that price, limited I/O by comparison, the added cost of being able to change its height), so neither is perfect for all users. And the use case for the ASD doesn't come down to logo lust or "nitpicking" details, as there are actual differences between these two monitors. But having two major players in the same space allows for some consumer choice. I'm glad they're keeping it on sale for now. Are you listening, Apple?

Oh no I've become one of those MR commenters who says "are you listening, Apple?"
 
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I would pay more if the name of the product were something like "Stupidly Robust" or "Dummed Down Simple" or "Your Monitor Will Never Outwitt You", but this "Smart" thing is everywhere now, even cereals... I am not so sure.
 
Samsung doing what it does best and copying what Apple puts out, this time with the Studio Display. Seeing more actually decent options in the 5K space is such a long time coming that I'm not complaining...

That being said, doing the DIY conversion of my 5K iMac is 1/3 the cost and avoids e-waste so I'm still going to do that.
 
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azentropy said:
I picked up a Viewfinity S9 last week when Amazon had it briefly for $950. Here are my thoughts (for reference I have an Apple Studio Display and set them up side by side):

Great panel as expected. I have one of the best 4K 27" monitors you could buy at the time (Dell Ultrasharp 4K U2720Q) and this much better. I do like the matte finish as in the room I have it in I am bothered by glossy displays (like the Apple Studio Display) at times. For that case it was much better. However the speakers are absolutely horrible. I get better sound out of my M1 MBA with the lid closed (which actually covers the speakers) than I do on this. The other features are also a bit bothersome as it always defaults to whatever Samsung calls their Smart TV features and I routinely had to then get out the remote and change it back to just the monitor. I didn’t play a lot with the Smart TV features as since the speakers are soooo bad I’d never watch anything from it anyway. The power brick is also huge, I don’t think I’ve ever seen one that big. It doesn’t support native sound/brightness controls from my Mac(s). I tried a 3rd party app and it worked sometimes, but was inconsistent. I haven't decided if I'm going to return it yet. The speakers are just so much of a turnoff and I don’t want to have to connect external speakers as I was looking for a more clean desktop environment where I'd end up putting it permanently. I still have a large return window so I do plan on doing some more tests, like hooking it up to two systems at once etc.

So my recommendation right now is only get it if a) you prefer or need matte, b) you plan on setting up your own speakers or don't do anything with sound anyway and c) want the extra connections or hook it up to a PC as well etc.
Click to expand...
I compared the glossy and matte ASD's side-by-side, and found that text was noticeably sharper on the glossy, and that the matte had a "sparkly snowfield" effect on white backgrounds. Did you notice either of these in comparing the glossy ASD with the Sammy?
 
I picked up a pair of these this week from Amazon for $950, upgrading from a 2014 iMac Retina (a great run). They seem wonderful visually, the speakers are horrendous and I will need a solution. Question for anyone who has a pair, the remote that came with each of them controls both. So if I want to go into settings or change anything for one monitor, the other changes alongside. Does anyone know how to fix this so that each remote only controls one of the monitors?
 
azentropy said:
I picked up a Viewfinity S9 last week when Amazon had it briefly for $950. Here are my thoughts (for reference I have an Apple Studio Display and set them up side by side):

Great panel as expected. I have one of the best 4K 27" monitors you could buy at the time (Dell Ultrasharp 4K U2720Q) and this much better. I do like the matte finish as in the room I have it in I am bothered by glossy displays (like the Apple Studio Display) at times. For that case it was much better. However the speakers are absolutely horrible. I get better sound out of my M1 MBA with the lid closed (which actually covers the speakers) than I do on this. The other features are also a bit bothersome as it always defaults to whatever Samsung calls their Smart TV features and I routinely had to then get out the remote and change it back to just the monitor. I didn’t play a lot with the Smart TV features as since the speakers are soooo bad I’d never watch anything from it anyway. The power brick is also huge, I don’t think I’ve ever seen one that big. It doesn’t support native sound/brightness controls from my Mac(s). I tried a 3rd party app and it worked sometimes, but was inconsistent. I haven't decided if I'm going to return it yet. The speakers are just so much of a turnoff and I don’t want to have to connect external speakers as I was looking for a more clean desktop environment where I'd end up putting it permanently. I still have a large return window so I do plan on doing some more tests, like hooking it up to two systems at once etc.

So my recommendation right now is only get it if a) you prefer or need matte, b) you plan on setting up your own speakers or don't do anything with sound anyway and c) want the extra connections or hook it up to a PC as well etc.
Click to expand...
100% agreement from me. I ended up returning mine.

