Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are restructuring their premium liquid crystal display (LCD) TV lineups. With Chinese TV manufacturers such as TCL and Hisense disrupting the premium market centered on mini LED TVs, this is interpreted as a strategy to defend their position through direct competition.
According to industry sources on Feb. 25, Samsung Electronics is reorganizing its LCD TV lineup this year to focus primarily on mini LED TVs. Previously, the company structured its LCD TV lineup around quantum dot light-emitting diode (QLED) technology, but starting this year, it plans to expand the lineup by launching mini LED TVs instead of standard QLED TVs.
QLED TVs are premium LCD TVs that apply thin-film quantum dot film to LCD panels. QD refers to ultra-fine semiconductor particles that emit light on their own when receiving electrical energy, playing a role in improving the display’s brightness, contrast, and color. Samsung Electronics has been targeting the premium LCD TV market with Neo QLED TVs, which further reduce backlight LED chip size to improve picture quality and contrast ratio, in addition to QLED TVs.
This strategic shift is interpreted as a move to counter the rapid advance of Chinese companies in the premium LCD TV market. Chinese TV manufacturers such as TCL and Hisense are strengthening their position not only in low-cost products but also in the high-end LCD TV market, leveraging strong price competitiveness in the LCD TV market. They are particularly promoting mini LED TVs, which improve picture quality by reducing the backlight LED size used in LCDs to 100–500 micrometers (㎛).
Mini LED TVs have the advantage of being more affordable than organic light-emitting diode (OLED) TVs while providing clearer picture quality than standard LCD TVs. Consumer demand is being absorbed, particularly in emerging markets, due to phenomena such as the preference for relatively larger mini LED TVs over smaller OLED TVs at the same price point.
Currently, China is leading the mini LED TV market. TCL has been steadily releasing new products since first introducing mini LED TVs in 2019. At ‘CES 2026,’ the world’s largest consumer electronics and information technology (IT) exhibition held in Las Vegas, USA earlier this year, the company also unveiled products applying Super Quantum Dot (SQD) technology. Hisense is also promoting various lineups including mini LED gaming TVs and RGB TVs.
Following aggressive low-price campaigns, the threat to domestic companies is becoming reality as China absorbs the high-end market as well. According to market research firm Counterpoint Research, TCL’s global TV shipment market share on a monthly basis in December last year was 16%, surpassing Samsung Electronics (13%) to rank first. Concerns are even emerging both within and outside the industry that if this trend continues, Samsung Electronics could lose its first-place position in annual market share this year.
Under these circumstances, domestic companies also appear to be diversifying their mini LED TV lineups to target premium LCD TV demand. LG Electronics, which has positioned OLED TVs as its top priority, also plans to expand its premium LCD TV portfolio by launching RGB mini LED TVs this year in addition to its existing nano-based high color reproduction display (QNED) TVs.
