The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2026 has become a battleground for display technologies, with manufacturers vying to push the boundaries of brightness, color, and contrast. This year, TCL has thrown down a significant gauntlet with the launch of its flagship X11L SQD Mini-LED TV series. Positioned not just as an incremental upgrade but as a new category of display, the X11L promises performance metrics that directly challenge the long-held advantages of OLED technology, particularly in peak brightness and color volume. Based on early hands-on demonstrations, this new entrant appears to be more than just marketing hype, signaling a potential shift in the high-end TV landscape.
The Core Technology: Super Quantum Dots and Unprecedented Brightness
At the heart of the TCL X11L's claim to fame is its SQD (Super Quantum Dot) technology. TCL states that its "Super QLED Crystals" enable 100% coverage of the BT.2020 color gamut, a significant leap over the approximately 83% coverage typical of standard quantum dot TVs. This wider gamut allows for more saturated and lifelike colors, especially in the most vibrant reds, greens, and blues. Coupled with this is a staggering peak brightness specification of 10,000 nits, which is the maximum limit for the Dolby Vision HDR format. This combination of extreme brightness and expansive color is designed to deliver HDR content with a level of punch and dynamism that has been difficult to achieve outside of professional monitors.
TCL X11L SQD Mini-LED TV Key Specifications & Pricing
- Technology: SQD (Super Quantum Dot) Mini-LED
- Peak Brightness: 10,000 nits
- Color Gamut: 100% BT.2020 coverage
- Local Dimming Zones: Up to 20,000 (98" model)
- Processor: TSR AI Processor with Super Resolution
- HDR Support: Dolby Vision 2 Max, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG
- Gaming: 4x HDMI 2.1, 4K@144Hz, FreeSync Premium Pro
- Audio: Bang & Olufsen array, Dolby Atmos FlexConnect
- Smart TV: Google TV with Gemini AI
- Sizes & Price (USD):
- 75-inch: USD 6,999.99 (launches later in 2026)
- 85-inch: USD 7,999.99 (January 2026)
- 98-inch: USD 9,999.99 (January 2026)
Engineering for Precision: The Deep Color System and Dimming
Raw power is useless without control, and TCL has implemented what it calls the Deep Color System to manage the X11L's output. This system integrates the Super QLED Crystals with an UltraColor Filter using 5-nanometer particles and an Advanced Color Purity algorithm. The goal is to minimize color crosstalk and "blooming"—the halo effect around bright objects on a dark background—by enabling precise per-pixel filtering. This effort is supported by a massive array of up to 20,000 local dimming zones on the 98-inch model, managed by a 26-bit backlight controller within TCL's Halo Control System. The result, according to early viewings, is remarkably deep and uniform blacks that approach OLED-like quality, a critical factor for contrast.
Performance and Features: Gaming, Audio, and Smart TV
TCL has equipped the X11L series to be a comprehensive home entertainment hub. For gamers, it marks a first for the brand with four HDMI 2.1 ports, supporting 4K resolution at a 144Hz refresh rate. Features like FreeSync Premium Pro, a dedicated Game Bar menu, and a forthcoming Xbox Game Pass app (via a May 2026 update) solidify its gaming credentials. Audio is handled by a Bang & Olufsen-designed front-firing speaker array with a dedicated center channel, built-in side surrounds, and a subwoofer, with Dolby Atmos FlexConnect support for expanding to a wireless 4.1.4 system. The smart platform is Google TV with the Gemini AI assistant, and it includes Wi-Fi 6 and a built-in ATSC 3.0 (NextGen TV) tuner for US markets.
Hands-On Impressions and the Competitive Landscape
A hands-on preview in December 2025 provided a compelling early look. In a demo against a TCL RGB Mini-LED model and a Hisense RGB Mini-LED TV, the X11L was noted for its superior highlight punch, robust color, and exceptionally clean blacks. In a more direct challenge, when placed beside a Sony A95L QD-OLED and the flagship Sony Bravia 9 mini-LED TV, the X11L reportedly demonstrated stronger relative contrast and more saturated colors, attributed directly to its high brightness and precise backlight control. These observations suggest TCL's technological claims have tangible, visible benefits that could disrupt the current hierarchy where OLEDs often reign supreme for contrast and high-end mini-LEDs for brightness.
Pricing, Availability, and the Broader 2026 Lineup
The X11L series will be a premium offering. The 85-inch and 98-inch models launch in January 2026 at USD 7,999.99 and USD 9,999.99 respectively, with a 75-inch model following later at USD 6,999.99. TCL's 2026 lineup also includes the QM8L and QM7L SQD Mini-LED TVs as successors to popular 2025 models, a budget-focused QM6L Mini-LED TV, and a mysterious RM9L RGB Mini-LED TV that shares the X11L's UltraColor filter but about which few other details were released.
TCL's Full 2026 TV Lineup Announcement
- Flagship: X11L SQD Mini-LED Series (Detailed above)
- Mainstream SQD Mini-LED: QM8L & QM7L Series (Successors to 2025's QM8K/QM7K)
- Budget Mini-LED: QM6L Series (Successor to the 2025 QM6K)
- RGB Mini-LED: RM9L Series (Shares X11L's UltraColor Filter; details TBA)
- Audio: A65K Design Series 3.1.2ch Dolby Atmos Soundbar (Bang & Olufsen)
Conclusion: A New Contender Emerges
The TCL X11L SQD Mini-LED TV represents a bold statement of intent. By pushing mini-LED technology to new extremes of brightness and color accuracy while aggressively tackling its traditional weaknesses in black level and blooming, TCL has created a product that seems designed to make OLED TVs "worried," as one article headline put it. While final judgment must wait for full, side-by-side lab reviews and real-world testing, the early evidence from CES 2026 is that the competition for the best picture quality just got significantly more interesting. For consumers, this technological arms race promises more choice and better performance at every price point in the year ahead.