RGB mini-LED may challenge OLED if it improves blacks and uniformity.

RGB mini-LED (also called Micro RGB) delivers much higher peak brightness than current OLEDs and is being adopted by major TV makers; early hardware shows strong color and brightness but still needs better local dimming and screen uniformity to match OLED's true blacks.

RGB mini-LED, also called Micro RGB by some manufacturers, is a new variation of mini-LED that uses red, green and blue LEDs instead of a single-color backlight. It offers much higher peak brightness than many OLEDs and has attracted interest from several major TV makers. Hisense introduced RGB mini-LED at CES 2025 and brands including LG, Samsung and TCL have announced plans for RGB/Micro RGB models in 2026. Early tests of the Hisense 116UX showed striking colors and extreme peak brightness but also visible clouding and grayish blacks in some dark scenes and from some viewing angles. Key facts: - OLED panels are self-emissive and produce very deep blacks and strong native contrast. - Manufacturers showed OLED panels rated up to 4,500 nits at CES 2026; measured flagship HDR peaks include about 2,268 nits (LG G5) and 2,135 nits (Samsung S95F). - The Hisense 116UX RGB mini-LED was measured at 6,014 nits peak HDR brightness in Vivid mode and exceeded 1,000 nits fullscreen brightness in tests. - RGB mini-LED can produce richer colors and higher brightness than standard mini-LED, but testers reported clouding and less uniform blacks on the 116UX in some scenes. - Several major brands plan RGB/Micro RGB models for 2026, with some starting at 55 inches; confirmed pricing for these smaller RGB sets has not been published. Summary: RGB mini-LED brings a clear advantage in peak brightness and has prompted broad industry adoption, which could reshape choices for bright-room viewing. Its main limitation remains contrast and screen uniformity, where OLED's self-emissive pixels still lead. Several brands plan releases in 2026, but whether smaller RGB sets will match OLED's blacks and what they will cost is undetermined at this time.