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Cheapest 48‑Inch OLED TV per Inch: LG B5 at $13.54/inch

By Jon Levesque··Updated May 12, 2026

Key Takeaway

LG B5 48‑inch OLED delivers $13.54/inch — the only 48‑inch OLED price in live tracking. The 65‑inch Panasonic Z85 OLED undercuts it at $10.23/inch, saving $3.31 per inch. We break down the numbers.

The cheapest 48‑inch OLED TV per inch in 2026 is the LG B5 48‑inch OLED (2025) at $650, or $13.54/inch — the only model with a confirmed live price. By comparison, the 65‑inch Panasonic Z85 Series costs $665, yielding $10.23/inch and a savings of $3.31 per inch.

Why the LG B5 48‑Inch OLED Is the Cheapest 48‑Inch OLED per Inch Right Now

As of May 12, 2026, our live price tracking shows only one 48‑inch OLED TV with an actual in‑stock price: the LG B5 48‑inch OLED. Best Buy lists it at $650. That works out to $13.54 per inch (650 ÷ 48).

No competing 48‑inch OLED — not the LG C5, Samsung S90F, or Sony Bravia 8 — has a documented price in major retailers’ listings that we could verify. That makes the B5 the automatic choice if you’re shopping solely by per‑inch cost in the 48‑inch class.

Tom’s Guide notes that the LG B5 48‑inch is a Best Buy exclusive, which may explain why competing online listings are absent. We’ll update this article as soon as other 48‑inch OLED prices surface.

The 48‑Inch OLED Price Gap vs. Larger Screens

The LG B5’s $13.54/inch looks reasonable until you compare it to larger OLEDs we track:

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Prices updated daily. Affiliate links — we earn from qualifying purchases.

The cheapest OLED overall, the 65‑inch Panasonic Z85 Series (2024), costs $665 — only $15 more than the B5 but spanning 65 inches. That delivers $10.23 per inch (665 ÷ 65). The per‑inch cost of the Z85 is $3.31 lower than the B5’s (13.54 – 10.23). That’s a substantial per‑inch saving for anyone with the space to accommodate a 65‑inch screen.

Even the 55‑inch LG B4 OLED at $754 ($13.71/inch) costs $0.17 more per inch than the 48‑inch B5, underscoring how compact OLEDs can break the typical “bigger is always more efficient” pattern. The B5 holds a per‑inch advantage over nearly all other OLEDs under 65 inches in our current data.

How We Calculated $13.54 per Inch – Methodology

We pull the lowest in‑stock price from verified retailer listings — not historical prices or MSRPs. For the LG B5 48‑inch, that single Best Buy listing sits at $650. Dividing by the diagonal 48 inches gives $13.54/inch, rounded to two decimal places.

Similarly, the Panasonic Z85 65‑inch floor price is $665, which yields $10.23/inch. These numbers represent the cheapest live listing for each model, not an average across sellers.

We also track the category floors for context:

  • OLED floor: $10.23/inch (Panasonic Z85 65‑inch)
  • QLED floor: $3.88/inch (Vizio VQD50M 50‑inch)
  • LED floor: $3.28/inch (Westinghouse 58‑inch)

Every per‑inch figure in this article comes directly from these live listings — no division performed outside our database.

Should You Buy a 48‑Inch OLED or Go Bigger for Better Value?

If your room demands a smaller screen, the LG B5 is your only priced 48‑inch OLED right now. But if you can fit a 65‑inch display, the Panasonic Z85 delivers 17 more diagonal inches for just $15 extra — and lowers your per‑inch spend from $13.54 to $10.23. That’s a compelling case for going larger.

If OLED picture quality isn’t a must, QLED and LED TVs slash the per‑inch cost dramatically. Here’s how the cheapest QLED and LED stack up:

Top Picks by $/GB

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Prices updated daily. Affiliate links — we earn from qualifying purchases.

Top Picks by $/GB

View all →
Prices updated daily. Affiliate links — we earn from qualifying purchases.

The Vizio 50‑inch QLED at $194 ($3.88/inch) and the Westinghouse 58‑inch LED at $190 ($3.28/inch) undercut the OLED floor by more than $6.00 per inch. You lose the infinite contrast and per‑pixel lighting of OLED, but you gain a lot of screen for the dollar. If you’re shopping purely on per‑inch efficiency, these technologies are far ahead — but none match the picture quality of the B5 or Z85.

💡If you’re committed to a 48‑inch OLED, the LG B5 is your only currently priced option. But consider stepping up to 65 inches: the Panasonic Z85 saves you $3.31 per inch and costs only $15 more total.

What’s Missing? Other 48‑Inch OLEDs Without Published Prices

Our live tracking doesn’t yet list the 2025 model LG C5 48‑inch, Samsung S90F 48‑inch, or any 48‑inch Sony OLED as in‑stock with a verifiable price. That doesn’t mean they won’t appear — simply that, as of May 12, 2026, no major retailer has a price we can confirm.

Rumored prices or pre‑order figures don’t meet our methodology standard (we require a confirmed in‑stock listing). If a 48‑inch C5 or S90F lands at a lower per‑inch cost, we’ll update this analysis immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cheapest 48‑inch OLED TV per inch in 2026?

The LG B5 48‑inch OLED (2025) is the only 48‑inch OLED with a live price we can confirm: $650 at Best Buy, or $13.54 per inch. No other 48‑inch OLED from LG, Samsung, or Sony has an in‑stock price we’ve verified as of May 12, 2026.

How does the LG B5 48‑inch compare to larger OLEDs in price per inch?

The cheapest OLED overall is the 65‑inch Panasonic Z85 Series at $665, yielding $10.23 per inch — $3.31 less per inch than the B5. Stepping up to 55 inches via the LG B4 ($13.71/inch) actually costs $0.17 more per inch, making the 48‑inch B5 a per‑inch sweet spot among OLEDs under 65 inches.

Are there any other 48‑inch OLEDs cheaper than the LG B5?

As of May 12, 2026, we haven’t found any. The LG C5, Samsung S90F, and Sony Bravia 8 48‑inch models have no live in‑stock listings in our data. Until a listing appears, the B5 remains the default cheapest per inch at this size.

Is $13.54 per inch a good deal for an OLED TV?

The LG B5's $13.54 per inch is the lowest among 48‑inch OLEDs simply because it's the only priced model. Compared to the OLED category floor of $10.23/inch (65‑inch), it's a notable premium for the compact form factor. Whether it's a "good deal" depends on your space constraints and willingness to pay more per inch for OLED quality in a smaller size.

Why are smaller OLED TVs more expensive per inch?

Smaller screens spread the fixed costs of OLED manufacturing, panel yields, and electronics over fewer diagonal inches. Logically, the same production complexity goes into a 48‑inch panel as a larger one, but the larger panel amortizes costs across more inches. That’s why the 48‑inch B5 costs $3.31 more per inch than the 65‑inch Z85, even though both are current‑generation OLEDs.

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