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

micro-LED TV
(Image credit: Samsung)

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. 

Why MicroLED TVs?

Samsung MicroLED TV

(Image credit: Samsung)

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. 

More from Tom's Guide

Malcolm McMillan
Streaming Editor

Malcolm McMillan is a Streaming Editor for Tom's Guide, covering all the latest in streaming TV shows and movies. That means news, analysis, recommendations, reviews and more for just about anything you can watch, including sports! If it can be seen on a screen, he can write about it.

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.

Read more
Hisense 136MX MicroLED TV
Surprise! MicroLED TVs aren’t dead after all — and 2025 might be their breakout year
Hisense 136MX MicroLED TV
I'm the first to see Hisense's 'consumer ready' 136-inch MicroLED TV up close — and it's simply jaw-dropping
LG G4 OLED TV
What to expect from TVs in 2025 — OLED, Micro-LED and more
LG B4 OLED on stand in living room
2025 could be the year of cheap OLED TVs — here's why
LG M5 OLED TV
Could QDEL replace OLED? Yes, and it might happen sooner than expected
Hisense 116UX
Hisense’s TriChroma LED tech could transform LED TVs — here’s how it works
Latest in TVs
LG G4 OLED in living room
This is the one setting on your HDR TV most people don't know about — here's how to tweak it
Samsung S90D OLED with deal tag
No way! Amazon just slashed this 55-inch Samsung OLED TV in time for March Madness
Sony RGB Mini LED
Forget OLED — I saw Sony’s RGB Mini-LED tech up-close, and it looks like the next-gen TV to beat
LG B4 OLED on stand in living room
I test TVs for a living — and I think the LG B5 OLED could be the value of the year
LG C5 OLED
Now is the worst time to buy an LG C5 OLED — here's why
A Samsung DU7200 LED TV on a side table
Samsung DU7200 LED TV review
Latest in News
Nintendo Switch 2
New Nintendo Switch 2 FCC filing suggests this beloved Nintendo controller could make a comeback
(From L to R) Rohan (Nik Dodani), Josh (Brandon Flynn), Dorothy (Edie Falco), John (Dean Norris), and Liddie (Lisa Kuthrow) in The Parenting
Max top 10 movies — here’s the 3 worth watching right now
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE renders
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE price leak is bad news for budget-conscious buyers
Google Assistant
Gemini to kill off Google Assistant on most Android phones — here's what you need to know
MacBook Air M4
MacBook Air M4 teardown reveals familiar repairability pain points
NYTimes Connections
NYT Connections today hints and answers — Saturday, March 15 (#643)