LG has officially confirmed the LG B3 OLED TV for 2023. In the US, the B Series looks like it'll be the cheapest OLED TV the brand will put out this year.
While the entry-level A Series (this year, a typically-named A3 OLED) is usually the cheapest way to pick up one of the best OLED TVs, it’s now only being sold in Europe, meaning it’s been struck from the list elsewhere. Given the LG A2 made do with a 60Hz panel and limited gaming specification, compared to the B Series’ 120Hz panel and HDMI 2.1 spec, we're happy for the B2 to take over – but we hope it's close to the value of the A2.
Like last year's LG B2, the LG B3 OLED will offer a more budget-friendly alternative to the mid-range models, with a slightly less advanced a7 Gen 6 processor compared to the LG C3's a9 Gen 6 chipset. It will, however, still ship with most of the premium specifications expected from LG’s OLED range, even if some notable features are absent.
Read on below to find out more, including our price and release date predictions for the LG B3 OLED and a complete survey of its updated specs and features.
LG B3 OLED TV: Price and release date
The LG B3 OLED is the cheapest model in this year’s OLED range in US – but it looks like the LG A3 will be a cheaper option in Europe.
We expect it to launch around March-April, and it will likely be at the same price points per TV size that we saw in last year’s LG B2, which we've included below. The B3 will come in three sizes: 55-inches, 65-inches and 77-inches.
- 55-inch: $1,599 / £1,799 (around AU$2,300)
- 65-inch: $2,299 / £2,599 (around AU$3,300)
- 77-inch: $3,299 / £3,599 (around AU$4,800)
LG B3 OLED TV: Design and features – what’s new?
The LG B3 OLED looks set to take advantage of a few technical changes in this year’s range, despite its status as the runt of LG’s OLED litter.
Yes, it only makes do with an Alpha a7 AI Gen 6 processor, rather than the corresponding a9 version found in higher-end sets – meaning you’re likely to get a little more noise in dark scenes, and little less clarity when upscaling from lower resolutions to 4K.
But this is still a 4K 120Hz OLED panel, and you will largely experience the crisp picture, vivid colors, deep blacks, and smooth motion typical of an OLED screen.
All the gaming specifications you could want are here, with support for VRR, FreeSync Premium, Nvidia G-Sync, and auto low-latency mode. The B3 also gets two HDMI 2.1 ports (for connecting a PS5 or Xbox Series X), though not the four ports seen on the C Series and above. That’s not to mention the Amazon Luna game streaming service, which is also launching on the OLED TV range.
Every new LG OLED in 2023, from this cheaper model up to the expensive LG G3, benefits from an upgraded webOS interface, with custom user profiles and user-specific recommendations and avatars. This also includes support for Matter, the increasingly popular smart home standard; multi-view for watching different sources simultaneously; and a personalized picture preset based on your viewing preferences at setup.
LG’s 2023 OLEDs are also the first screens to get a Quick Media Switching (QMS-VRR) feature, to jump between different HDMI-connected sources faster (not a game-changer, but a pleasing convenience nonetheless).
However, the LG B3 won’t get the built-in microphone that enables hands-free voice control on the C3, G3 and Z3 – nor does it benefit from the new lightweight material used in the C3 and G3’s panel housing.
The B3 also doesn’t feature the OLED evo brightness boosting tech we’ve seen on C Series and G Series models over the past couple of years. But it does get a boost to AI Sound Pro, which LG says can create a virtual 9.1.2 surround sound landscape, compared to the 7.1.2 effect seen in previous ranges (as ever, one of the best soundbars will still produce better results).
LG B3 OLED TV: What we think so far
In the past, the LG B series has been easily overlooked in favor of the superior LG C-series, which has a brighter picture, a more advanced processor, and a greater variety of screen sizes.
But the B3 still offers most of the C3’s feature list at a lower price, and will be the difference between some shoppers getting any kind of OLED at all. It’s worth noting that LG’s fancier OLEDs only pull further away with each passing year due to ever-improving brightness tweaks – so while there’s still a case to be made for the B3, it might not last forever without some panel upgrades in the years ahead. It will depend on how the price compared to the competition. We'll bring you a review as soon as we're able to see where it sits among the best TVs available this year.
