The Smart TV market in India is fiercely competitive, with brands constantly striving to outdo each other by offering more features at lower prices. However, in a landscape crowded with nearly identical designs and specifications—often sharing the same display panels and features—it can be difficult to stand out. Fortunately, some brands do take a different approach.
The Haier M95E series is one such example, bringing a combination of new technology and unique design at a competitive price. This series features a Mini LED panel, and a 2.1-channel sound system, and comes in two size options: 65-inch and 75-inch. We’ve been testing the 65-inch variant, which is priced at Rs. 1,55,990, for quite some time now. How does it compare to a standard Smart TV with a VA panel? What advantages does it offer, and is it worth the investment? Let’s find out.
Haier M95E Mini LED Smart TV Design
If I were to describe the M95E’s design in one word, it would be – Premium. The TV features a metallic build (the back is plastic) with slim bezels all around. Installing the TV is a two-person job at least as the entire unit with the stand weighs about 29kgs.
The stand is sturdy and looks elegant
You can either wall mount the TV or place it on a table with the help of the stylish base stand. The stand is essentially a block of metal that adds a nice touch to the TV, while also keeping it very stable.
You get dual woofers at the back
The TV comes with a 2.1-channel sound setup, and you’ll find a soundbar attached to the bottom. The bar features the Haier branding in the centre, the sensors on the left side, and the various supported certifications on the right.
The TV supports both HDR and Dolby Vision
Haier has placed the power button and a physical microphone mute switch on the left bottom side.
There’s only two buttons on the TV
Moving over to the back, you’ll find the dual woofers placed at the centre. One thing I didn’t like about the design is that the power cable is attached and is located on the opposite side of all the ports. Talking about ports, there are plenty of them.
There’s plenty of ports available on the TV
You get 4 x HDMI 2.1 ports, with two of these ports capable of 4K 120Hz output, and one supports eARC/ARC. The TV also offers dual USB 2.0 Type-A ports, a LAN port, Optical out, AV IN, AUX/Headphone out, Satellite and Cable out, and a Common Interface attachment.
The remote features solar charging
Haier includes a solar-powered remote with the TV. You can also charge it via a USB Type-C cable and it offers all the necessary buttons for navigation. There are separate buttons for Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video and more. The remote is nice to use, and the Voice function worked well during the review.
Overall, the design of the Haier M95E series was both minimal and modern. It looks and feels premium, thanks to the metal build and the unique stand. The front-facing soundbar also adds to the premium look.
Haier M95E Mini LED Smart TV Performance
The main highlight of the M95E series is the Mini LED display. It performs somewhere in between a QLED and OLED TV, while still using the basics of LCD technology. TVs with Mini LED panels are more expensive to make, as they use thousands of mini-LEDs to offer better control over brightness and contrast.
HDR10+ content looks really good on the TV
The display gets super bright, so much so that I had to always keep the brightness under 50 percent when watching anything in the dark, especially if the content had a lot of bright scenes. Another thing I liked was the deeper blacks compared to regular LED TVs. The contrast and HDR are also much better than your standard LED panel.
It’s nice to have both HDR10+ and Dolby Vision certification for various content
Colour output was also vivid and immersive, thanks to the TV offering HDR10+ and Dolby Vision support. It also offers excellent viewing angles, though its glossy panel will reflect light, so minimising surrounding light sources is advisable. Additionally, the TV includes multiple video modes tailored for Sports, Movies, and Gaming, ensuring an optimised viewing experience.
The TV runs Android TV OS 11 out-of-the-box
When it comes to gaming, the TV supports a 144Hz refresh rate at 4K resolution, along with features like VRR, MEMC, ALLM, and AMD FreeSync Premium. Gaming felt incredibly smooth and immersive – I connected a Sony PlayStation 5 and played several AAA titles at 120Hz with HDR. Games like Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Alan Wake 2 looked stunning. The dedicated Gaming Mode offers extensive customization options, allowing you to tweak settings, select a preferred picture mode for enhanced immersion, adjust the screen size, and even enable CrossHair for better accuracy.
Games run at 120Hz or higher
The sound output on the TV was good. It comes with Harman Kardon-powered speakers that include a front-facing soundbar and rear-mounted woofers. Haier claims that the TV delivers 60W of sound output. The TV also offers Dolby Atmos and dbx-tv support. Personally, I found the sound output to be too bassy and out-of-the-box. However, you can adjust settings to get the best output. I’d also recommend using the dbx-tv tuning over Dolby Atmos. The sound can get quite loud and is plenty for a large living room. There’s also no cracking at high volume. You can also choose between several Sound modes as per the content you’re watching.
You also get other sound modes and an EQ
Haier’s M95E Smart TV is powered by Android TV OS 11 out-of-the-box, and you get 3GB RAM with 32GB storage, which is plenty for installing all your favourite apps. During the review period, there was no UI lag. The Google TV UI is familiar and easy to use, especially after the recent overhaul. You also get features such as built-in Chromecast, access to the Google Play store, and Hands-free voice control with Google Assistant.
In terms of connectivity, the TV gets Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1. I did not face any connectivity issues with the TV during the review.
Haier M95E Mini LED Smart TV Verdict
After using the Haier M95E series smart TV for 3-4 months, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, particularly when gaming on the PS5 and watching HDR/Dolby Vision content. If you’re looking for a premium smart TV with superior features and performance compared to a standard LED TV—and don’t mind paying a premium—the M95E series is definitely worth considering.
Gaming on the Haier M95E is immersive
For those upgrading from an LED TV, the difference is immediately noticeable. The exceptional brightness, deep blacks, and improved contrast make a compelling case for this TV. However, I do wish it was priced more competitively – at Rs. 1,55,990 for the 65-inch model, it’s on the expensive side. While the quality is undoubtedly impressive, Haier’s pricing might be a tough sell in a price-sensitive market.
