TCL's Blinding 6,500‑Nit QM9 Mini‑LED TV Steals the Show with Google's Gemini AI

by Marcin Frąckiewicz
in Uncategorized
on 5 September 2025

Unprecedented Brightness & Dimming: TCL’s new QM9K QD-Mini LED TV pushes peak HDR brightness to a staggering 6,500 nits (over 30% brighter than last year’s QM8K) and packs up to 6,000 local dimming zones for ultra-fine contrast control theoutpost.ai gizmodo.com. This easily eclipses rival mini-LED TVs – for example, Samsung’s flagship Neo QLED (~2,500 nits, ~1,344 zones) and LG’s QNED (~1,500 nits, “hundreds” of zones) top out at a fraction of the QM9’s output sammobile.com hometheaterreview.com.
Google Gemini AI Built-In: The QM9K is the world’s first TV with Google’s new Gemini AI assistantintegrated into Google TV androidauthority.com tcl.com. Far-field mics and a radar presence sensor enable hands-free voice control – just say “Hey Google” to search content or ask questions – and an Ambient Mode that wakes the TV when you enter the room and even generates AI-driven art screensavers and news briefings androidauthority.com gizmodo.com. (Gemini replaces old Google Assistant with more natural conversation and personalized responses.)
Top-Tier Specs (Sizes, Gaming, Audio): Available in 65, 75, 85, and 98 inches (all 4K resolution), the QM9K boasts a 144Hz VRR panel (with up to 240Hz in half-res mode) ideal for high-frame-rate gaming androidauthority.com flatpanelshd.com. It uses TCL’s AiPQ Pro processor and supports every major HDR format (Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG) for maximum compatibility androidauthority.com. Bang & Olufsen-tuned speakers deliver Dolby Atmos and DTS:X sound, and connectivity includes multiple HDMI 2.1 ports (with eARC), USB 3.0, Ethernet, Wi-Fi 6, etc. androidauthority.com.
“OLED Killer” Ambitions: TCL is explicitly targeting OLED TVs’ crown with this flagship. The Quantum Dot Mini-LED panel (CrystGlow WHVA wide-viewing-angle tech) and TCL’s Halo Control System (with “Micro OD” diffuser for reduced blooming) aim to rival OLED’s contrast and color, but with far higher brightness theoutpost.ai theoutpost.ai. “The QM9K is designed to compete with the picture-quality king OLED”, notes CNET theoutpost.ai, promising “better contrast for less than the price of an LG or Samsung OLED” – though real-world black level performance remains to be seen.
IFA 2025 Hype & Early Impressions: Unveiled at IFA 2025 in Berlin, the QM9K wowed attendees with its “ridiculously bright” visuals gizmodo.com. Reviewers who went hands-on report vibrant colors and searing highlights that “make the QM8K look dim by comparison”, with HDR demos showcasing visibly richer whites and more accurate colors on the QM9K tomsguide.com tomsguide.com. Blacks still don’t beat OLED’s inky depths, and some blooming and glare remain visible in challenging scenes (a common Mini-LED caveat) gizmodo.com tomsguide.com. Nonetheless, experts call it “a step above” TCL’s previous best, delivering industry-leading HDR “pop” that “rivals or exceeds OLEDs in highlight performance” tomsguide.com avsforum.com.
Competitive Landscape: Samsung’s Neo QLED, LG’s QNED, and Sony’s Bravia XR Mini-LEDs all face stiff competition from the QM9K’s brute-force specs. Samsung in 2025 has focused on refining anti-glare and even exploring 115-inch giants, but it doesn’t disclose zone counts – likely because TCL and others now far outrank them here flatpanelshd.com. LG’s 2025 QNED models improved brightness (~1.5–3.7k nits in lab tests) but still use IPS-type panels with far fewer zones hometheaterreview.com tvvir.com, limiting their contrast. Sony’s Mini-LED Bravias, known for superb video processing, historically maxed out at only a few hundred zones (e.g. ~600–800 zones in recent 85″ models) techbyask.com – TCL’s 6,000 zones dwarfs that. In sum, the QM9K currently leads the LCD pack in sheer hardware, while competitors lean on OLED or QD-OLED for premium picture quality.
Design & Features: Visually, the TV sports a sleek “Zero Border” design, with an edge-to-edge glass panel and almost no bezel or black matrix gap theoutpost.ai tcl.com. Despite the complex backlight, TCL managed a relatively slim profile (~2 inches thick on 65–75″ models) and includes a central pedestal stand (on all but the 98″) for easier placement tomsguide.com tomsguide.com. The mmWave radar sensor is discreetly built-in for presence detection, and the remote retains TCL’s backlit, silver design with quick-access streaming buttons tomsguide.com tomsguide.com. Build quality appears premium, mixing metal accents (a “chrome polish”trim and stand) with functional cooling for the dense Mini-LED array tomsguide.com. Audio gets a boost from the B&O partnership; while detailed speaker specs are TBD, expect a multi-channel internal system with Dolby Atmos FlexConnect support (wirelessly pairing with TCL’s new soundbars) tcl.com tcl.com.

