- Samsung demoes an 8K, RGB micro-LED LCD TV at CES 2025
- It follows on from Hisense's RGB mini-LED LCD TV, the 116UX
- Samsung hopes to release a 4K RGB model in 2025
Samsung has unveiled an 8K LCD TV that uses an RGB micro-LED backlight at CES 2025. The TV has no official name or model number, but Samsung hopes to release it in 2025.
Only days after Hisense revealed a TV that uses an RGB mini-LED backlight, the Hisense 116-inch UX, which it said will drastically improve brightness and color accuracy over standard mini-LED TVs, Samsung has demonstrated an 8K set with a possibly even more advanced RGB micro-LED backlight.
The prototype was actually shown one day before CES at the 'Samsung First Look' event. The model on display was an 8K, 98-inch set, though Samsung says this isn't necessarily what it will release – the company told TechRadar that it hopes to launch a 4K version in the second half of 2025, and it may come in smaller sizes.
An 8K RGB micro-LED TV, if released, would serve as the flagship 8K TV for Samsung, sitting above the already announced Samsung QN990F (pictured above) and Samsung QN900F, revealed earlier at CES as part of Samsung's 2025 mini-LED lineup.
Samsung says that opting for micro-LED over mini-LED in the RGB backlight will allow for "three times more LEDs", meaning bolder colors and improved brightness. The even smaller micro-LED backlight will most likely allow for more dimming zones than the mini-LED backlight as well.
The set is currently a 'prototype' as there's no name, model number, price or full spec list available, but it's likely to be at the premium end of the market.
Micro-LED for less?
While this 8K RGB micro-LED TV is likely to carry a very hefty price tag, it does bring about an interesting opportunity: access to micro-LED tech for less. Though the TV is still likely to be price in the high thousands or tens of thousands of dollars, it'll be a significant drop on a fully-fledged micro-LED TV.
Samsung released a 98-inch 8K model in 2023 (carried over into 2024), the Samsung QN990C, which costs $40,000 / £34,999 (roughly AU$64,545). So the 98-inch RBG micro-LED that was on show is going to be pricier than this, and will still be a premium product.
However, this is still less than the eye-watering prices we see for purely micro-LED TVs, albeit with larger screen sizes. Samsung's own 110-inch micro-LED from 2022 retails for $149,999 (roughly £121,860 / AU$242,000). LG's 118-inch MAGNIT micro-LED , which is priced at $237,000, (roughly £129,550 AU$382,436) is something most people will never afford. Yet, micro-LED was said to be the future of TVs, even beating the best OLED TVs. But these prices just aren't feasible for 99% of people.
This new Samsung model won't have the full benefits of a purely micro-LED TV, such as Hisense's own staggering 163-inch micro-LED TV revealed at CES, but using micro-LEDs in the TV's backlight would still be an upgrade over mini-LED backlights, as micro-LEDs may allow for better black levels, contrast, higher brightness and more vibrant colors. Is the tech still likely to be expensive? Yes, but you'd expect it to be significantly less than the going rate for a MicroLED TV.
We'll eagerly await more details on this RGB micro-LED from Samsung, with a very close eye on the price. Could this finally be the start of micro-LED's integration into TVs at a reduced cost? Fingers crossed!
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