Do you want a new, cheap TV? Do you really want it to be a 4K one, and to have Android apps like Netflix built in? Then Kogan’s new TVs might just fit the bill.
Kogan’s Agora smart TVs — in 49-, 55- and 65-inch sizes for $429, $499 and $899 pre-order prices respectively — are the cheapest Web-enabled 4K screens of their sizes that you can buy in Australia right now.
The 4K panels are built by either Samsung or LG, and you can expect decent image quality in our experience of Kogan’s TVs: roughly equivalent to a last-generation TV from either one of those tier-one manufacturers.
These prices are good until August 18, when they’ll jump up a bit — we don’t know by how much just yet. You’re pre-ordering a screen that’ll be shipped to you at the end of August, too, so you’re buying something sight unseen. We’d always suggest you read up on your rights of return under Australian Consumer Law, but there’s no doubting the fact that these TVs are impressively cheap even if they’re a little bit mediocre.
It’s worth keeping in mind that there are a couple of caveats with these TVs. They run Android 5.1, rather than the more up-to-date, attractive and feature-packed Android 7.0 of Android TVs from bigger brands like Sony and TCL — so some apps may not work. The user experience in general is a lot less refined than a bespoke smart TV interface from a Samsung or Hisense or LG, too, so don’t expect to be browsing the ‘net with wild abandon.
But if you keep your expectations measured, then you should be able to pick up a large TV at a not-so-large price. [Kogan]