Chinese companies lead display innovation at CES 2026

China's leading display manufacturers showcased cutting-edge screen technologies at CES 2026, introducing innovations ranging from rollable OLED panels to advanced Mini LED systems designed to deliver more natural colors, enhanced viewing comfort and human-centric experiences.

BOE Technology Group, China's largest display panel maker, presented more than 60 products at the tech show, including the global debut of its HERO 2.0 intelligent cockpit that combines high-end display technologies with artificial intelligence capabilities for automotive applications.

The "comprehensive smart cockpit solutions" are designed for relaxation, entertainment and work scenarios in vehicles, according to the company. Among the AI-enhanced features is an under-display camera with an AI enhancement algorithm that supports high-precision facial recognition.

"We have incorporated AI technologies into the company's development strategy, and at this year's CES, AI can be seen integrated across our products," said Su Ning, senior vice-president of BOE Group and chairman and CEO of BOE Varitronix.

BOE also unveiled several OLED products, including what is billed as the industry's first 17-inch electrically rollable portable display panel. The device can be carried as a lightweight 9.5-inch tablet and expanded into a 17-inch screen, supporting both mobile work and audio-visual entertainment.

OLED technology creates vibrant, thin displays by using organic compounds that emit their own light when electricity passes through them, eliminating the need for a backlight, unlike traditional LCD screens.

For automotive applications, BOE applied Mini LED technology in vehicle displays. Mini LED uses tiny LEDs for backlighting LCD screens to create deeper blacks, higher contrast and greater brightness. A head-up display product based on this technology offers high brightness and pixel density, remaining clearly visible even in strong sunlight.

Chinese home appliance maker Hisense showcased its 116UXS RGB MiniLED TV at CES, powered by the company's self-developed "RGB MiniLED evo" technology, which the company says enables more authentic color expression, enhanced viewing comfort and balanced energy efficiency.

"This represents an entire evolution which touches every step from the light source and processor to color management," said Li Wei, president of Hisense Visual Technology Co.

Positioning itself as the originator of RGB MiniLED technology, Hisense is working to "redefine how light sources, control systems and algorithms work together". Rather than pursuing parameter-driven performance alone, the RGB MiniLED evo introduces an industry-first sky blue-cyan fourth LED into the backlight.

"This technology also solves three of the industry's biggest challenges: no more color bleeding, no more halo effects and no more tint shift," Li said.

TCL highlighted its "SQD Mini LED" display technology, which the company describes as an upgrade to conventional Mini LED systems. The approach converts standard backlight zones into what TCL calls a "Precise Dimming Series", allowing each zone to perform like multiple zones to improve light control.

The company's flagship X11L Series featuring this technology enables full restoration of HDR content, according to TCL, while the panel uses "ultra color filter crystal screens" designed to reduce color bleeding and increase native contrast.

China has established a commanding position in the global display industry, with approximately 70 percent of LCD production capacity now located on the Chinese mainland, according to industry data. By 2028, China is projected to control approximately 75 percent of global display capacity, up from 68 percent in 2023, according to global market research firm Counterpoint Research.

"China is already far ahead in the LCD sector," said Si Da, vice-president and chief brand officer of BOE. "As for OLED, you can see that domestic panel makers led by BOE are accelerating and sustaining high-intensity investment in research, development and innovation."

In December, BOE launched what it described as China's first fully complete 8.6-generation OLED production line, marking a significant milestone for China's display industry.

BOE's technological advances are backed by substantial research and development spending, with the company investing approximately 7 percent of revenue into R&D, totaling more than 10 billion yuan ($1.4 billion) annually based on current revenue levels, according to Si.

"BOE's AI capabilities are continuously improving our own strengths, integrating with our display technologies and supporting the development of our overall business," Si said.

The company leverages three core strengths to bring innovations to market quickly — its own R&D resources and technological capabilities, large-scale manufacturing capacity and a strong ecosystem of industry partners.

"These ensure that whether it is display innovation or AI innovation, we can quickly turn it into a business model and bring it to market," Si said. "That is very important for innovation."