Unveiling at IFA 2025 & Industry Buzz

TCL took the wraps off the QM9K at IFA 2025 (and simultaneously at CEDIA in the U.S.), making a bold statement in the high-end TV arena. The company framed the TV as an ultimate-performance flagship in its lineup, even nicknaming it the “Ultimate Performance” model in contrast to the prior “Ultimate Choice” QM8K tcl.com. At the Berlin press event, the QM9K’s blinding brightness drew audible gasps, and TCL highlighted how its Halo Control tech minimizes blooming to preserve OLED-like blacks – a key selling point for LCD in an OLED-dominated premium market. “Once again, TCL takes TV technology to an all-new level with the new QM9K series,” said Scott Ramirez, TCL’s VP of Home Theater Product Marketing, emphasizing the combination of wider color viewing angle, ZeroBorder design, and new higher levels of dimming zones and peak brightness that “results in the ultimate performance that custom installers and their clients demand.” tcl.com tcl.com TCL also trumpeted the QM9K as the industry’s first Google TV with Gemini AI, underscoring a lead in smart features: “With the new QM9K, TCL is proud to offer the industry’s first TV series with Gemini,” Ramirez noted tcl.com. Tech analysts at the show noted that this strategy positions TCL as a price-performance disruptor against the likes of LG and Sony – delivering OLED-like picture with LCD-like value.

Early media reactions have been largely positive. CNET called the QM9K “TCL’s newest flagship TV” promising “unmatched picture quality” and specifically praised its ultra-high brightness and AI smarts theoutpost.ai. Gizmodo, with tongue in cheek, dubbed it “bright-as-hell” and cautioned “you’ll just have to accept Google’s Gemini” as part of the package gizmodo.com. That sentiment reflects a slight skepticism among some enthusiasts about having a full-blown Google AI in the living room – privacy and usefulness will be key watch points as Gemini rolls out. Still, the notion of more intuitive voice control and content discovery got a positive nod; Android Authority noted Gemini can handle natural-language requests like finding “a romantic movie under two hours”, potentially making old-school menu scrolling obsolete androidauthority.com androidauthority.com. The presence-sensing Ambient Mode was a hit in demos: the TV can quietly display art or info and then spring to life when someone walks up – a futuristic touch that intrigued showgoers (though some joked about the TV watching you back). On the competitive front, AV forums and experts acknowledged that TCL’s aggressive hardware approach is paying off: “Samsung and Sony are falling behind Hisense and TCL in this area [zone count],” one report pointed out flatpanelshd.com. The QM9K’s announcement has thus raised the bar for what to expect in a 2025 LCD TV, perhaps pressuring other brands to respond (either by upping their mini-LED game or accelerating next-gen tech like MicroLED).

