Get ready for all-new TV tech talk in 2026, with Sony making the first move

Sony has trademarked "True RGB" in several regions, suggesting that this is going to be the expression it uses when talking about its new TV technology. The trademark filings are in Canada and Japan, according to details from The Walkman Blog (via FlatpanelsHD).

We've previously seen Sony's new RGB tech in action. It was showcased behind closed doors in September, during IFA 2025 in Berlin. The new tech uses red, green and blue Mini-LED clusters for the backlight instead of the blue LEDs used in current Mini-LED models.

That allows much greater colour control, with enhanced brightness and from the demos seen so far, performance that could set new standards for TVs. With the registering of that trademark, it seems that True RGB is going to be on the agenda for 2026.

Sony has had a slightly controversial approach to TVs over the past few years. While many threw themselves into OLED as the top tech, Sony has – for a number of generations – chosen an LED model as the flagship. Currently that's the Mini-LED Bravia 9, while the Bravia 8 II is OLED and the Bravia 7 back to Mini-LED.

In 2026, it's likely that Sony will embrace True RGB in a new Bravia 9 – and I'm guessing it will land as the Bravia 9 II. That will take on Hisense, which is also pushing RGB Mini-LED models and is likely to expand the offering in 2026, while Samsung has also showcased MicroRGB – but the latter two only come in huge sizes right now.

Why is Sony using the term "True RGB"? Only Sony knows, but it's likely to emphasise the fact that this TV tech is has red, green and blue light sources – and suggests that some rivals might use RGB branding while sticking to traditional Mini-LED technology.

This reminds me of the way that Samsung leans into the "Real Quantum Dot Display" label, highlighting that many of the TVs on the market that claim to be quantum dot, either don't have a quantum dot layer, or that there's not enough QD material to make a difference to the picture. That's seen Hisense and TCL landing in legal trouble over their claims in the US.

At the moment, it's not clear exactly when Sony will reveal its new True RGB TVs: CES would seem like a great opportunity as it's the launch platform for a lot of TV tech, but Sony has been less engaged with the Las Vegas-based show in recent years.

The manufacturer could choose to launch the new TVs at its own event instead. Currently, it's not known what sizes Sony is planning to release, but it's likely that the Japanese company will be looking at adoption across the high-end TV market in a range of sizes, rather than just the 115-inch models that we've seen elsewhere.

Time will tell, but one thing is for sure – in 2026, TV tech is going to change again and OLED may no longer be the most desirable.