TV Price Trends: What to Expect in the Next 12 Months

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Forecast period: September 2026 to September 2027

Buying a television in 2026 presents a strange contradiction. In some respects, TVs have never offered more for the money. Screen sizes that were once exotic are becoming attainable, Mini LED is moving rapidly down the price ladder, OLED continues to improve, and a new generation of RGB-backlit LCD televisions is introducing technology previously confined to exceptionally expensive flagship sets. At the same time, manufacturers are dealing with higher component costs, tighter memory supply and a global TV market that’s hardly booming. So what can we expect in the next 12 months of TV pricing?

Key Takeaways: Where TV Prices Are Heading

The TV market in September 2026

The television industry received an unusual boost during the first half of 2026. The FIFA World Cup encouraged retailers and manufacturers to build inventory early and run substantial promotions. Omdia recorded 48.8 million global TV shipments in Q2, up 3.6% year-on-year, with Western Europe up 9.5%.

But that doesn’t mean the industry has suddenly entered another growth cycle. TrendForce’s more recent full-year forecast expects worldwide TV shipments to decline slightly in 2026, by around 0.8%, after first-half shipments reached 93.74 million units. At the same time, competition between the largest brands is intensifying.

That combination matters. Weak underlying demand normally encourages discounting. But there is another force pushing in the opposite direction.

Why TVs aren’t automatically becoming cheaper

A television’s display panel is expensive. The panel itself represents roughly 40 – 50% of the manufacturing cost of a TV. Panel prices increased during early 2026, while memory, although a much smaller part of a TV than a computer, has also become considerably more expensive.

The change in memory economics is particularly striking. A widely used 4GB DDR4 component for 4K televisions had more than quadrupled in contract price over the preceding year, according to TrendForce. DRAM’s contribution to a TV’s bill of materials consequently rose from roughly 2.5–3% to around 6–7%.

That doesn’t make memory the dominant cost of a television. It does mean manufacturers have less room to cut prices elsewhere.

Large companies such as Samsung, TCL, Hisense and LG can absorb or negotiate these costs more easily than smaller manufacturers. We’re already seeing that divide emerge in the market.

Our prediction

Average TV selling prices will not collapse between now and September 2027. Instead, specification-for-price will improve faster than headline prices fall.

Confidence: High

In other words, the £700 television of 2027 should generally be better than the £700 television of 2026. It may not become a £500 television.

OLED: cheaper at the mainstream end, expensive at the top

OLED remains one of the most interesting areas to watch. Despite increasingly fierce Mini LED competition, OLED TV shipments grew around 20% year-on-year in Q2 2026, according to Counterpoint Research. LG remained comfortably the largest OLED TV supplier.

But OLED manufacturers have recognised a problem. For many buyers, the choice isn’t between a 65-inch OLED and a 65-inch Mini LED. It’s between something like a 65-inch OLED and a substantially larger Mini LED TV at a similar price.

At 65 inches, Mini LED televisions typically command around a 20–30% premium over conventional quantum-dot LCD models, while OLED remains approximately 50% above Mini LED on average. That price gap is putting OLED under pressure.

LG Display is actively trying to reduce OLED cost

LG Display isn’t simply trying to make OLED brighter. It’s also redesigning panels around cost. LG Display has introduced lower-cost WOLED designs and is developing simplified tandem structures intended to reduce manufacturing costs while retaining OLED’s fundamental picture-quality advantages. The company’s 2026 large-screen OLED products incorporate structural changes designed specifically to improve cost competitiveness.

That is potentially more important to ordinary buyers than another small increase in peak brightness.

Prediction 1

55-inch and 65-inch OLED TVs will become progressively better value during the next twelve months, particularly through retailer promotions rather than dramatic reductions in official launch prices.

Confidence: High

The 77-inch category should also become increasingly attractive. Above that, the economics become more difficult. Very large OLED panels remain expensive to manufacture, while LCD manufacturers can produce 85-, 98- and even 100-inch-plus panels much more economically.

Prediction 2

83-inch and larger OLED televisions will remain genuinely premium products through September 2027.

Confidence: High

That doesn’t mean they won’t be discounted. It means we don’t expect OLED to win the huge-screen value battle. Mini LED probably will.