How the QM9K Stacks Up Against 2025’s Best

Samsung Neo QLED: Samsung’s premium LCD TVs (like the 4K QN90F and 8K QN900F in 2025) are the closest rivals. They use Mini-LED backlights too, but on a smaller scale – the 65″ QN900F, for instance, has 1,344 zones and around 2,500 nits peak brightness sammobile.com. Samsung has invested in anti-glare coatings (Ultra Viewing Angle, “Glare Free 2.0”) and its Neural Quantum processors, and it remains the volume leader in high-end TVs sammobile.com. Yet, raw output is where TCL pulls ahead: the QM9K can get roughly 2–3 times brighter than Samsung’s brightest 4K Neo QLED, delivering specular highlights that even Samsung’s next-gen QD-OLED panels (rated ~4,000 nits) only aspire to gizmodo.com. Samsung has also doubled down on AI features (integrating Microsoft’s Copilot AI assistant into its sets) gizmodo.com, showing that the TV AI trend isn’t limited to TCL. Still, TCL’s use of Google’s ecosystem could be an advantage for those already in the Google/Android world (while Samsung’s Tizen-based approach favors its own ecosystem). In short, Samsung’s Neo QLEDs offer excellent picture quality and polish, but TCL is trying to one-up them on specs at possibly lower cost, which could sway value-conscious enthusiasts.

LG QNED Mini-LED: LG approached mini-LED from a different angle – their QNED models mix Quantum Dots with LG’s IPS-type LCD panels. Historically this meant wider viewing angles but weaker contrast (the infamous IPS glow), which even thousands of mini-LEDs couldn’t fully cure. For 2025, LG introduced “QNED Evo” upgrades and reportedly shifted to some VA panels on large sizes to improve black levels tvvir.com tvvir.com. However, LG has not boasted about zone counts or extreme brightness in the way TCL has. One reviewed 2025 QNED (65″ QNED92A) achieved around 1,520 nits peak in HDR hometheaterreview.com – excellent for most uses, but the QM9K’s 5,000–6,500 nits is in another league entirely. LG’s strength lies in its OLED lineup, so its mini-LED LCDs are positioned a step below flagships like the OLED G-series. LG seems to be refocusing its LCD strategy (even rebranding the lineup and sourcing panels from TCL’s own panel subsidiary for some models) tvvir.com tvvir.com. The QM9K therefore outguns LG’s QNED on technical grounds; LG might argue that its expertise in picture processing and color accuracy (plus features like WebOS 25 AI enhancements) keep it competitive. But for sheer HDR impact, TCL now wears the crown in the LCD camp.

Sony Bravia XR (Mini-LED models): Sony has been comparatively conservative with mini-LED. Its Bravia XR X95 and Z9 series use mini-LED backlights for 4K and 8K flagships respectively, but Sony rarely discloses specs like nits or zones – focusing instead on holistic image quality driven by its XR Cognitive Processor. Leaks indicate even the mighty 8K Bravia Z9K had under 1,000 dimming zones avsforum.com, far below TCL’s thousands. Sony banks on superior tone-mapping and motion processing to maximize whatever hardware it has. That said, the QM9K’s 6,000 zones beat even Sony’s last-gen 8K LCD by a wide margin gizmodo.com. In brightness, Sony’s OLED-based models (like A95L QD-OLED) reach ~1,400 nits, and its mini-LEDs likely a bit more, but nothing close to 6,500. Sony also has not embraced an onboard voice AI for TVs – they use Google TV with standard Assistant (and are likely to get Gemini via updates later). One area where Sony could still claim an edge is picture accuracy out-of-box and upscaling quality, where its tuning is top-notch. But TCL’s aggressive spec sheet may attract home theater buffs willing to calibrate and tweak for maximum HDR punch. As Gizmodo noted, TCL’s strategy – much like Sony’s own push last year – is to sell mini-LED as a viable OLED alternative gizmodo.com. Now TCL’s doing it with bigger numbers (brightness, zones) and betting that will draw eyes (literally and figuratively).

Performance and Picture Quality: What Experts Are Saying

Early tests and demonstrations of the QM9K indicate spectacular HDR performance. In a side-by-side demo in a dark room, TCL pitted the QM9K against its current QM8K and a reference OLED: results showed the QM9K visibly outshining the others in bright scenes tomsguide.com tomsguide.com. Observers described bright objects – like sunlit scenery or white highlights – as “flawless enamel” on the QM9K, retaining detail and true color even at extreme brightness, whereas the OLED “struggled a bit” (e.g. a white robe picking up a slight green tint) and the QM8K appeared “muted” in comparison tomsguide.com. This suggests the quantum dot color system in the QM9K maintains color volume at high luminance, a known advantage of QLED-type displays over OLED which can de-saturate at peak brightness. Color reproduction in general drew praise: one reviewer noted skin tones looked natural and the overall color palette was rich yet accurate, with the wide color gamut fully on display in floral test footage tomsguide.com tomsguide.com. TCL’s use of a wide-view VA panel (WHVA) also seems to have improved off-axis performance, which was a weak point of earlier VA-based TVs – so viewers from side angles still see relatively vivid images androidauthority.com.

