Samsung to phase out QLED, shift to Mini LED and OLED

Samsung is sharply cutting QLED production and steering its TV line toward Mini LED and OLED, according to a report from Electronic Times. The South Korean firm, long identified with QLED and Neo QLED branding, is said to be reducing QLED output from 10 million units in 2025 to an estimated 2 to 3 million in 2026, a drop of about 80 percent.

That decline reflects changes already underway. Electronic Times reports Samsung has removed entry level QLED models and replaced them with Mini LED variants that do not use the Quantum Dot films associated with higher color accuracy. The company has also trimmed Neo QLED ranges, citing intense price competition from Chinese manufacturers such as Hisense and TCL, which have pushed low-cost Quantum Dot televisions into the market, sometimes with minimal or no QD material.

Samsung is moving entry level sets to standard Mini LED and shifting its premium strategy toward RGB Mini LED and OLED for high-end buyers.

Where Neo QLED combined a Quantum Dot layer with Mini LED backlights, the report says Samsung is introducing Micro RGB models built around RGB Mini LED technology. Electronic Times adds that Samsung plans further reductions in Neo QLED models next year and may phase out Neo QLED completely by around 2028.

The company is expected to keep OLED in its premium portfolio. Electronic Times notes Samsung could continue to offer OLED options using both LG Display's W OLED panels and Samsung Display's QD OLED panels for buyers who want per-pixel backlight control and the deep blacks associated with pixel-level emissive technology.

The shift reflects a broader strategic response to pricing pressure rather than a public product announcement. Electronic Times is the source for the production figures and the timeline for a potential Neo QLED phase out around 2028.