Mini LED may be the biggest winner of 2026–27

If there is one television technology likely to affect the greatest number of buyers over the next twelve months, it is probably not OLED. It’s Mini LED.

Mini LED started as a premium LCD backlighting technology, but its cost is falling rapidly enough for manufacturers to push it into increasingly mainstream ranges. Analysts expected global Mini LED TV shipments to reach around 24.9 million units during 2026, representing an 87% year-on-year increase and pushing penetration beyond 10% of the overall TV market. Chinese manufacturers are central to that transition.

TCL and Hisense have used their close relationships with large LCD-panel manufacturers and enormous-screen production capacity to attack the premium TV market with bright, high-zone-count displays at prices that traditional premium brands have struggled to match.

Samsung is responding. Its Mini LED shipments increased by more than 200% year-on-year during the first half of 2026 after it expanded the technology into more affordable models.

LG is also broadening its range rather than relying almost entirely on OLED for its premium television business. This is exactly the kind of competitive environment that normally benefits buyers.

Our prediction

Mini LED will increasingly become a mainstream premium technology rather than something reserved for flagship televisions.

Confidence: Very High

By September 2027, we expect good Mini LED implementations to be common in the upper-mid-range 55-, 65- and 75-inch market. And the value proposition should improve particularly rapidly at 75 and 85 inches.

RGB Mini LED is the new premium battleground

The genuinely new technology story for this forecast is RGB Mini LED. Unfortunately, television manufacturers aren’t making the terminology particularly easy.

Instead of using a largely white or blue backlight behind colour filters, their backlight uses independently controlled red, green and blue light sources.

The advantage is potentially much greater colour volume combined with the extreme brightness and large-screen economics of LCD. And something important has happened during 2026: RGB backlighting has begun moving out of the technology-demonstration phase.

• Samsung’s 2026 UK Micro RGB range now spans sizes from 55 to 115 inches.
• Hisense has introduced RGB MiniLED products from 55 to 116 inches.
• Sony’s first True RGB range includes the BRAVIA 7 II and BRAVIA 9 II, covering sizes from 50 inches through to an enormous 115 inches depending on model.
• TCL is also selling RGB Mini LED models alongside aggressively priced SQD-Mini LED televisions.

RGB Mini LED TV shipments could reach around 1.7 million units in 2026, potentially approaching two million. That’s still tiny compared with the overall TV market, but the direction is clear.

Our prediction

RGB Mini LED will experience the fastest percentage decline in price of any major premium TV technology during the next 12–18 months.

Confidence: Medium-High

That doesn’t mean RGB sets suddenly become cheap. It means the technology should move rapidly from “extraordinary flagship” towards “attainable high-end”.

We would particularly watch the 55-, 65- and 75-inch segments during 2027. Once several manufacturers are competing for the same buyer, the enormous introductory premiums become difficult to maintain.

OLED versus RGB Mini LED could define premium TVs

The interesting premium-TV competition is therefore changing. For years the argument was mostly: OLED versus conventional LCD. Then it became: OLED versus Mini LED. The next phase increasingly looks like: OLED versus advanced RGB-backed Mini LED.

They offer very different advantages.

OLED remains exceptionally difficult to beat for pixel-level black control, dark-room performance and viewing characteristics. Advanced Mini LED and RGB-backlit LCD can offer extreme brightness, high colour volume and much more economical very-large-screen production.

Omdia expects Mini LED shipments to rise from under 18 million units in 2026 to nearly 30 million by 2030, while RGB LED televisions could rise from roughly 1.1 million to 7.1 million. OLED TV shipments, by contrast, are forecast to remain broadly flat around 6.9 million units under Omdia’s longer-range model.

Those longer-term figures shouldn’t be mistaken for certainty, but the economics behind them are persuasive.

Our prediction

OLED will retain a strong premium market, but Mini LED will win a growing share of buyers who prioritise screen size, brightness and value.

Confidence: High

That competition should be particularly fierce above 75 inches.

Bigger TVs will continue getting cheaper relative to their size

Screen size is one of the clearest long-term trends in the TV business. Omdia expects worldwide shipments of televisions 80 inches and larger to increase 44% between 2025 and 2029, from around nine million sets to more than thirteen million.

