MiniLED, or "sub-millimeter light-emitting diode," is an improved version of traditional LED backlighting. It miniaturizes and matrixes traditional LED backlights for use as the backlight for LCD panels. Compared to traditional LCD displays, Mini LED backlighting represents an upgrade in backlighting technology, enhancing LCD products.
Its main advantages are: better display quality and contrast, and thinner profile (fully retaining the RGB primary colors, resulting in better color integrity and color gamut, with color vibrancy approaching OLED; because Mini LEDs are smaller than traditional LEDs, they allow for more precise control of the LCD panel's light source, combined with more refined local dimming technology, resulting in higher contrast; hence, a thinner profile). Furthermore, compared to OLED's organic light-emitting diodes, LEDs, being inorganic, have a longer lifespan.
According to TrendForce's latest market research report, "2022 MiniLED Backlight Display Trend Analysis Report," brands that were previously hesitant about MiniLED backlighting are expected to be spurred by the lead-up to this trend in 2021 by leading brands like Samsung and Apple, potentially driving other brands to incorporate MiniLED backlighting into their new monitor plans for 2022.
For example, TV brands like Sony, Sharp, and Hisense have joined the fray this year, while MSI, Lenovo, and Gigabyte are investing in MiniLED TVs and notebooks.
With the continued entry of brands and the aggressive moves by leading manufacturers like Apple and Samsung in the IT and TV sectors, TrendForce predicts that total shipments of MiniLED backlit monitors will reach 17.6 million units in 2022, representing an annual growth rate of approximately 83%.
According to incomplete statistics from LEDinside, 16 brands, including Samsung, AOC, KTC, Titan Group, and ASUS, have launched MiniLED monitors, totaling 32 products.
LEDinside's analysis shows that the most expensive model is the Dell UP3221Q, a high-end professional monitor, currently priced at 54,999 yuan on the official website in China. The Dell UP3221Q is the world's first monitor with 2000 MiniLED backlight dimming zones, featuring a 31.5-inch 4K IPS panel, native 10-bit color depth, 1000 nits brightness, 1.07 billion colors, VESA certification, HDR 1000 certification, and coverage of 100% DCI-P3, 99.8% DCI-P3i, 93% Adobe RGB, and 83% BT.2020 color gamut.
The most affordable Dell monitor is the Titan Legion MiniLED gaming monitor, with an initial price of 2949 yuan. The Titan Legion gaming monitor uses MiniLED backlighting with 384 independent local dimming zones, allowing each zone to precisely adjust brightness according to the content displayed on the screen. In terms of specifications, this gaming monitor supports HDR1000, has a resolution of 2560×1440 (2K), a refresh rate of 165Hz, a 1ms (GTG) response time, 99% DCI-P3/Adobe RGB color gamut coverage, RGB gaming backlighting, and a panel from AU Optronics.