CES 2026: TCL debuts a super quantum dot TV instead of Micro RGB

TCL's TV announcement at CES 2026 doesn't follow the RGB trend that was expected from the big TV brands. Still, the new flagship TCL X11L SQD-Mini LED TV could wind up being one of the brightest and most impressive TVs of the year.

This version of mini-LED isn't the same mini-LED setup that we've been seeing from the best TVs in recent years. First announced in China in Sept. 2025, TCL's SQD technology stands for Super Quantum Dot. Gizmochina explains that SQD utilizes a single-chip pure white light source instead of the true red, green, and blue light sources seen in the Micro RGB TVs debuted by Samsung and LG this CES season.

But the goal is the same: to produce ultra-high peak brightness, typically only possible with QLED and mini-LED panels, and pristine black levels and contrast, typically only possible with OLED panels — simultaneously.

Mashable got the chance to preview the new flagship TCL TV ahead of CES 2026, and it's intensely bright. On top of that, a TCL representative told Mashable they believe this TV will be able to compete head-to-head with the new flagship Micro RGB TVs recently announced by Samsung and LG. The TCL X11L also features a unique speaker strip along the bottom bevel, with Bang & Olufsen audio.

The TCL X11L SQD-Mini LED TV: The specs

The X11L achieves what TCL calls "100 percent BT2020 color" through 20,000 discrete dimming zones (three times more than the premium TCL QM9K). Past the 10,000 peak nits of brightness, that should provide a ton of opportunity for precise tweaks to lighting during dark scenes that are often a problem area for non-OLED TVs.

The X11L is also armed with TCL's enhanced Halo Control System and an anti-reflective layer to mitigate blooming in dark rooms and glare in bright rooms. That boosted glare reduction, in tandem with the "ZeroBorder" bezels and 0.8-inch cabinet, aligns the X11L quite closely with the design of an art TV.

• Enhanced Halo Control System with Minimized Micro OD, Shadowless Uniform Light Supports, Shadow Detail Optimization & New 26-bit Backlight Controller

• Up to 20,000 Discrete Dimming Zones

• Up to 10,000 Peak Nits Brightness (HDR rendering maximum)

• New TSR AI Processor

• Dolby Vision 2.0 Max (OTA)

• Audio by Bang & Olufsen

• Expandable Home Theater Audio System with Optional Wireless Subwoofer & Dolby FlexConnect 4.1.4 Capability

• Backlit Voice Remote & Hands-Free Voice Control

• Gemini for Google TV

• Sleep Sounds Mode

• HDMI 2.1 Ports

• Elegant Cabinet with SuperThin Depth — just 0.8 inches

• CSOT WHVA 2.0 Ultra Panel with Wide Color Viewing Angle, Unique ZeroBorder, & Anti-Reflection Layer

• TCL Deep Color System with Super Quantum Dots, CSOT UltraColor Filter, & Advanced Color Purity Algorithm

Where to buy the TCL X11L SQD-Mini LED TV

Three sizes are available to pre-order now, though it's not clear whether smaller models will be available down the line:

• 75-inch TCL X11L: $6,999.99

• 75-inch TCL X11L: $7,999.99

• 98-inch TCL X11L: $9,999.99

Head to the Mashable CES 2026 hub for the latest news and live updates from the biggest show in tech, where Mashable journalists are reporting live.