Just one in ten Which? Convo readers prefer glossy screens, so it’s clear there’s an appetite for matte screens. Samsung has answered that need by announcing a range of non-reflective, anti-glare laptops. Tempted?

Samsung has today announced that its new Chronos range of laptops will feature non-reflective, anti-glare – or otherwise known as matte – screens. The new line up, including the Samsung Series 7 Chronos 700Z, will launch later this year in the UK.

It’s about time a major manufacturer pulled back from today’s glossy obsession. It’s doubly impressive that Samsung is the one to make the first move, as I previously saw it as the shiniest product maker of them all.

The desire for a matte option

Finding a laptop with a matte screen is nigh on impossible these days, as you’ve clearly noticed. In our poll of 1,667 Which? Convo readers, 89% said they preferred matte screens to glossy. This result, along with the following comments, has spurred us on to take this issue straight to the manufacturers:

‘I am absolutely fed up of glossy screens invading every piece of technology. So you definitely have my vote … go for it Which!’ encouraged Louis ‘Oh please, please lobby for the return of matte screens. I CAN’T STAND GLOSSY. It’s cheap looking and reflects the light too much,’ argued Kathy

And Jim weighed in with a bit of humour:

‘As a keen photographer I love matte screens as they display my pictures for critical inspection without me having to mentally subtract my own (distractingly gorgeous) reflection from the image.’

We heard a similar story when we took the question to 1,345 Which? members – of those who gave a preference, almost half said they favoured matte, and just one in ten picked glossy.

Tempted by Samsung’s matte laptops?

So, here at Which?, we’re all enamoured with Samsung’s decision to release a range of matte laptops – I’m sure you will be too. And really, it’s all about choice. No one’s asking for every single laptop to be matte, as we know glossy screens can offer picture benefits, like more vibrant colours. We just want choice.

Which? members agree – around six in ten think manufacturers should offer products with both glossy and matte screens so that consumers can choose the right one for them.

So with Samsung’s announcement, there’s finally some choice on store shelves. And we’ll be encouraging other manufacturers to respond with their own matte options. The question is whether Samsung’s new anti-glare range will sell better or worse than its glossy cousins.

Are you delighted by the Korean manufacturer’s matte move, and will you invest in one of its anti-glare laptops?

The Samsung Series 7 700Z, which you can see in our exclusive Which? Tech Daily hands-on, will cost around £800 and will be out in mid-October, along with other anti-glare laptops from Samsung’s new range.