I had similar issues to @azentropy:
  • The sound is terrible (but I would have stomached it and gotten external speakers if not for the other issues)
  • Non-native sound and brightness controls are surprisingly annoying (I also used a couple mac utilities to make these native, but it's a bit hacky and inconsistent)
  • The extra overhead of the "smart TV" stuff is a huge net negative — it wants you to see it, and it slows down connection and boot up times. Plus, I know Samsung is going to be reporting some sort of data if I connect it to wi-fi, but I have to connect it to internet to keep the firmware updated... all-in-all, I disliked this more than I thought
  • I do like matte screens generally, but this one was a bit too much for my taste — it felt overall a bit dull
But the big kicker: about 2 weeks into using it (after updating to macOS 14.1.2), my mac (MacBook Pro M1 Max 64gb) started to not recognize it as an external display. It was intermittent, but *extremely* frustrating. I triple-checked all connections (tried a new TB cord, different ports on both ends, updated firmware, updated to 14.2). It may have been a bum unit, but with something as critical to work as a monitor, it's simply not worth the risk of it not working.
 
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voxmatt said:
  • I do like matte screens generally, but this one was a bit too much for my taste — it felt overall a bit dull
Click to expand...
That's useful to know, since the strength of the matte coating can vary significantly between brands and models. I've found the higher-quality Dell monitors have a light matte, while Apple's ASD's matte is very strong. Though I wouldn't say the latter makes things look dull (maybe because it's textured glass rather than a textured coating); instead, it slightly fuzzes text, and creates a strong sparkly background effect. Though it is superb at killing reflections.
 
got one of these coming at work for my new display. Sure hope I like it. I have a studio display at home...which is strangely at the highest prices it's been right now while this has a massive discount....
 
HobeSoundDarryl said:
5K "retina" with stand options, dual video inputs (instead of just one, offering easiest and best path for "old fashioned bootcamp" without having to swap cables and/or rely on ARM Windows + hope), superior webcam (removable instead of using the duct tape method), and comes with a remote and app capabilities so it can stand in as a 27" TV too.

Those longing for 27" iMac at traditional pricing could pair this with a good Mac Mini to get that < $2K total price while embracing separates (and ending the dreaded "throw baby out with the bathwater" problem when the computer portion is made obsolete or some part of it conks).

Competition is good and this is tangible competition for a 5K retina screen. Pay up for the logo or some nitpicking detail if you must buy Apple or put significant savings towards an upgraded Mini for an even better overall computer + screen. If you shop hard for a deep discounted Mac Studio, you could pair it with one of these for not much above traditional iMac 27" "starting at..." pricing... certainly if traditional iMac was upgraded with RAM and SSD to Mac Studio specs (even at competitive, third party pricing for those upgrades).
Click to expand...

Nailed it! I’ve been in the market for a new iMac but with Apple no longer offering a 27” model and knowing your spending the majority of your cash on a monitor that’s as good as done when you want to upgrade it makes more sense to get this monitor, use it with my M3 MacBook Pro until M3 Mac Mini‘s are out then roll with one of those next spring or summer when they are released.

I’ll move my current 27” 2017 iMac to the basement as a second family PC and keep my MacBook Pro and the monitor upstairs in the office until then.
 
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HobeSoundDarryl said:
Competition is good and this is tangible competition for a 5K retina screen. Pay up for the logo or some nitpicking detail if you must buy Apple or put significant savings towards an upgraded Mini for an even better overall computer + screen.
Click to expand...
Agreed, competition is good. But for those who dislike matte finishes, that's hardly a nitpicking detail.

I think the S9 would have created more competition with the ASD if it also came in glossy. I'm surprised they didn't do this, because surely they knew Mac owners would be a significant portion of their target audience.

If my budget were limited to $1k, and I didn't want a matte screen, I would choose a third way: Get a used ASD in pristine condition, and with Apple Care, on Craig's list. I saw one advertised for $820 locally.
 
Or the LG 5Ks glossies priced like that. Glossy? LG. Matte? This Samsung. Money to burn? ASD + stand option unless one finds a used bargain.

No doubt ASD is great, Apple quality… priced at the lucrative Apple premium. We used to also get a whole Mac + keyboard + mouse packaged with that same screen for that kind of pricing. It’s good to have alternatives without the sky-high margin, so we consumers have choices.
 
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