LG OLED48CX

It’s been a long time coming but the first 4K OLED TV under 50in is finally with us. Was it worth the wait? Most definitely

We’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time. The first OLED TV arrived on the scene in 2007 and was tiny, at only 11 inches, not to mention ludicrously expensive. In 2012, the first full-size OLED TV arrived in shops, and that had a 55in screen. It has taken until now for a model between the two sizes to appear.

That model is the OLED48CX, a 48in OLED from LG. The Korean company was an early investor in OLED tech and is now reaping the rewards: to the best of our knowledge, every OLED TV you can currently buy – whether it’s branded Sony, Panasonic, Philips, Hisense or anything else – features an LG panel. Predictably, more 48in OLEDs are now on the way, but the 48CX is blazing the trail. And it’s doing so in some style.

For some, the bit of saving over the 55in model will seem a bit lousy, but this is the first TV of its type at this size, so perhaps we should be grateful it’s only a little more expensive than the premium QLEDs and LCDs already on the market.

Internationally, the OLED48CX is available either as the OLED48CX6LA or OLED48CX5LB. The only difference is the finish: the 6LA comes in dark silver, while the 5LB is light silver.

In the US, this model is known as the OLED48CXPUB. It is not currently planned for launch in Australia and might come to India soon but there’s no definite word on it yet.

If it ain’t broke…

As you might expect, the OLED48CX looks like a mini OLED55CX. Perhaps disappointingly, that means it also looks like last year’s C9: LG has chosen not to alter the appearance of its C-series between the 2019 and 2020 generations.