On the flip side, black level and blooming control remain the make-or-break factors for any LCD. The QM9K, with its dense local dimming, delivered excellent contrast in many scenes – starfields, for example, reportedly looked very convincing with minimal haloing. Yet, it’s not a magic bullet: Tom’s Guide observed that in a less controlled environment (an open room with some ambient light), the QM9K’s anti-glare and blooming limitations became apparent tomsguide.com. “Concerning blooming” was noticed in certain high-contrast scenes, and the anti-reflective coating, while present, isn’t perfect – bright daylight can still wash out parts of the image or reveal blooming halos that are hidden in dark-room viewing tomsguide.com. This is partly physics: 6,000 LEDs behind the screen can create more pinpoint light than 1,000 LEDs, but when a tiny bright object is on a dark background, some light leakage is inevitable. OLED, with pixel-level control, still wins for absolute black precision. CNET’s analysis rightly questioned if TCL can truly “deliver better contrast” than OLED or just get close enough at a lower price theoutpost.ai. The consensus so far: QM9K’s contrast is outstanding for an LCD, likely among the best ever seen, but an OLED in a dark room retains an edge for the deepest blacks and zero blooming.

Another aspect is motion and gaming performance. With up to 144Hz refresh and VRR, the QM9K appeals to gamers (as does its low input lag mode, which wasn’t measured yet but expected to be competitive). TCL even enabled a 240Hz ‘Game Accelerator’ mode (rendered at half resolution, similar to what some other brands do) for twitchy gameplay flatpanelshd.com. No other 98″ screen on the market, for instance, offers that high a refresh rate. In practice, 4K 144Hz output is mostly relevant for PC gaming or future consoles, but it does help “future-proof” the TV. HDR gamingwill be a highlight – titles that support HDR can leverage the immense brightness for spectacular effects. However, one must consider heat and performance under extended load: driving 6,500 nits in a bright game scene could introduce ABL (Auto Brightness Limiter) behavior or image retention concerns, though those issues are typically less severe on LCD than OLED. As for motion handling, TCL’s processing is generally good, but not historically class-leading. Sony or Samsung might have an advantage with fast-moving content, but no glaring issues were reported in the demos (sports and action clips looked smooth with minimal blur).

Smart TV Experience & Google Gemini

Perhaps the most novel feature of the QM9K is Google Gemini AI integration, which transforms how you interact with the TV. Instead of the traditional Google Assistant voice commands, Gemini offers a more conversational assistant that lives within Google TV. At IFA, TCL demonstrated tasks like asking the TV for movie recommendations, general knowledge questions, and home automation commands – all without touching the remote. Thanks to far-field microphones, you can just speak out into the room. Gemini on the QM9K is aware of user profiles too, meaning it can tailor responses to whoever is logged in (personalized content suggestions, etc.) androidauthority.com. A cool party trick: you can ask it to “create an art gallery of Van Gogh paintings” or “show me the weather and news”, and the TV will generate a bespoke screensaver layout with that info – leveraging generative AI for on-screen content androidauthority.com androidauthority.com. This hints at a future where your TV isn’t just a screen but an AI hubin your home.

Privacy and user control remain considerations. TCL clarified that the presence sensor can be customized – you can set how close someone must be to trigger the wake-up, and during what hours it should be active getcoai.com getcoai.com. If you don’t like it, you can disable the “Hey Google” hotword entirely, though some AI features (like on-screen summary cards in Google TV) cannot be fully turned off gizmodo.com gizmodo.com. TCL also assured that voice conversations with Gemini aren’t permanently stored – the assistant forgets after a short period (about 10 minutes) to alleviate spying fears gizmodo.com. Still, having an always-listening device in the living room may not be for everyone. It’s noteworthy that Samsung’s approach is slightly different: they removed Google Assistant and are adding Microsoft’s Cortana/Copilot AI to their sets gizmodo.com, showing a divergence in the smart TV AI space. Industry analystspredict voice and AI features will be standard in next-gen TVs, and TCL has a first-mover advantage here by being the “first with Gemini”. If Gemini proves genuinely useful – e.g. finding content across apps with a simple question, or acting as a voice-controlled hub for your smart devices – it could become a strong selling point for TCL TVs. If it ends up feeling gimmicky or intrusive, users might just disable it. Either way, TCL deserves credit for pushing the envelope on what a TV’s built-in software can do.

