The TV industry is evolving. 2026 marks what is, for all intents and purposes, the maiden voyage of an all-new type of TV technology: RGB LED.
Similar to Mini-LED, RGB LED TVs leverage an array of ultra-small LEDs arranged in dimmable zones. Unlike Mini-LEDs, RGB LEDs are red, green and blue. This makes way for brighter, purer color than what we’ve come to expect from even the best TVs available to date.
When RGB LEDs were first introduced, I assumed that their potential impact on the TV market would be made clear over the course of at least a few years. But as the newest slate of TVs from companies like Samsung and Hisense begin to roll out, one thing is clear: Brands are betting big on RGB LED, and if you squint, you can already glimpse the future they’re building for this all-new tech.
Article continues below
RGB LEDs are making high-end Mini-LED TVs redundant
To get a sense of how TV-makers might fit RGB LED TVs into their future portfolios, we should start by taking a broader look at their TV lineups to date.
Hisense, LG, Samsung, Sony and TCL have all tossed their hat into the RGB LED ring (though each brand has put its own spin on the technology). Of these names, Hisense and Samsung are on the cusp of actually shipping RGB LED TVs in the coming weeks, some of which include popular sizes like 55 and 65 inches.
Hisense’s UR9 and UR8 RGB Mini-LED TVs will be available soon. So will the Samsung R95H Micro RGB TV. But what these brands haven’t announced are new versions of their longstanding, flagship Mini-LED TVs.
Last year, in keeping with recent tradition, Hisense offered three Mini-LED-based options that varied in price and performance: the entry-level U6 Series, the mid-range U7 Series and the flagship-level U8 Series. This year, Hisense has only confirmed new, upgraded versions of the U6 and the U7 — a new U8 is still missing in action.
If RGB LED sets are replacing high-end Mini-LED TVs, where will Mini-LEDs be in a few years’ time?
In 2025, Samsung delivered three Mini-LED TVs under its Neo QLED namesake: the QN70F, the QN80F and the top-shelf Samsung QN90F. In 2026, Samsung has thus far only confirmed the existence of the QN70H and the QN80H. As of now, the TV that would ostensibly be called the QN90H is nowhere to be found.
One could make a case that, of all the brands developing RGB LED-based TVs, Hisense and Samsung have come out of the gate the hottest. To date, they’re pursuing RGB LED proliferation louder and prouder than the competition, pushing multiple models across more size points than what we’ve seen from LG, Sony and TCL.
When you factor all of this together, it would seem as though the two biggest drumbeaters for RGB LED technology have phased out their top-tier Mini-LED TVs and replaced them with RGB LED TVs. That raises an important question for prospective TV-buyers in 2026 and beyond: If RGB LED sets are replacing high-end Mini-LED TVs, where will Mini-LEDs be in a few years’ time?
Forecasting the future of Mini-LED TVs
If RGB LED TVs are successful, it’s not hard to foresee a future in which Mini-LEDs become more of a standardized feature among affordable, low-end TVs. This would benefit budget-conscious shoppers, since even modest Mini-LED backlighting typically spells better performance than what comes with cheap, edge-lit TVs that lack local dimming.
But it’s still early. 2026 is, for all intents and purposes, RGB LED’s maiden voyage. If the success of RGB LED TVs pushes regular Mini-LED technology further down the TV-performance pecking order, it won’t happen overnight.
Right now, I’m especially interested in the aforementioned Mini-LED TVs from Hisense and Samsung. If these brands have truly done away with their flagship-level Mini-LED TVs (the Hisense U8 and the Samsung QN90), then what can we expect from the Hisense U7SG and the Samsung QN80H, which are now, by default, sitting in the top tier?
The way I see it, there are two possible outcomes. The first is that the Hisense U75G and the Samsung QN80H are mostly comparable in performance to last-year’s version of these TVs. In this scenario, the performance tier belonging to the Hisense U8 and Samsung QN90 would be left behind. In other words, if you want that level of performance from an LED TV, Hisense and Samsung would be ushering you into the RGB LED class.
The second outcome is that, the Hisense U7SG and the Samsung QN80H end up being closer to the Hisense U8QG and the Samsung QN90F in performance. Essentially, they inherit the role of each brand’s Mini-LED flagship — at least spiritually.
Personally, I’m pulling for the second scenario. If Mini-LED truly is in the preliminary stages of losing its “best non-OLED TV tech” title to RGB LED, the performance gains we’ve seen in recent years ought to stick around.
Hisense’s newest U7 Series should be as good (or better) than last-year’s Hisense U8QG. And, if Samsung is saying farewell to the QN90, the all-new QN80H should be as good as last-year’s Samsung QN90F.
We won’t know for sure until we get our hands on these Mini-LED TVs in the coming months and give ‘em a go in our testing lab. In any event, 2026 is quietly an important year for Mini-LED TVs.
Follow Tom’s Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds.
More from Tom’s Guide
First Appeared on
Source link
Leave feedback about this