The display panel landscape may be on the cusp of a shift, but it’s far from a landslide. TCL CSOT, one of China’s most prominent display panel manufacturers, has reportedly entered a new chapter with the production of its first OLED display panel designed specifically for monitors. According to industry insider VideoHall, several monitor brands have already begun testing prototype units featuring TCL CSOT’s domestic OLED panel. It’s a notable development in a space long dominated by South Korean titans Samsung Display and LG Display.

For years, China’s AMOLED ambitions have centered on small-format displays, the kind used in smartphones and wearables. In recent years, Chinese panel makers, including TCL CSOT and BOE, have made measurable progress in laptop OLED displays. But the monitor and television space has remained largely untouched, with LG Display’s WRGB OLED and Samsung’s QD-OLED technologies setting the pace.

At SID 2025, TCL CSOT showcased a 27-inch 4K 120Hz printed OLED monitor prototype, signaling the company’s move beyond mobile and laptop panels. Printed OLED technology, often seen as a promising alternative to traditional evaporation-based methods, could lower production costs and improve yields. The catch? TCL CSOT’s first commercial OLED panel for monitors supports a 144Hz refresh rate, an awkward middle ground that has many brands hesitating.

144Hz isn’t slow by any means, but it’s not quite the industry sweet spot either. Gamers and creative professionals, the two major audiences for OLED monitors, typically look for 120Hz for cinematic workflows or 240Hz and beyond for high-end gaming. Falling between these targets, the 144Hz spec seems misaligned with real market demand. VideoHall reports that most brands see this as a transitional panel, not a viable commercial product.

Still, the testing phase alone is significant. If TCL CSOT can prove the reliability, color accuracy, and longevity of its OLED panels, it could unlock a major shift in global supply chains. For brands that have grown weary of sourcing OLED panels exclusively from Korea, a credible alternative would be game changing. But for now, that future remains on the horizon.

Until TCL CSOT refines its refresh rates, improves burn-in resistance, and optimizes yields, the OLED duopoly isn’t exactly in danger. But it’s watching carefully.

In related news, TCL continues to dominate China’s TV market, with its MOKA brand outpacing competitors. Meanwhile, the upcoming Redmi K80 Ultra is confirmed to feature OLED displays supplied by TCL CSOT and Tianma.

In China’s fiercely competitive television market, TCL has once again proven it’s not just playing to win, it’s playing to control the game. According to new data from research firm RUNTO Technology, TCL-branded TVs shipped over 600,000 units in May, making it the No.1 TV brand in the country for the month. But the real story lies behind the scenes. TCL’s secret weapon isn’t just its sleek Mini LED panels or aggressive pricing; it’s MOKA, its little-known but massively powerful in-house manufacturing arm.

MOKA, formally known as Moka Technology, shipped nearly 1.5 million units in May alone, marking its best month in 2025 so far. That’s not just a flex, it’s a full-on chokehold on the OEM segment. The firm now leads the professional TV OEM sector with a staggering 50% margin over its closest rival. Year-on-year, MOKA grew 7%, while monthly growth hit 13.5%. For context, that kind of momentum in hardware logistics, especially in a market flooded with volatility, isn’t just impressive, it’s strategic domination.

Trailing behind is BOE VT, the OEM arm of panel powerhouse BOE, which made a noticeable climb to second place with over 1 million units shipped. The company jumped four spots from the previous month, an encouraging sign that it’s gaining traction. But despite this growth spurt, BOE VT still lags far behind MOKA’s crushing lead.

Shenzhen MTC, known in the market as AMTC, remained steady in third place with roughly 900,000 units. TPV, which builds TVs for Philips and AOC, came in fourth at 850,000 units. These brands are holding their ground, but it’s increasingly clear they’re running in a race that TCL has already started lapping them in.

Konka-backed KTC and display manufacturer HKC placed fifth and sixth, with 800,000 and 670,000 units respectively. These numbers suggest solid consistency, but again, they pale next to MOKA’s towering presence.

On the lower end of the list, traditional heavyweights like Foxconn and Innolux are slipping. Foxconn managed just 340,000 units, while Innolux barely registered at 140,000. Both saw significant declines compared to last year, signaling that legacy power is no longer enough to keep pace in China’s hyperactive TV space.

The real takeaway here? TCL isn’t just a TV brand anymore; it’s an ecosystem. And with MOKA’s muscle behind it, TCL is reshaping the rules of the OEM game, all while keeping its rivals looking over their shoulders.

