Samsung Electronics, which has maintained the world's No. 1 TV position for 19 consecutive years, is struggling against the offensive of Chinese corporations. The company plans to launch an 'RGB micro LED TV' that can compete with Chinese mini light-emitting diode (LED) TVs and premium products like micro LED and organic light-emitting diode (OLED) TVs within this year.
According to industry sources on the 11th, Samsung Electronics is expected to showcase its new 'RGB micro LED TV' at the IFA 2025, one of the world's three largest electronics exhibitions, which will be held in Berlin, Germany next month. It is also reported that the company will begin promoting the product not only domestically but also in Europe.
The RGB micro LED TV is based on the existing structure of liquid crystal display (LCD) panels, applying red (R), green (G), and blue (B) color filters. It is a 'non-self-luminous' product that requires an external light source. Instead, it uses RGB light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as the backlight unit (BLU), distinguishing it from existing mini LED-LCD TVs, which apply white LED backlighting. By using RGB LEDs as the backlight, it can enhance color reproduction and contrast ratio compared to using white LEDs.
Samsung Electronics plans to segment its RGB LED product lineup into micro LED and mini LED to compete with low-cost TV brands from China and flagship products of premium TV brands such as LG Electronics and Sony. Currently, Samsung Electronics is narrowly maintaining its No. 1 position between Chinese corporations aggressively pushing mini LED TVs in the mid-range market and LG Electronics, which holds a dominant position in the premium TV market with OLED TVs.
The chip size of the RGB micro LED TV to be unveiled by Samsung Electronics is less than 100 micrometers (㎛), reduced from the chip size of 100 to 500 micrometers (㎛) in the RGB mini LED TVs commercialized earlier by China. Through this, Samsung Electronics aims to maximize the local dimming effect, finely adjusting the dark and bright areas to enhance contrast representation. As the chip size shrinks, deeper blacks and brighter images are also reinforced compared to existing RGB mini LED TVs.
Samsung Electronics previously unveiled prototypes of its 98-inch RGB micro LED TV and others at CES 2025 held in Las Vegas, USA, in January. The officially released product has been finalized at a larger size of 115 inches, and a launch plan has been established. Additionally, the company is expected to expand its portfolio with RGB mini LED TV products to compete against low-cost mini LED TVs from China.
Industry analysts expect that the performance of the RGB micro LED TV that Samsung Electronics will introduce will be close to that of high-end OLED TVs, while the price will be similar or even cheaper. A source knowledgeable about Samsung Electronics said, 'Based on the information disclosed so far, the RGB LED TV will be the closest to the specifications of OLED TVs among all LCD-based products released to date,' adding, 'The price will also be set lower than OLED to maximize 'cost performance' as a marketing point.'
Sony, like Samsung Electronics, unveiled its RGB LED TV last March and is also expected to showcase new products at this year's IFA. The maximum brightness of the RGB LED TV released by Sony previously reached 4,000 nits, and the DCI-P3 color gamut covered 99%, demonstrating performance twice that of Chinese mini LED TVs. Sony is also anticipated to price its RGB LED TV at a level between mini LED TVs and high-priced OLED TVs.