If you've ever used your TV as a computer monitor, you know that it's not the best idea in the world. The optimization that's done to the panel for TVs compared to that for close-use monitors often means hard-to-read text, and that's before considering how large the average smart TV is these days. Plus, you're usually limited to HDMI, with USB-C or DisplayPort often absent.

But what if you could have both? A crisp, 32" 4K QD-OLED panel with a fast refresh rate for computer use, and inbuilt smart features for controlling your smart home or kicking back with the latest shows. A 4K webcam for video calls that also resizes the menu text on-screen based on how far away you are. Connectivity to DeX to turn your phone into a computer, Bluetooth so that you can use web apps simply by connecting a mouse and keyboard, and a design that won't make you want to hide it in a cupboard.

That's the promise of the Samsung Smart Monitor M9, and while it tries a little too hard to do both tasks, it is a solid option if you're in a space-constrained apartment or don't want a chungus smart TV taking up your entire living room.

About this review: Samsung loaned XDA the Smart Monitor M9 and did not see the contents of this article before publication.

Price, availability and specifications

The Samsung Smart Monitor M9 M90SF was released in June 2025, with an MSRP of $1,600. It uses Samsung's Gen 3 QD-OLED display technology, wrapped in a stylish exterior that feels like the designer was given the brief "make it look like an iMac, but not too much."

The smart features are handled by the NQM AI Gen3 processor and it runs Tizen for the operating system. This connects to other Samsung devices from DeX-enabled smartphones to SmartThings smart home products, and is very Samsung-forward in everything that it does. That doesn't mean you need to be a Samsung superfan to enjoy using it, though, as it's a good example of a hybrid monitor that does many tasks well.

Design and display

Everything you'd expect from a Samsung display

The Samsung Smart Monitor M9 is gorgeous, right from the second you open the box. Okay, maybe not quite the first second because it comes packed in disintegrating styrofoam, and I wish that was otherwise. But once unboxed, it's stunning, with rounded edges, a slim metal chassis, and a bright, beautiful QD-OLED display panel.

It took all of two minutes to click the stand onto the monitor, then push it onto the broad base. The only thing here for me is that the vertical part of the stand is plastic, and isn't very sturdy at the bottom where the base joins it. I'm sure it will be fine over time, and it feels sturdy once assembled, but having the stand flex under gentle pressure was not the experience I expected from a premium monitor.

All is forgiven when the power is plugged in, the monitor comes to life, and the setup process begins. You'll need to sign in to a Samsung account (or create one), connect to Wi-Fi, and it'll check for updates at the same time. The display has nothing out of the ordinary for a QD-OLED, with 94% AdobeRGB, 98% DCI-P3, and 100% sRGB coverage, and a max SDR brightness of 250 nits. What is unusual is a slight matte coating to reduce reflections. I prefer QD-OLED without this, as I don't think the trade-off is worth the light diffusion, but you might prefer it.

Do you really need a Smart Monitor?

Then again, this could replace your TV

I'm not sure that anyone wakes up one morning and thinks, "Oh, I'd like a smart monitor." But having used this one for a few weeks, I'm warming to the idea. I like being able to pick up the remote control and use it like a TV to stream stuff from Apple TV and the other streaming services I subscribe to, or picking up a Bluetooth gaming controller and instantly stream something from Xbox Game Pass.

I like that it has a built-in webcam and decent microphones, which make video conferencing easy. And the solar-charging remote control is excellent; I wish all remotes had this feature. It's not a complete TV replacement as there are no TV tuners, but digital TV has largely removed the need for those anyway, and set top boxes work fine if you have services that Tizen doesn't include.

This could be the only monitor I'd ever need

If I was heavily in the DeX ecosystem, it would be a no-brainer

Unfortunately, the only Samsung smartphone I have is a Z Flip 5, and it doesn't support DeX. That's Samsung's desktop replacement feature which is one of the best things about its Android ecosystem, and I'm sad I couldn't use it with this monitor. But it's not that far off using Microsoft 365 via webapp, and I've enjoyed the simplicity of this monitor when it's used as a thin client or streaming hub.

The performance was better than I expected, as I've used many Chromebooks and other browser-based productivity systems that struggled with simple office tools, and that wasn't the case here. And with 165Hz refresh rate and both FreeSync and G-Sync compatibility, it's also pretty decent for gaming on, whether that's streamed games from the cloud, local games via computer, or the latest gaming consoles.

Should you buy the Samsung Smart Monitor M9?

You should buy the Samsung Smart Monitor M9 if:

• You live in a space constrained apartment
• Your computer screen is your main source of entertainment
• You are already in the Samsung DeX ecosystem

You should NOT buy the Samsung Smart Monitor M9 if:

• You don't want smart features on your monitor
• You want a faster panel for gaming
• You don't want to spend $1,600 on your monitor

Samsung's Smart Monitor M9 is a jack-of-all-trades that, sadly, is master of none. That's not to say it's a bad monitor, or a bad smart TV, because it's neither of those things. But Samsung has spent a lot of effort in making the smart TV features work, and I'm just not sure if that's a big market to aim at. If you absolutely don't want a TV and a monitor, then this might be good for you, but you could get a similar experience from plugging a streaming stick into any other OLED monitor.

And let's not forget the elephant in the room — this is more expensive than a 24-inch iMac, with less utility. Sure, it's a larger screen, and it's not running macOS. But the Smart Monitor M9's feature set has left it in a no-man's land of "is it this, or is it really that," and the overall messaging suffers as a result.