To help us provide you with free impartial advice, we may earn a commission if you buy through links on our site. Learn more
Haier is a brand that, until relatively recently, had not really been on my radar. I was aware of its position as the global number one major home appliances brand, and familiar with both Candy and Hoover, which it acquired in 2018. But as Expert Reviews’ TV and Audio Editor, I had very little to do with its products, save proofreading a review or two in the absence of our Home Editor.
That all changed at IFA last summer when Haier announced plans to start selling TVs in the UK. The Chinese brand made a big splash by revealing Mini LED and QD-Mini LED models in enormous sizes; a surprise move in an industry that’s changing rapidly.
Fast forward seven months, and I found myself at Anfield, the home of Haier’s global partner, Liverpool Football Club. In what was one of the most polished presentations I’ve attended during my time at Expert Reviews, I heard how its plans are progressing on the TV front, while also getting a rundown of its upcoming launches across laundry, fridges, floor care and more.
I’ll leave the discussion of those categories to my Home-boy, Gareth Thomas, pictured at a post-game press conference above, so here I’m going to talk about what Haier has got cooking regarding televisions. And it’s fair to say that, appropriately given its prestigious reputation for home appliances, Haier is throwing the kitchen sink at it.
Haier TV range: A good, better and best approach
The manufacturer says it will launch as many as 13 different TV SKUs in its first range, taking the same “good, better and best” approach it’s successfully applied to other product categories. So, what we’ll see is LED and QLED options dropping first, followed by more advanced ones, like those showcased at IFA, further down the line.
Three of its entry-level models were revealed at Anfield: the Haier K85, Haier S80 and Haier S90, the latter of which, as I pointed out to the brand’s TV product manager, is very similarly named to Samsung’s mid-range S90F OLED.
Haier TV range: The key takeaways
I’ll summarise the key specifications of the three announced models below, but first, I want to talk about a few things that the entire range shares, which are all great inclusions in my book.
Fire TV OS
The first is the use of Amazon’s Fire TV operating system. This has really gained traction recently, with premium manufacturers like Panasonic using it on high-end models like the flagship Z95B OLED. Comprehensive app and streaming service support is one of the system’s biggest advantages, and with a new UI arriving soon, as confirmed at an Amazon event last week, the OS is set to become a lot more user-friendly. You’ve also got Alexa+ voice commands on hand for seamless voice control, which is a bonus.
Freely support
Secondly, Haier’s range of TVs will all have Freely built in. This platform enables viewers to watch live and on-demand content from the major UK broadcasters for free over their internet connection. I’m a big fan of Freely and think that Haier is being very smart in including it across its TV range.
Sound by KEF
Thirdly, Haier has teamed up with esteemed audio brand KEF to tune the audio on some of its televisions. Sound quality may not be TV buyers’ primary consideration, but it’s becoming increasingly important to those wanting televisions that deliver a truly immersive experience. This kind of partnership is one we see quite a lot of in the TV industry: Philips works closely with Bowers & Wilkins, while TCL has been incorporating sound by Bang & Olufsen on its sets for the past couple of years.
Homey AI
And finally, Haier is bringing its own artificial intelligence architecture, Homey AI, to bear on select models within its TV range. With AI and usability front and centre of consumer demand at the moment, this is another crowd-pleasing inclusion. I’ve not seen quite how it will work or what features will be available on Haier TVs yet, though.
Haier K85: The entry-level LED model
As the lowest-tier model announced by Haier so far, the K85 is a 4K TV that uses a basic LED backlight and will be available in three sizes popular with a mainstream consumer audience: 43in, 50in and 55in.
Haier S80: The entry-level QLED
This model adds a quantum dot filter to the LED panel found on the K85 and is available in sizes ranging from 43in up to 75in. It’s likely to be a relatively affordable way to get a larger TV in your home.
Haier S90: The premium QLED experience
Also sporting a quantum-dot powered LED panel, but this time with various welcome extras, the S90 is the most advanced of the televisions Haier showed off at Anfield. This one starts at 55in and has three larger sizes available – 65in, 75in and 85in – all of which support Dolby Atmos and Sound by KEF. This is also the point in the lineup where we see Homey AI used. Refresh rates of up to 144Hz with VRR are supported here, too, with those refresh rates rising to 240Hz with DLG gaming acceleration enabled.
I saw the Haier S90 in action at Anfield, but didn’t have the chance to enjoy any proper demos on it. It looked good mounted to the wall of the showroom, though, with reasonably slender bezels and a pleasingly thin panel, leading me to believe it will look the part in the kind of homes that house premium Haier appliances.
Haier TV range: Finding a foothold
That’s all we know about Haier’s new TV range so far, but with models due to arrive very soon, there should be lots more information on the way. I’m particularly interested to see what Haier has in store at the more premium end of the TV market.
As it stands, the TVs it’s revealed seem to be designed with mass market appeal in mind. LED and QLED TVs are some way off being the pinnacle of TV technology these days, but they are an accessible proposition for consumers.
As a new player in the UK market, it makes sense for Haier to gradually ease its way in. It’s a similar approach to that used by its Chinese counterparts TCL and Hisense when they first came to these shores. Look where those brands are now: Hisense is displaying 136in Micro LED TVs costing £120,000 in Harrods, while TCL has effectively taken over Sony’s TV business.
Haier has huge aspirations. With Mini LED models promised sooner rather than later, it’s not just dipping its toe in the TV market, but is jumping in headfirst. That could be viewed as reckless, but if the company’s success on the home appliance front is a sign of things to come, it might prove a masterstroke.
Millions of people already have Haier products in their homes, and the brand is trusted and very well-regarded, which is a strong platform from which to spring a surprise on the industry’s biggest players. Chinese companies have really been bringing the fight to established manufacturers from Japan and South Korea of late; it’s going to be fascinating to see how Haier fits into an increasingly complex equation.
The proof, as they say, will be in the eating. If Haier can deliver TVs that perform well, offer a user-friendly experience, and differentiate themselves in a crowded market, they could do the TV equivalent of Arne Slot and strike gold in their first season. But if they don’t get it right, there’s a real danger that things could go the way of the Reds’ 2025/26 campaign…
