High-end LCD TVs are dead. At least, that's what Philips has been saying this year at its annual TV announcement event.
Instead, the future of premium TVs is now decisively all about the OLED, and to make its point Philips has revealed an all-new model, the Philips 803, which will make its 2018 lineup three-strong.
The new set is fantastically minimalistic. There's no illuminated Philips logo adoring the bottom edge of the frame, and there's no chunky stand getting in the way between it and your TV cabinet.
Instead, the set uses a pair of sticks for feet, which raise the TV just a couple of centimeters off the surface it's placed on.
The same but different
Picture-wise, the set is exactly the same as the Philips 9002 that we've already reviewed and been very impressed with (that means it's fully UHD Premium certified), but sound has been boosted a little to allow the 803 to sit above it in the range with three rear-facing subwoofers providing a suitably hefty soundstage.
The 803 comes packing Android M as a Smart TV OS, which you can navigate using a traditional remote (with a full Qwerty keyboard on its rear) or a slimline smart remote that features a built-in microphone for Google Assistant support coming later in the year.
Of course, along with the vast majority of the rest of the range, the set features three sided Ambilight LEDs to make the wall behind the TV almost as pretty as the display itself.
Unfortunately, Philips didn't have any pricing information for the 803 which is due to arrive in May 2018, but we do know that it will be available in both 55 and 65-inch versions.
Outside of the 803 you'd be forgiven for thinking that Philips has also announced two other new OLEDs, but aside from a new size these are just renamed sets that have already been announced, or have even previously released.
The entry-level 873 is the new name for the 9002 that was released in 2017 (which will be receiving a 65-inch model to complement the existing 55-inch version), while the premium soundbar-equipped 973 is a renamed 9 Series (or 9603, depending on who you asked back when it was announced).
We can't wait to put the newly announced 803 through its paces, and we'll be taking a closer look at the set throughout the course of today's demonstrations.
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