Omdia's principal analyst, Jimmy Kim, has released a new analysis indicating that TCL is solidifying its stronghold in the premium television segment through its proprietary SQD Mini LED technology. In contrast, competitors like Hisense and Samsung are maintaining their focus on more economical solutions to drive higher shipment volumes. The SQD Mini LED approach offers a compelling combination, delivering superior color accuracy while retaining a cost advantage over RGB Mini LED alternatives. By potentially appealing to both the high-end and mass-market tiers of Mini LED TVs, this technology is positioned to address a potential market size exceeding 27 million units by the year 2030.
Divergent Backlight Strategies Among Top Three Manufacturers
As recently as 2022, Samsung dominated the Mini LED TV landscape, holding an approximate 75% share of shipments. However, the subsequent entry of TCL and Hisense with low-cost solutions gradually eroded Samsung's lead, with both companies surpassing its market share by 2024. In response, Samsung launched its first television models featuring edge-type Mini LED backlights in 2025, specifically targeting the cost-sensitive segment. Currently, TCL holds the largest share of the Mini LED TV market, followed by Hisense and then Samsung. Collectively, these three giants command roughly 75% of the total market share in this category.
Up until now, the three leading manufacturers have pursued relatively similar product strategies, primarily leveraging low-cost solutions to accelerate shipment growth. Nevertheless, a clear divergence in their corporate strategies is expected to emerge from 2026 onward. Hisense and Samsung are both persisting with their low-cost approaches for the mainstream market, albeit through different technical routes. Hisense has introduced a new line of RGB Mini LED TVs that reduce costs by cutting the number of backlight dimming zones, with plans to extend this lineup further into the mainstream to cement its leadership in RGB technology. Meanwhile, Samsung has launched a new TV series branded "Mini LED" which cuts expenses by removing quantum dot sheets and using white-light Mini LED packages. This new range is slated to gradually replace its mainstream QLED offerings.
On the other hand, TCL is directing its efforts towards the premium segment with the introduction of its new SQD Mini LED TV line. According to Omdia's research, TCL is striving for exceptional color fidelity through its unique SQD technology to establish dominance in the high-end sector, all while maintaining a comprehensive portfolio that includes both RGB Mini LED and QD Mini LED products.
SQD Mini LED: Blending Superior Color with Strong Cost Efficiency
TCL notes that SQD Mini LED is not a single quantum dot (QD) technology, but rather a combination of several component-level innovations that work together to achieve remarkable color precision. These include an ultra-wide color gamut panel, advanced color filters, SQD materials, ultra-thin backlight units, and precise dimming controls. The cost structure of SQD Mini LED is expected to be highly competitive, rivaling that of standard QD Mini LED, while delivering exceptional color. Omdia's simulations suggest that a backlight module for a TV with 5,000 dimming zones using SQD would have a manufacturing cost of roughly $1,400. This is approximately 20% lower than a comparable RGB Mini LED module with the same number of colored dimming zones. Typically, RGB Mini LED dimming zones are calculated per color (red, green, blue), so 5,000 colored zones equate to only about 1,700 white zones. Even if the zone count is reduced to around 500, which is closer to the SQD standard, the manufacturing cost can drop to below $750. This robust cost competitiveness stems from the inherent flexibility within its cost structure.
SQD Mini LED made its debut at CES 2026, demonstrating its ability to cover 100% of the BT.2020 color space. This initial showcase led to expectations that the technology would primarily target the high-end Mini LED TV market, directly competing with RGB Mini LED models. However, given its noted cost advantages, SQD Mini LED TVs are now expected to penetrate both the premium and mainstream markets. Including demand from the mainstream sector, the total addressable market for SQD Mini LED could reach 14.7 million units in 2026. The market environment for SQD Mini LED has been further enhanced by the launch of the QM7L model in the U.S., with aggressive pricing that reinforces its competitiveness and suitability for the mainstream. By 2030, the combined demand from both high-end and mainstream Mini LED TV tiers is forecast to exceed 27 million units. TCL is actively advancing its SQD Mini LED strategy and has expressed a willingness to share its SQD platform with other TV makers. Should this approach prove successful, the SQD Mini LED TV market could grow to over 10 million units, representing more than 40% of the total addressable market.