We just tested the Hisense UR9 RGB Mini-LED — and it's more colorful than the top OLED TVs

A large, wall-mounted Hisense UR9 RGB Mini-LED TV displaying colorful, abstract imagery in a postmodern living space
(Image credit: Hisense)

It’s April, which means the newest and most intriguing TVs are making their way into our testing lab as we speak. We’re busy sizing up a slate of new displays, including the most compelling of them all: an all-new type of TV called RGB LED. Hisense, LG, Samsung, Sony and TCL are all dropping their own version of RGB LED TVs in 2026, and many of them already have the making of some of the best TVs of the year.

Perhaps the most intriguing of the bunch is the Hisense UR9. This flagship model was one of the first RGB LED TVs confirmed to exist just a few short months ago at CES, and Hisense has seemed mighty confident about the prowess of RGB Mini-LED technology.

We recently put the Hisense UR9 through its paces in our test lab, and while we’re still evaluating the set for our soon-to-be-published review, I can spill the beans about one key performance metric: The UR9 is one of the most colorful TVs we’ve ever measured, which could spell trouble for the competition.

Article continues below

Hisense UR9 color: how it stacks up

The UR9 sits at the top of the 2026 Hisense TV lineup, and separates itself from standard, quantum dot-enhanced Mini-LED TVs with its array of red-, green- and blue-colored LEDs.

RGB LED TVs like the UR9 promise better color than what we've seen on consumer TVs in the past, and so far, the test results are bearing this out. If you're shopping for the brightest, purest color money can buy in 2026, there are three types of TV that ought to be on your radar: RGB LED, quantum dot-enhanced OLED (also known as QD-OLED) and SQD Mini-LED (a display variation currently only being offered by TCL).

To get a sense of how Hisense's top RGB LED compares to the most colorful QD-OLEDs and SQD Mini-LED TVs we've measured to date, take a look at the chart below.

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Row 0 - Cell 0

Rec. 2020 Gamut Coverage

Hisense UR9 (RGB LED)

93.1%

TCL X11L (SQD Mini-LED)

91.77%

TCL QM8L (SQD Mini-LED)

90.34%

Samsung S95F (QD-OLED)

90.26%

Sony Bravia 8 II (QD-OLED)

90.55%

LG C6 (WOLED)

75.92%

Heading into the year, the pair of 2025 QD-OLEDs on the chart above represented the best color we'd ever measured. The Samsung S95F and the Sony Bravia 8 II blend quantum dot-color with the bevy of benefits that come with OLED technology, and until just recently, their ability to cover between roughly 90.2% and 90.3% of the BT.2020 color gamut was worthy of distinction.

Since then, two heavy-hitting TVs from TCL have surpassed these numbers in our test lab — and they did it without the help of RGB LED-based backlighting. The TCL X11L and the TCL QM8L leverage the brand's Super Quantum Dot (SQD) display, which shakes up the traditional QLED formula for brighter, bolder color.

But the Hisense UR9 tops them all, covering an impressive 93% of the BT.2020 color space. It's quite a feat, but ultimately, the best RGB LED TV of the year will come down to more than just color.

Hisense UR9: outlook

The Hisense Hi-View AI Engine RGB Mini-LED processor in front of a red-, green- and blue-colored representation of LEDs

(Image credit: Hisense)

The difference between 93% and 91% of the BT.2020 color space won't always be apparent to the average viewer. It's important to note, too, that the vast majority of content you'll be watching on any of these new sets won't be taking advantage of the entire BT.2020 color gamut.

Ultimately, the best RGB LED TVs of the year — and the best sets in general — will come down to which models offer the best blend of contrast, color, and what I like to call the little things. These are the details that are often overlooked when comparing numbers on a chart, like motion handling, upscaling and how well the processing renders gradients.

We'll be publishing our full review of the UR9 in the coming days. On paper, it certainly has the specs and test results to earn the title of best Hisense TV ever made. Like always, though, it'll come down to the little things.


Google News

Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Subscribe to Tom's Guide on YouTube and follow us on TikTok.


More from Tom's Guide

TOPICS
Michael Desjardin
Senior Editor, TV

Michael Desjardin is a Senior Editor for TVs at Tom's Guide. He's been testing and tinkering with TVs professionally for over a decade, previously for Reviewed and USA Today. Michael graduated from Emerson College where he studied media production and screenwriting. He loves cooking, zoning out to ambient music, and getting way too invested in the Red Sox. He considers himself living proof that TV doesn't necessarily rot your brain.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.