It feels as though I've spent most of 2025 with my eyes glued to the latest OLED TVs and while I have no real complaints about this, it has unearthed a few surprises.
Namely, one of the best OLED TVs under 55 inches that we've seen this year isn't an LG, nor is it a Samsung. Instead, it's the 48-inch Panasonic Z90B, which outperformed its biggest competitors when it came to both picture and sound performance during our side-by-side testing.
There was, however, one issue that put the Panasonic at a slight disadvantage: the price.
It cost £1499 at launch, which put it at a slight premium compared to the 48-inch LG C5 (£1399). Since then, both the C5 and 48-inch Samsung S90F have dropped to £1199.
Thankfully, Panasonic has cottoned on and is now offering the Z90B at a similar discount, though it does involve jumping through a couple of hoops, and there is a catch to the cashback offer.
Richer Sounds is currently offering the TV at a £100 discount, dropping the price to £1399, and Panasonic is running its own scheme in which you can claim a £200 prepaid Mastercard with the purchase of this TV.
If you take that £200 into account, you're essentially saving £300, dropping the overall price of the TV to £1199.
While that isn't money in your bank per se, we still consider it to be a worthwhile deal on a fantastic TV.
Panasonic's OLED TVs have consistently impressed us for quite some time now, and that remains true despite this being the smallest model we've seen from the company to date.
Don't be fooled by its pint-sized stature, this 48-inch OLED can deliver a striking cinematic image with ease and it doesn't compromise on scale despite the compact footprint.
Colours are rich and striking, but the picture remains cinematically authentic; something Panasonic has ensured for many of its previous OLEDs. It manages to retain these rich colours in low-light segments too, which is a huge bonus, as we found the LG C5 struggled in this area.
We also approve of how crisp and three-dimensional the Z90B's image is, which helps to increase immersion and generally allows for finer details to be dug out. In fact, the Z90B made the competing Samsung look somewhat flat in a few instances, which is a testament to this TV's performance.
This TV is also no slouch when it comes to audio. While we'll stick with our usual advice of recommending one of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars to accompany your new OLED TV, the Panasonic is a cut above the LG and Samsung when it comes to bass, dynamics and spatial separation – though the bar was set fairly low by the Korean TV brands.
Finally, the Z90B is amply stocked when it comes to features, especially when it comes to HDR support. Both Dolby Vision and HDR10+ are supported, whereas the C5 and S90F only support the former and latter, respectively.
Furthermore, Panasonic has included 4K/144Hz support with VRR and ALLM over two HDMI 2.1 sockets. Though, admittedly, this is one area where Panasonic lags behind LG and Samsung, as both have included four HDMI 2.1 ports on their TVs for quite some time now.
That being said, the minor gaming setback isn't enough to discredit this TV, as it's a clear step above the LG and Samsung when it comes to picture and sound performance, which cements it as our top pick for those looking for an OLED TV under 55 inches.
And now that it's priced practically equivalent to its competitors, it's a no-brainer for anyone contemplating which is the best 48-inch TV to buy. Be sure to head over to Richer Sounds to score £100 off, and claim the cashback offer from Panasonic here to get the full saving.
MORE:
Read our full Panasonic Z90B 48-inch review
As well as our Panasonic Z95B 65-inch review
And check out our picks for the best TVs on the market
