At the Appliance & Electronics World Expo (AWE) 2026, Lu Chunshui, president of TCL Industrial’s China division, signalled a shift in consumer preferences: for TCL’s Chinese business, 85‑inch sets (and larger) were the company’s highest revenue generators in 2025. While unit sales of 85‑inch models still trail the once‑dominant 75‑inch category, their higher average selling prices have already pushed them past smaller sizes in value terms.
Lu argues that large displays deliver a living‑room viewing experience that mobile devices cannot replicate, and he expects 85‑inch and above to be the most important incremental segment for future growth. The remark captures two concurrent trends in the Chinese market: premiumisation, where buyers trade up for size and features, and a shift in consumption from personal screens to shared, room‑scale experiences.
This movement is underpinned by technology advances that make very large LCD and MiniLED panels more achievable, and by nascent MicroLED demonstrations that promise even higher brightness and contrast. Manufacturers are increasingly packaging premium image engines, higher refresh rates and integrated AI features to justify the price step from 75 to 85 inches and beyond, while streaming platforms and sports rights holders feed demand for big‑screen viewing.
But selling ever‑bigger TVs is not simply a matter of making larger panels. Logistics, installation and living‑space realities present practical barriers: stairwells and elevators limit what can be delivered to many urban apartments, while households must weigh the visual and energy footprint of a 85‑inch set. Retailers and after‑sales services are having to invest in white‑glove delivery, installation and disposal solutions to keep replacement cycles frictionless.
For manufacturers such as TCL, the shift offers a route to higher margins and product differentiation, but it also requires investment up the value chain — larger glass and backplane capacity, new panel fabs, and closer collaboration with chipset and optics suppliers. It raises strategic questions about whether growth will come mainly from wealthier coastal cities, from suburban home upgrades, or from export markets where living spaces and purchasing power differ.
Globally, the trend matters because China is both the largest TV market and a major manufacturing hub. If 85‑inch and larger becomes the fastest‑growing segment at scale, it will reshape panel demand, logistics industries and the competitive dynamics among Chinese brands and their Korean and Japanese rivals. Observers should watch price trajectories for large panels, the pace of MicroLED commercialisation, and whether content providers adapt formats to exploit truly room‑scale screens.