OLED TVs are getting brighter and cheaper in 2026 — here’s what you need to know before shopping

OLEDs are some of the best TVs you can buy, but they come at a steep cost — especially when you compare their price to most LCD/LED sets. For shoppers looking to save some money on this enticing display technology this year, there might be good news coming down the pike.

As first reported by FlatpanelsHD, LG Display — maker of select OLED panels for LG, Samsung and Sony — is rolling out a new, more-affordable OLED panel in 2026. As a result, select OLED TVs that use this type of display this year might be more competitively priced than their predecessors were upon their debut. They’re also reportedly brighter than previously used panels.

Dubbed OLED SE, the new panel is not without some intriguing tradeoffs. Let’s review what we know so far.

Better brightness at the expense of anti-reflectivity — but that’s OK

Within LG Display’s OLED hierarchy, OLED SE sits below the OLED EX panels used by the LG C5 and the soon-to-be-released LG C6. In turn, OLED EX sits below OLED META, the panel associated with the LG G5 and the upcoming LG G6.

These panels are the end result of a cost-reduction plan that aims to make OLED TVs cheaper to produce, perhaps a response to the advent of RGB LED technology and the expansion of affordable Mini-LED TVs in recent years.

The “SE” in OLED SE reportedly stands for “Special Edition.” As it happens, there are some special qualities attached to these panels, too.

OLED SE displays are reported to reach 1,000 nits of brightness — quite the feat for the entry-level models that are likely to leverage OLED SE panels. Last year, we clocked LG’s entry-level B5 OLED at around 600 to 650 nits in Filmmaker mode, so it’s quite possible that some (or all) versions of the incoming LG B6 series will see a bit of a brightness boost.

However, it’s also reported that the reason for the brightness boost — namely, the strategic removal of the display’s polarizer — is also the reason why OLED SE panels are more reflective. There’s a new reflective film in place of the polarizer which introduces a level of reflectivity akin to a typical Mini-LED panel.

As an OLED TV-owner who’s tested many of the best OLED TVs over the last decade, I think this tradeoff is fine. With specular highlights at (or near) 1,000 nits, the higher reflectivity shouldn’t be much of a concern, provided the room isn’t flush with light.

As mentioned, not all OLED TVs will feature OLED SE panels in 2026. That said, we can do some back-of-the-napkin work to figure out which incoming models are the most likely candidates.

Which TVs will feature OLED SE panels in 2026?

As the most affordable OLED configuration in LG Display’s repertoire, one can assume that this panel will find its way to the newest version of LG’s entry-level B Series, the B6. What I wouldn’t guarantee, though, is the panel being used by all of the sizes in the series.

Samsung Display manufactures quantum dot-enhanced OLED displays for Samsung’s QD-OLED TVs (like the Samsung S90F and the Samsung S95F), and the brand will continue sourcing those panels for its 2026 QD-OLED TVs. This includes the Samsung S95H and the S90H, so we can rule those models out.

However, some of the brand’s entry-level OLED models may come with OLED SE panels, including the Samsung S85H. Last year, the 77- and 83-inch versions of the Samsung S85F arrived with standard WOLED panels, so there’s reason to believe that 77- and 83-inch versions of the S85H will make use of OLED SE panels.

Sony and Panasonic — two brands who have also sourced OLED panels from LG Display in recent years — have yet to divulge much about their 2026 TVs.

OLED SE: outlook

We’ve reached out to LG for more information about its upcoming B Series and will update this space when we’ve learned more. In the meantime, you can color me excited.

Long-term OLED TV ownership has had its ups and downs, but I do often find myself wishing that my five-year-old OLED TV was capable of getting brighter. I’d gladly take that deal today.

I’ve also long since celebrated the slow-but-steady drop in OLED pricing throughout my time covering TVs. I love OLED technology, but there’s no denying that the cost of an OLED TV relative to a similarly sized LCD/LED set is prohibitively expensive for a large swath of shoppers.

There’s certainly no guarantee that LG, Samsung or any other brand that sells OLED TVs will offer OLED SE-equipped sets for less. However, I’m of the mind that, if this is in fact a cost-reduction effort to compete with new Mini-LED and RGB LED TVs, it only follows that OLED SE-equipped TVs will go on sale for less than what we’ve come to expect.

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