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This breakthrough TV tech has Samsung, Sony and Hisense seeing dollar signs — here’s why it could beat OLED in one big way
Here’s a promise I can keep: In the coming years, you’ll be hearing a lot about something called RGB Mini-LED.
Recently, several companies unveiled TVs that sport this brand-new display technology, and each of these brands couldn’t be more excited about the benefits RGB Mini-LEDs bring to the viewing experience. We’re talking brighter pictures, improved contrast, and color volume that very well could exceed what we’ve seen on the best OLED TVs on the market.
Here’s everything you need to know about how Samsung, Hisense and Sony are putting their own spin on RGB Mini-LEDs, and why these sets could be the start of a new era in TV tech.
What is RGB Mini-LED (or Micro RGB)?
While each TV maker exploring post-Mini-LED panel technologies is playing around with different formulas, the basic approach is similar for Samsung, Hisense and Sony.
Previous iterations on LED backlighting have revolved around making the LEDs smaller with more controllable zones, thus enhancing contrast. This is why Mini-LEDs are considered the current gold standard for consumer LED TVs.
However, in addition to their super-small size, RGB Mini-LEDs have an additional trick up their sleeve: color variation.
RGB Mini-LEDs have an additional trick up their sleeve: color variation.
Even the best Mini-LED displays on the market today use white LEDs and color filters to produce color. RGB Mini-LEDs, however, tap red-, green- and blue-colored LEDs that can be independently controlled across all dimming zones.
This hardware upgrade allows for some seriously sensational hues. According to the brands leading the charge, RGB Mini-LED TVs are capable of covering 95% to 100% of BT.2020 (an international standard for color accuracy that industry folks use to measure a display’s color production).
If OLED TVs are the kings of contrast, an advantage like this would make RGB Mini-LED the undisputed kings of color. To date, even the best, quantum dot-equipped OLED TVs hover around 89% to 92% coverage of the BT.2020 color gamut.
Remember: Not all TV brands are leveraging this new tech in precisely the same way. There are key hardware- and software-related differences from one brand’s design to the next, and exactly how this new technology is deployed depends on a number of factors.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at where Samsung, Hisense and Sony stand with their take.
Samsung Micro RGB
Samsung recently unveiled the first of its TVs to bridge the gap between traditional Mini-LED and next-generation Micro-LED with the Samsung Micro RGB TV.
Currently, it’s only being made available in a 115-inch model, which will set you back a whopping $29,999.
Samsung claims that it’s capable of covering 100% of the BT.2020 color gamut. That would be higher than any TV I’ve measured in my ten-year history of testing TVs.
The Samsung Micro RGB TV comes with a native 144Hz refresh rate, built-in smart features and Samsung’s Vision AI software suite. Similar to the brand’s flagship OLED, the Samsung S95F, this Micro RGB TV is dressed with a matte, glare-free finish.
Hisense RGB Mini-LED
Credit where credit is due: Hisense was the first brand to introduce me to this next-generation TV technology earlier this year. Originally, Hisense was calling its take TriChroma LED, but according to recent press materials, this has been swapped out for the name RGB Mini-LED.
Originally unveiled at CES 2025, the Hisense 116UX is launching this year in an exclusive, 116-inch version. If you’re keeping score at home, that’s one inch bigger than Samsung’s Micro RGB TV. It’ll also be available for the same eye-watering price of $29,999.
The 116UX debuts alongside a slightly smaller (but still huge) 100-inch version, the Hisense 100UX. This TV is reportedly hitting shelves at $19,999.
Hisense claims that the 116UX can clear 95% coverage of the BT.2020 color gamut. We’ve already been lucky enough to take a look at the 116UX with our testing equipment, and according to measurements, the 116UX is the brightest commercial TV we’ve ever tested, easily cracking the 5,000-nit mark in HDR.
Sony RGB LED
Of the brands tinkering with this technology, Sony is taking the most time to forge its own path.
To date, Sony hasn’t officially given a name to its take on RGB Mini-LED, nor has it given a name to the model we saw during a press event in Tokyo earlier this year. For now, at Tom’s Guide, we’re colloquially referring to the TV as the Bravia 10 and to Sony’s take on the technology as Sony RGB LED. Neither of these names are confirmed.
Based on what we know, Sony’s version of this display operates similarly to that of Samsung and Hisense. Sony says the display covers 90% of BT.2020 and can get as bright as 4,000 nits.
Unlike its competitors, Sony is currently planning on debuting this TV sometime in 2026, so we’ll have to wait to get more details
Watch On
When will RGB Mini-LED become affordable?
There’s no way around it: Most people can’t afford TVs in the $20,000 to $30,000 price range, and while big screens are more popular than ever, 100-inch TVs just aren’t practical.
But if you’re hoping to put a 65-inch RGB Mini-LED TV for your living room, you’ll probably have to wait a while.
As time moves on, these TV-makers are banking on RGB Mini-LED being brought down to popular sizes, like 75 and 65 inches.
Display technology can be tricky to scale down. When it comes to pricey, carefully engineered display hardware, it’s much more cost effective to start at larger display sizes before developing a reliable way of manufacturing it at smaller size points.
This is why most of these TVs are both gargantuan and expensive.
But as time moves on, these TV-makers are banking on RGB Mini-LED being brought down to popular sizes, like 75 and 65 inches.
In the meantime, consider RGB Mini-LED to be a bridge between the Mini-LEDs of today and the TVs of the future.
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