MiniLED backlight opens a new era of 2.0

Mini LED backlight technology gives LCD displays new development vitality by integrating more lamp beads and performing zoned light control to improve contrast, brightness and other display properties. Entering 2025, Mini LED backlight technology has some special trends emerging, whether in terms of technology or application. The development of Mini LED backlight technology may be upgraded to the 2.0 new era.

Mini LED backlight technology upgrade, Hisense and Samsung launch RGB light sources

As the industry chain matures and is frequently used by downstream terminal manufacturers, the number of display products equipped with Mini LED backlight solutions is increasing. Mini LED backlight technology alone cannot become a competitive advantage for display products. Therefore, by integrating more lamp beads and dividing more partitions to form a more detailed and high-contrast high-end display screen, this method of winning through quantity has become the main means for manufacturers to improve product competitiveness.

However, major display terminal manufacturers have begun to improve the performance of Mini LED backlight technology starting from the light source. At the CES 2025 exhibition, Hisense and Samsung successively launched the latest Mini LED backlight technology solutions, integrating RGB chips as a light source to emit white light, replacing the solution of blue light plus phosphor to excite white light.

Specifically, Hisense has released the world's first 116-inch RGB-Mini LED TV, which it claims is equipped with the world's first RGB three-dimensional color-control LCD display technology and the world's first RGB light and color simultaneous control image quality chip.

It is reported that RGB three-dimensional color-controlled LCD display technology has realized the change of display from traditional black and white backlight to RGB multi-primary color backlight, and from single light control to simultaneous light and color control, thus making the colors of the display equipped with Mini LED backlight technology more realistic and delicate, and the details richer and clearer. Previously, Hisense said that TVs equipped with RGB-Mini LED are expected to be launched in March this year.

Coincidentally, Samsung also released an RGB Micro LED TV at the CES 2025 exhibition and won the CES 2025 Innovation Award. Samsung said that this is the world's first RGB Micro LED TV, which will achieve the first full-color gamut local dimming, lowest power consumption and thinnest design consumer-grade display.

Unlike traditional LED TVs that only use blue as the backlight source, the new solution uses Micro RGB backlight technology, which emits light through smaller LED lamp beads alone. This results in more vivid colors on the display while also reducing power consumption by 20%.

Samsung revealed that the RGB Micro LED TV will provide 75-inch 4K, 85-inch 4K models, and the first 98-inch version. The new product is planned to be launched this year.

In addition to Samsung and Hisense, there are previous media reports that TCL may also launch RGB-LED backlight TV this year, equipped with the previously launched Vientiane partitioning technology and combined with RGB-Mini LED technology.

Mini LED backlight will be used in mobile phones soon?

While Mini LED technology is being upgraded, its application circle is also expanding. In addition to the existing applications of TVs, monitors, laptops, car displays, and VR glasses, Mini LED backlight technology may usher in new applications.

Since this year there have been Relevant media revealed that some display manufacturers are testing a batch of Mini LED screens and will later trial-produce Mini LED backlit mobile phone screens. However, no further information has been revealed yet.

However, judging from the current mobile phone display market situation, the development of OLED technology is quite mature. Therefore, for the Mini LED backlight + LCD display solution that is still in the early stages of development, its advantages are not obvious. In the fiercely competitive mobile phone application field, whether the Mini LED backlight + LCD display solution can show practical application value requires further observation in the subsequent market.

Is Apple returning to the Mini LED backlight camp?

Previously, it was reported that Apple is expected to launch a second-generation Studio Display in 2025, which will use Mini LED backlight and support a 90Hz refresh rate. Recently, according to the latest revelation from well-known analyst Ross Young, this display will be launched in 2026, using Mini LED provided by Epistar and panels provided by LG Display, and the resolution is expected to remain at 5120x2880.

Previously, Apple has applied Mini LED technology to a number of products on the market, including: Apple's first professional-grade display Pro Display XDR, the 5th and 6th generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro tablets, and the 2021 and 2023 14/16-inch MacBook Pro, covering monitors, tablets, and laptops.

However, starting in 2023, Apple plans to apply OLED technology to more products, and is expected to launch 9 OLED devices by 2027, including iPad tablet products and MacBook notebook products.

Previously, Apple’s change in the application of display technology had a certain impact on the development of Mini LED backlight technology. However, with the news that the second-generation Studio Display is equipped with Mini LED backlight, this undoubtedly gives new hope to the Mini LED industry. This means that technology giants have not given up on Mini LED backlight technology and are still expected to be used in related products in the future.

Outlook connection Next, what other application prospects of Mini LED backlight technology are worth looking forward to? On February 26 and 27, 2025, TrendForce’s LEDinside and WitsView will hold a two-day 2025 TrendForce New Display Industry Seminar at the JW Marriott Hotel Shenzhen.

At that time, industry experts and analysts will give an in-depth outlook on Mini LED backlight development technology and applications. In addition, there will be more exciting display industry content at the conference, which is not to be missed!