(Via)

There’s no shortage of smart speakers or Dolby Atmos soundbars in 2025, but TCL seems to be carving out a new category altogether with the Z100. This isn’t your typical soundbar, nor is it just another smart speaker with Bluetooth and some branding slapped on. The TCL Z100 is a modular, wireless, Dolby Atmos-enabled speaker system that feels like it was built with future-forward living rooms in mind, specifically ones that don’t want to be tethered by HDMI cables or speaker wire.

And here’s the real kicker: it does this at a price that seriously undercuts the competition.

Reinventing the Soundbar Concept

Instead of a long, rectangular bar that lives under your TV, the Z100 is a compact standalone speaker with a unique 1.1.1 channel setup. Each unit packs four drivers, a woofer, a front-facing tweeter, and an up-firing speaker to handle overhead effects in Dolby Atmos mixes. The internals are tightly engineered, with neodymium magnetic tweeters, silk dome diaphragms, and oversized voice coils tuned for both high-frequency finesse and room-shaking volume. At peak, a single Z100 unit delivers 170W of sound and up to 94dB SPL, which already puts it in premium soundbar territory. Add more units, and the room truly comes alive.

But the real magic happens when you use multiple Z100s together. TCL lets you link up to four Z100 speakers and a dedicated Z100 SW subwoofer, creating a fully wireless 7.1.2 Atmos soundscape. No mounting requirements, no AV receiver, no symmetrical speaker placement. Just plug them in, set them around the room, and let FlexConnect do the work.

Dolby Atmos, the Easy Way

The Z100 is the first speaker to launch globally with Dolby Atmos FlexConnect, a spatial audio tech co-developed by TCL and Dolby. It scans your room using built-in mics and calibrates speaker output on the fly, no matter where each speaker is placed. The idea is to get full surround sound immersion without needing the precision of a traditional 5.1 or 7.1 setup.

That means you can scatter your Z100s across bookshelves, desks, or even different heights in the room, and still get directional sound that feels spatially accurate. It’s Atmos without the headache. And because it wirelessly syncs with TCL’s 2025 Mini LED TVs like the QM8K, QM7K, and QM6K, the whole setup is HDMI free and app free. Everything just works.

Designed to Be Seen (and Heard)

The Z100 looks nothing like your typical audio gear. The shell is anodized aluminum with a soft matte finish, while the grille follows a starburst pattern that’s both futuristic and functional. TCL says the three available colors, grey, gold, and cyan, are inspired by nebulae, which feels appropriately cosmic for a speaker built around spatial sound.

Every detail, from the fabric mesh to the cable management system tucked into the base, feels thought through. And if you’d rather not clutter your shelf, it supports wall and stand mounting too (though the stand is sold separately).

Specs That Matter

It’s easy to rattle off numbers, but TCL’s choices here are deliberate. Bluetooth 5.3 ensures low-latency connections with mobile devices, and OTA firmware updates mean the Z100 could get smarter over time. The optional subwoofer (Z100 SW) adds 130W of bass power and goes as low as 45Hz, using a large iron-core magnet and CONEX spider material for deep, punchy lows. That turns the Z100 from a high-end TV speaker replacement into a genuinely cinematic system.

The entire stack is scalable. You can start with one Z100, add a second for stereo, throw in a third for Atmos, then add a subwoofer when you want to feel the rumble. Or go all out and run four Z100s and the subwoofer for a full surround setup with up to 18 drivers working together.

The Bigger Picture

If TCL’s pitch sounds familiar, it’s because we’ve seen similar efforts before, like Sony’s $2,500 Bravia Theater Quad. But the Z100 aims for a broader market. At 1,499 yuan (about $206), it’s priced dramatically lower than most Atmos-ready wireless speakers. And TCL is planning global availability this summer, starting in the US and Europe.

This isn’t just TCL flexing its speaker manufacturing muscle. It’s TCL signaling that spatial audio shouldn’t be a luxury reserved for massive living rooms or deep bank accounts.

The Z100 is a bet on the future of home entertainment, one that’s wireless, modular, and sounds damn good even before you start thinking about building a full system around it.

In related news, the Redmi K80 Ultra will feature an OLED display sourced from TCL CSOT and Tianma, while TCL has launched the NXTPAPER 14 in the US with a paper-like display and a 10,000mAh battery.