TCL sues Samsung over false advertising claims for Mini LED TVs

TCL has sued Samsung in federal court in Los Angeles, accusing its South Korean rival of falsely marketing some of its TVs as Mini LED models.

According to TCL, Samsung sold televisions from its M series as Mini LED products even though they were essentially reworked conventional LED TVs.

TCL argues that Samsung’s TVs do not use the technology consumers would normally expect from a Mini LED model. Conventional LCD TVs use relatively large LEDs for backlighting, typically divided into a limited number of dimming zones. Mini LED displays use thousands of much smaller LEDs and significantly more local dimming zones, which can improve contrast, black levels and dynamic range and typically places these TVs in a more premium category. TCL alleges that Samsung “took a cheap, non-Mini LED model from a ​recycled product line” and marketed it as a premium Mini LED TV at an attractive price.

The lawsuit comes amid growing competition between the two companies in the premium TV market. TCL says it overtook Samsung in Mini LED TV sales between 2023 and 2025 after the Korean manufacturer struggled to offer competing models at comparable prices.