In September, at the world's top three electronics exhibition 'IFA 2025' in Berlin, Germany, the TV new product lines from Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, along with corporations from China and Japan are beginning to take shape. Analysts suggest that as the market leadership of Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, which have dominated the market with organic light-emitting diode (OLED) and quantum dot light-emitting diode (QLED) TVs, gradually weakens, a new era in TV technology characterized by the rise of emerging powerhouses such as TCL and Hisense, as well as Sony and Panasonic diversifying their main TV types, will open.
According to the industry, at IFA 2025, major electronics corporations are expected to showcase a more diverse range of premium and mid-range TVs equipped with various types of display panels compared to previous years. In particular, corporations from Korea, China, and Japan are all expected to exhibit 'RGB LED TVs,' which have maximized the performance of liquid crystal display (LCD) TVs.
RGB LED TV is structured based on the existing LCD TV framework that applies liquid crystal display (LCD) panels and red (R), green (G), and blue (B) color filters. It is a 'non-self-emissive' product that requires an external light source. Using RGB light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as the backlight unit (BLU) differentiates it from the existing mini LED-LCD TVs that utilize white LEDs. Using RGB LEDs as the backlight can enhance color reproduction and contrast ratio compared to using white LEDs.
RGB LED TVs are divided into high-end micro LEDs and more affordable mini LEDs based on the size and density of the LED elements. Previously, Chinese corporations introduced RGB mini LED TVs based on mini LEDs, but there have been no implementations using micro LEDs yet. Accordingly, it is analyzed that starting from IFA 2025, the performance of LCD-based TV product lines will diversify beyond existing QLEDs to include mini LEDs, RGB mini LEDs, and micro LEDs.
Samsung Electronics, the world's No. 1 TV manufacturer, is considering expanding its RGB LED TV lineup exhibition to fend off the invasion of Chinese mini LED TVs that have continuously eroded its market share in the mid-range sector. There is also a possibility that not only the 115-inch RGB micro mini LED TV showcased domestically on the 12th but also more affordable RGB mini LED TV products will be released.
The performance gap with Chinese RGB LED TVs is also a key point. Samsung Electronics stated that its product line can achieve superior color representation compared to RGB LED TVs released for domestic use by Chinese corporations, as it reduces the RGB LED chip size to below 100 µm (micrometers). Although Sony, which announced its RGB LED TV in Japan, did not provide specific details about the chip size, local officials evaluated that the product is comparable not only to Chinese offerings but also to high-end TVs like OLED TVs from Korean companies.
As next-generation technologies that drive LCD performance to the extreme continue to emerge, it will be a point of observation whether LG Electronics, which has previously promoted OLED TVs, will unveil RGB LED TVs. The industry suggests that LG Electronics, which has a higher market share in the OLED TV sector than Samsung Electronics, is also said to be considering the introduction of RGB TVs in response to the market. Amidst stagnation in the premium market share held by OLED TVs, there are growing voices advocating for the need to secure profitability with a diverse portfolio.
TCL and Hisense, recognized as representatives of the Chinese TV industry, are also expected to exhibit a variety of LCD-based TVs, including RGB LED and mini LED, in addition to their existing main lineups, including OLED TVs, at this year's IFA. In particular, it is anticipated that Hisense will release its new flagship OLED TV model after several years, alongside mini LED and QLED-based TVs at IFA 2025.
Sony and Panasonic, trapped in the domestic market due to the global competition between Korea and China, had not announced significant new TV product lines at IFA events for a while, but this year Sony has announced a media conference related to RGB LED TVs. A Sony official noted, 'Although we cannot know specifically what products will be released, we are preparing for a competitive product lineup in the premium market, which will be over 100 inches.'