- TCL launched its flagship X11L SQD mini-LED TV at CES 2026
- 10,000 nits brightness, 100% BT.2020 color gamut, up to 20,000 dimming zones
- TCL also announced the RM9L RGB mini-LED TV, QM6L mini-LED TV, and A65K Design Series soundbar
SQD in this case stands for Super Quantum Dots, so called because the ‘Super QLED Crystals’ used in the X11L’s display panel go beyond the capabilities of the standard quantum dots used in QLED and mini-LED TVs by providing 100% coverage of the BT.2020 color gamut. The standard quantum dots used in the best TVs, in contrast, top out at around 83% of BT.2020, and 98% of UHDA-P3 color gamut coverage.
Super QLED Crystals are just one component of TCL’s Deep Color System for the X11L series, which also consists of an UltraColor Filter and Advanced Color Purity algorithm. The UltraColor Filter uses 5-nanometer particles instead of the 60-nanometer ones typically used in mini-LED TVs, according to TCL, and, working alongside the algorithm, it allows for precise per-pixel filtering for consistently accurate color with no color crosstalk, or ‘blooming.’
Aside from its wide color gamut coverage, the X11L series uses a new WHVA high contrast (7,000:1 native) LCD panel with a wide color viewing angle and a contrast-enhancing antireflective screen.
Similar to last year’s TCL TV lineup, which included standout models such as the TCL QM9K, X11L TVs use the company’s Halo Control System to minimize backlight blooming effects, and that effort is helped by a 26-bit backlight controller and up to 20,000 local dimming zones (on the 98-inch model).
Specified peak brightness for the X11L series is 10,000 nits, the upper limit supported by the Dolby Vision HDR format.
The X11L series uses TCL’s TSR AI Processor with Super Resolution. The benefits of this include support for the new Dolby Vision 2 Max format, along with HDR10+, HDR10, and HLG high dynamic range. X11L series TVs will also feature a Filmmaker Mode picture preset and IMAX Enhanced certification.
TCL is making big gaming feature upgrades for its 2026 models. The X11L series features four HDMI 2.1 ports – a first for a TCL TV – that support a 4K 144Hz refresh rate.
FreeSync Premium Pro and TCL’s Game Bar menu are also onboard, and the Xbox Game Pass app will be coming via a software update in May to allow for cloud-based gaming.
Audio features are also getting a boost in TCL’s new TV. The X11L will use an Audio By Bang & Olufsen front-firing speaker array with a dedicated center channel speaker. Side-mounted surround speakers and a subwoofer are also built-in, and an optional TCL wireless subwoofer can be connected with the TV for extra bass.
Like last year’s TCL QM9K, the X11L series is Dolby Atmos FlexConnect capable, supporting a 4.1.4-channel configuration using TCL’s Z100 wireless FlexConnect speakers and Z100-SW wireless subwoofer.
For a smart interface, the X11L series will use Google TV with the Gemini AI assistant, plus hands-free voice control. Wi-Fi 6 is onboard for streaming, and there’s a built-in ATSC 3.0 tuner for receiving NextGen TV broadcasts in the US. The design of the XL11 series is incredibly slim at just 0.8 inches, and all sizes will use adjustable feet for support.
RM9L RGB Mini LED TV, QM6L mini-LED TV, and A65K Design Series soundbar
Along with the flagship X11L SQD-Mini LED TV series, the company also announced a next-gen RGB mini-LED TV, the TCL RM9L. TCL didn’t provide much in the way of detail about its forthcoming RGB offering, other than it will use the same UltraColor Filter as the X11L TVs and will be priced the same as that series when it launches – here’s the low-down on why RGB mini-LED is so interesting in 2026.
TCL will also launch the QM6L series in 2026, a new budget mini-LED TV successor to last year’s TCL QM6K.
TCL’s final announcement for CES 2026 is the A65K Design Series soundbar, a compact 3.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos model with Audio by Bang & Olufsen. The company said that there were “more, super-premium soundbars to come” in 2026, but declined to provide any details.
I’ve seen the X11L in action, and it’s the real deal
TCL invited me to an in-person preview of the new X11L SQD mini-LED TV in early December 2025 so I could get some eyes-on time with its new flagship model for 2026.
There were two TV demos involving the X11L. The first was a three-way comparison with the X11L sandwiched between the new TCL RM9L RGB mini-LED and a Hisense RGB mini-LED TV sourced from China. All TVs were 85-inch models set to the Standard picture preset.
In this demo, the X11L clearly had the punchiest highlights and the most robust color, though the TCL RM9L wasn’t far behind on both fronts. The X11L also stood out with its remarkably clean, OLED-like blacks, which could be clearly seen in night footage of the Las Vegas strip.
Compared to TCL’s flagship, the RM9L’s blacks weren’t as perfectly uniform (though they were close), while the Hisense model lacked the same level of contrast punch and also revealed some color tinting on white areas of the picture compared to the TCL models (both of which use the new UltraColor filter).
The second demo pitted the X11L against the Sony A95L, an OLED TV that uses a QD-OLED display panel, and the flagship Sony Bravia 9 mini-LED TV. Once again, all TVs were 85-inch models set to the Standard picture preset.
Here again, the X11L demonstrated superior relative contrast, in no doubt due to its very high peak brightness capability and precise backlight control. Its colors were also more robust than the two Sony TVs, with a higher level of saturation and detail. Full BT.2020 and 10,000 nits – that’s a potent combination for TVs.
I look forward to reviewing the TCL X11L, and with a January 2026 launch date, it looks like I may not have to wait long to do so!
The best TVs for all budgets
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