Pricing, Availability & Market Positioning

TCL confirmed the QM9K series will ship “later this month” (September 2025) in the US and select regions, arriving at retailers like Best Buy and Amazon theoutpost.ai tomsguide.com. Exact release dates are likely staggered by size (the giant 98″ might come a bit after the others). As for pricing, TCL has not announced official MSRPs as of the unveil – a somewhat unusual move that suggests they may be waiting to see competitor pricing or finalizing cost. For context, last year’s QM8K debuted with aggressive pricing (the 65″ QM8K launched around $1,699), but the QM9K has much more advanced tech and is positioned higher. Industry observers estimate the 65-inch QM9K could land around $2,500–3,000, given the mini-LED hardware and premium features tomsguide.com. Larger sizes will scale up from there – perhaps the 98″ topping five figures (still undercutting 97″ OLEDs significantly). TCL historically undercuts Samsung/Sony equivalents by a wide margin; if they keep that strategy, the QM9K could be a high-value proposition in the flagship class. For example, Samsung’s 65″ 8K Neo QLED was $3,299 this year sammobile.com – TCL might try to come in below that while offering comparable or better specs (albeit “only” 4K resolution, which most are fine with).

Strategically, TCL is positioning the QM9K as a halo product that burnishes its brand image for high-end performance, while still appealing to buyers who want maximum bang for buck. “Offering the best combination of quality, technology, and value,” is how TCL phrases its approach tcl.com. The company is clearly aiming to pull some market share from LG’s OLED and Samsung’s QLED flagships by offering a TV that claims to do it all – blinding brightness, huge sizes, cutting-edge AI, and robust gaming features – likely at a more attainable price. If the QM9K delivers on its promises, it could attract home theater enthusiasts who’ve been priced out of 77–88″ OLEDs or dissatisfied with their HDR brightness. Moreover, TCL’s emphasis on large screens (up to 98″ for consumers, and even 115″ in its commercial plans) shows it wants to dominate the big-screen segment tcl.com, an area where value is key (since 100″-class displays from other brands often cost as much as a car). By “leading in large-size displays”, TCL can carve a niche for affordable wall-sized TVs tcl.com.

Looking ahead, the QM9K’s introduction at IFA 2025 underscores a broader trend: LCD TV technology is fighting back against OLED’s supremacy through sheer technical brute force (thousands of mini-LEDs, new quantum dot tricks, and now AI enhancements). TCL is at the forefront of this push. Consumers shopping in late 2025 will have an interesting choice – an OLED with pristine blacks and proven performance, or TCL’s mini-LED marvel with eye-popping brightness and bleeding-edge smart features. The public release of the QM9K will be watched closely. If priced right, this TV could be one of 2025’s breakout hits, bringing truly cinema-grade HDR to living rooms and stirring up competition. As one AV forum commenter quipped, it’s “the first TV that might make you reach for sunglasses during a sunny scene.” That hyperbole speaks to the excitement around TCL’s achievement here: the QM9K isn’t just another incremental upgrade – it’s pushing TV technology to new heights (and nits), and it’s doing so in a package aimed at mainstream TV buyers. Keep an eye out for full reviews in the coming weeks as the QM9K hits store shelves; we’ll then see if TCL’s bright gamble pays off in real-world usage and if 2025 will indeed be remembered as the year of the 5,000-nit TV.

Sources: CNET theoutpost.ai theoutpost.ai, Android Authority androidauthority.com androidauthority.com, Gizmodo gizmodo.com gizmodo.com, Tom’s Guide tomsguide.com tomsguide.com, TCL Press Release tcl.com tcl.com, FlatpanelsHD flatpanelshd.com flatpanelshd.com, HomeTheaterReview hometheaterreview.com, SamMobile sammobile.com.