banner
Home / Blog / MicroLED TVs are finally dropping in price — here's when you might be able to get one
Blog

MicroLED TVs are finally dropping in price — here's when you might be able to get one

May 02, 2024May 02, 2024

This could be a massive upgrade for MicroLED TVs

MicroLED is a serious contender for the dominant display technology for the future best TVs. But here in the present, it’s prohibitively expensive to make a MicroLED display panel, let alone a MicroLED TV. But a new report says that’s getting set to change.

According to Business Korea, the research firm Omdia is projecting MicroLED display panels to become dramatically cheaper. Currently, MicroLED display panels are manufactured in 10.1-inch to 14.6-inch panels, costing anywhere from $5,800 to $10,000. With MicroLED TVs, these smaller panels are assembled into massive 100-inch+ size displays, which is why MicroLED TVs typically cost more than $100,000.

Costs could be reduced by approximately 75% — a truly staggering figure.

However, Omdia is now projecting that those same 10.1-inch to 14.6-inch MicroLED panels will cost a mere fraction of their current costs by 2027. At that point, a 10.1-inch panel could cost just $1,277 and the larger 14.6-inch panel could cost just $2,400 for TV manufacturers. That means costs could be reduced by approximately 75% — a truly staggering figure.

We’ve already seen some drop in the cost of MicroLED TVs, though nothing compared to what Omdia is projecting. Samsung just announced an 89-inch MicroLED TV that almost cost less than $100,000 (it costs $102,000). That TV is a huge step forward for MicroLED TVs given that its competition is a 110-inch $149,000 TV dubbed “The Wall” and a 137-inch $200,000 N1 Outdoor MicroLED TV from C-Seed. Compared to those, an 89-inch TV feels normal, even if the cost is still astronomical.

Given the costs of these small MicroLED panels, it’s fair to ask why many manufacturers would even bother with making MicroLED TVs. After all, even $2,400 for a 14.6-inch panel is still more expensive than the average TV.

But MicroLED has some serious advantages. First, MicroLED panels produce peak brightness as great or greater than MiniLED displays, which are typically the brightest TV displays you can buy. They’re also more power efficient than MiniLED displays, which is good for your monthly utility bill.

However, MicroLED also has advantages over other display technologies as well. OLED displays typically degrade over time, even if the best OLED TVs now are significantly better than the first generation of OLED TVs. MicroLED does not suffer from this same display degradation. So if TV manufacturers can get it into smaller and smaller TV displays, at a (relatively) affordable price, it’d be a logical candidate for the next great display technology.

Instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.

Malcolm McMillan is a staff writer for Tom's Guide, writing about the latest in tech, gaming and entertainment with a particular focus on artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-based tools like ChatGPT. He has written up much of our coverage on the latest AI tools including ChatGPT, the new GPT-powered Bing and Google Bard. He also covers A/V tech such as televisions, soundbars and more, in addition to covering VR headsets from the Meta Quest 3 to the PS VR2.

Before writing for Tom's Guide, Malcolm worked as a fantasy football analyst writing for several sites and also had a brief stint working for Microsoft selling laptops, Xbox products and even the ill-fated Windows phone. He is passionate about video games and sports, though both cause him to yell at the TV frequently. He proudly sports many tattoos, including an Arsenal tattoo, in honor of the team that causes him to yell at the TV the most.

OLED will remain the best display technology for 'the next 10 years'

Google Chromecast just got a surprise downgrade — here's why

Score! This Labor Day deal takes $719 off our top commuter ebike

By Tom PritchardAugust 24, 2023

By Rory MellonAugust 24, 2023

By Rory MellonAugust 24, 2023

By Richard PridayAugust 24, 2023

By Tom PritchardAugust 24, 2023

By Aatif SulleymanAugust 24, 2023

By Stephen LambrechtsAugust 24, 2023

By Kelly Woo, Brittany VincentAugust 24, 2023

By Tony PolancoAugust 24, 2023

By Philip MichaelsAugust 24, 2023

By Nick PinoAugust 23, 2023