Even Western Europe, where smaller homes have traditionally restricted screen sizes, is expected to move from approximately 503,000 annual 80-inch-plus shipments in 2025 to 643,000 by 2029.

The manufacturing explanation is important. Large Chinese Gen 10.5 LCD fabrication plants are particularly efficient at producing very large TV panels. OLED’s manufacturing economics don’t scale in quite the same way. That’s why we’re increasingly seeing seemingly absurd screen sizes attached to surprisingly attainable prices.

Our prediction

75 inches will continue moving towards the mainstream premium market, while 85-inch televisions become far less exotic.

Confidence: Very High

The biggest percentage improvements in screen-size value may occur at 85 and 98 inches. We don’t expect 98-inch TVs to become ordinary household purchases within twelve months. But we do expect the psychological boundary around them to change.

A 98-inch TV increasingly becomes something an enthusiast might realistically consider rather than a product designed solely for luxury installations.

Gaming features are becoming standard rather than premium

Gaming TVs have undergone another quiet transition. 4K at 120Hz used to be a flagship specification. It increasingly isn’t.

LG’s current OLED range reaches 165Hz on suitable models, while Samsung offers TVs supporting 144Hz, 165Hz and even 240Hz for compatible PC gaming. TCL also offers 144Hz Mini LED models well below the extreme high end.

For console users, the ever-higher numbers aren’t necessarily terribly important. A TV capable of 165Hz or 240Hz doesn’t suddenly make a console output 240 frames per second. Those specifications are principally becoming relevant to people connecting high-performance gaming PCs.

What matters more broadly is that features including: HDMI 2.1, 4K/120Hz, VRR, ALLM and low-latency gaming modes are migrating steadily down the market.

Our prediction

4K/120Hz will cease to be a meaningful premium-TV differentiator over the next twelve months.

Confidence: High

Instead, manufacturers will compete on how many full-bandwidth inputs they provide, VRR compatibility, latency, picture quality while gaming and refresh rates beyond 120Hz for PCs. If you’re waiting purely because you expect a revolutionary new gaming-TV standard next year, we wouldn’t. The current generation is already extremely mature.

What happened to 8K?

Not much… and that’s increasingly the point. 8K was once positioned as the obvious successor to 4K. The market didn’t follow.

LG, Sony and TCL have stepped away from regular 8K television development, while Samsung remains the principal major brand continuing to offer it. Industry reporting puts global 8K TV sales far below the levels once forecast for the format.

There are obvious reasons:

Native 8K consumer content remains scarce, 4K already provides enormous detail at sensible household viewing distances, and manufacturers have found more visible ways to improve picture quality through brightness, contrast, colour volume and local dimming.

Our prediction

8K will remain largely irrelevant to mainstream TV purchasing through September 2027.

Confidence: Very High

We would rather spend a given budget on a better 4K panel, stronger HDR performance or a larger screen than choose an inferior television simply because it has an 8K resolution badge. For most buyers, there is no reason to wait for 8K to become mainstream.

AI is becoming standard TV software, not a reason to pay more

It would be difficult to launch an electronics product in 2026 without attaching the letters AI to it somewhere. Televisions are no exception.

Samsung has extended its Vision AI features across much of its 4K-and-above 2026 range. LG’s current OLED televisions use AI-branded picture and sound processing, while Sony’s new BRAVIA range combines AI processing with increasingly integrated smart-TV assistance.

Some of this technology is genuinely useful. Scene analysis, upscaling, noise reduction, speech enhancement and adaptive picture processing can materially improve poor-quality television sources. But we don’t expect “AI TV” to sustain a separate price category.

Our prediction

AI processing will become an assumed feature rather than a durable premium.

Confidence: High

The more interesting commercial development will be what happens behind the screen. Smart-TV operating systems, advertising and content ecosystems are going to be increasingly important to manufacturers as hardware competition intensifies.

TV hardware will become ever more aggressively priced because manufacturers see greater opportunities after the television has been sold.

That doesn’t guarantee lower prices. But it helps explain why the world’s largest TV brands are willing to fight so aggressively for market share.

Samsung, TCL and Hisense are changing premium-TV pricing

Brand competition may matter just as much as display technology over the next twelve months. Samsung remained the world’s largest television supplier during the first half of 2026, shipping around 17.6 million sets. But TCL reached 15.08 million and posted faster growth, while Hisense shipped 14.23 million. That gap is considerably smaller than many consumers probably assume.

