Exclusive: Hisense is betting on RGB TVs to shake up the industry — and make rivals nervous

Between its aggressive pricing, big-screen TVs, and impressive performance, Hisense has made a real name for itself in the crowded US TV market. But heading into CES 2026, the company is preparing something more ambitious.

Under new North America CMO Sarah Larsen (who previously helped launch OLED at LG and Neo QLED technologies at Samsung) Hisense hopes to position itself not just as a value leader, but as a brand that brings cutting-edge display tech to market faster, and at prices that don’t gatekeep innovation.

And if Larsen and her team at Hisense can deliver what they're promising, RGB Mini LED could be the technology that delivers next-gen performance at a reasonable price well before the competition.

Hisense’s current advantage? Speed to market

I spoke with Larsen in the lead up to CES, which is usually the biggest moment of the year for the TV industry. For Larsen, this year’s CES isn’t about flashy display concepts or distant roadmaps. It’s about bringing innovation to market with immediacy.

“What appealed to me about Hisense is that, from a technology perspective, it’s very much on par with what I was experiencing with previous employers,” Larsen said. “The difference is we bring it to market as soon as the innovation is ready.”

That philosophy stands in contrast to the traditional CES playbook, where flagship concepts are often years away from store shelves, and years more further from falling within the average consumer’s budget.

“You see something at CES and you never actually can purchase it for another two to five years,” Larsen said. “With us, we show things and then weeks or months later, it’s for sale.”

In that vein, Larsen told me that the biggest surprise since joining Hisense has been the faster decision-making, mid-cycle improvements and a willingness to take risks that larger incumbents often avoid.

“We’re small and mighty,” she said. “I’m baffled by how much this brand does with fewer resources than the big companies, and still delivers what I think is a superior product."

Redefining “value” beyond price

Hisense as a brand has historically been associated with affordability. In fact, some of the best TV deals (or should I say, cheapest) you’ll see on any given day apply to Hisense sets. But Larsen was careful to distinguish value from cheapness.

“So many brands define value as price,” Larsen explained. “But the definition of value is changing. Consumers are choosing better performance over price. So quality, trust and experience matters so much more.”

Larsen pointed to research showing that shoppers are increasingly willing to switch brands if the experience is better, and to stick with those brands once they do. That dynamic, she said, favors companies that can deliver real performance without premium-brand markups.

“We don’t gatekeep our technology in just the highest price points,” Larsen said. “Instead, we make it more accessible for all. Whatever price point you’re able to afford, you’re getting the best technology as well.”

Betting on RGB TVs

If there’s one technology that Hisense hopes can sharpen its identity in the coming year, it’s RGB. But it’s not the only company betting on color-powered backlights — the likes of Samsung, LG and Sony have also thrown their hats into the RBG TV ring.

It’s the technology that I, as a TV enthusiast, will be following the most closely in 2026 in attempts to explain its supposed benefits over traditional Mini-LED and OLED to you, the shopper. (That said, if you're interested in learning more right now, my colleague Michael wrote an excellent explainer on RGB Mini LED.).

But I wanted to know how Hisense plans to sell you on it, and Larsen didn’t deny how confusing modern TV terminology can be. She said she has seen firsthand, through shopping retail floors undercover, how often explanations are misleading. Yet when it comes to RGB specifically, she thinks Hisense will still have the competitive edge.

“If a shopper is standing at retail and looking at our RGB versus the other RGB option, they’re going to pick ours a million times over because the price point is much more attainable,” Larsen said

The brand to watch at CES at beyond

As CES 2026 approaches, Hisense isn’t positioning itself as the loudest brand on the floor. Instead, it’s betting on speed, accessibility and technologies that actually make it into consumers’ homes.

And if RGB Mini LED that’s actually available and actually attainable becomes a defining pillar of Hisense’s identity, CES 2026 may mark the moment when the challenger brand graduates once and for all from being underestimated.

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