And those companies aren’t merely competing in budget televisions anymore. TCL and Hisense are deliberately attacking premium and ultra-large markets with Mini LED and RGB technology. To recap, Samsung is responding by pushing Mini LED into cheaper ranges. LG, traditionally associated most strongly with OLED at the premium end, is increasing its own Mini LED presence. Sony has introduced True RGB at the top of its BRAVIA range.

This all matters, particularly in the UK, because buyers have access to all of these manufacturers.

Our prediction

The UK buyer will get substantially more premium-TV specification per pound in 2027 because Samsung, LG and Sony can no longer treat TCL and Hisense primarily as budget competitors.

Confidence: High

That doesn’t mean every television becomes equivalent. Image processing, motion handling, software support, calibration, build quality and after-sales service still matter. But specification gaps are closing quickly.

When will be the best time to buy?

There’s no single perfect month, but television pricing follows a fairly predictable product cycle:

Autumn and Black Friday 2026

For many buyers, November 2026 should be one of the strongest opportunities of the current model year. The 2026 televisions are mature enough for large promotions, while their 2027 replacements remain some distance away.

OLED and conventional Mini LED are the areas we’d watch most closely. RGB Mini LED may receive discounts as well, but the technology remains new enough that extraordinary bargains are less likely.

January to March 2027

This can be an even more interesting period. Manufacturers announce or begin discussing new ranges around CES, while retailers still hold previous-year inventory. That creates the familiar situation where a highly capable 2026 flagship may cost less than a technically newer but lower-tier 2027 model. For buyers unconcerned about owning the newest model number, that is often excellent value.

Spring 2027

This is usually the period where patience is least financially rewarding. Fresh televisions arrive close to their launch prices. Unless a new technology or feature is specifically what you’re waiting for, buying the outgoing generation can make more sense.

Summer 2027

The first serious discounts on 2027 ranges should begin appearing as competition and inventory build. By this point, we should also have a much clearer idea of whether RGB Mini LED is genuinely migrating towards mainstream premium pricing.

Should you buy a TV now or wait?

If you want a good 55- or 65-inch OLED

Buy when you find a strong deal rather than waiting indefinitely. OLED is mature technology and the 2026 generation is already extremely capable. We expect pricing to improve, but mainly through promotions and manufacturing efficiencies — not because a revolutionary OLED replacement suddenly arrives next year.

If you want a 75- or 85-inch television

Waiting can potentially reward you more. This is one of the fastest-moving areas for Mini LED and large-panel pricing. Competition between TCL, Hisense, Samsung and others should continue pushing specifications upward.

If you specifically want RGB Mini LED

Waiting is reasonable. This technology is at exactly the stage where more manufacturers, more screen sizes and greater production volumes should begin attacking early-adopter premiums. A television that feels extraordinarily expensive today may occupy a much more conventional premium tier a year from now.

If you want a gaming TV

There is little technological reason to wait. 4K/120Hz, VRR and HDMI 2.1 are already mature. Newer televisions may reach higher PC refresh rates, but console owners already have what they need.

If you’re waiting for 8K

Don’t. Nothing currently suggests that 8K is about to become a mainstream reason to replace a good 4K television. Spend the money on picture quality instead.

Our September 2026 – September 2027 TV predictions

The wildcard: component prices

The technology roadmap isn’t actually the greatest risk to this forecast. Components are. Higher display-panel, memory and semiconductor costs could limit manufacturers’ ability to lower prices even if consumer demand remains weak. Conversely, easing memory costs and excess LCD panel capacity could produce a surprisingly aggressive price war.

Currency matters to UK buyers too.

Televisions are globally manufactured products, so a significant movement in sterling against the currencies used throughout the supply chain can either amplify or partially hide international price reductions.

That’s why we would avoid making one simple prediction such as: “TVs will be 15% cheaper next year.” The market isn’t behaving that cleanly.

Our forecast is instead:

Between September 2026 and September 2027, buyers should generally get more television for their money — particularly in Mini LED and large screen sizes, without necessarily seeing dramatically lower headline prices across the entire market.