LG OLEDs Hit Peak Quality, but 2026 Success Demands More Than Picture Perfection
Tom's Guide's senior TV editor says LG's displays are better than ever, though pricing and smart features remain vulnerable to competitors.
LG's OLED televisions have reached an all-time high in picture quality, but maintaining market leadership through 2026 will require more than technical excellence alone.
Michael Desjardin, Tom's Guide senior TV editor with over a decade of professional display testing experience, delivered a comprehensive assessment of LG's current trajectory. His verdict: the picture quality is stunning, but friction points remain.
The OLED Hierarchy
The LG G6 OLED stands as the company's 2026 flagship. RTINGS.com awarded it the distinction of "the best LG OLED TV we've tested," citing "truly stunning picture quality, perfect, inky blacks, and incredibly bright highlights."
However, the crown for value belongs to the 2025 LG C5 OLED. It earned the only five-star rating from Tom's Guide last year, recognized for striking an optimal balance between price and performance that flagship buyers and budget-conscious shoppers alike can appreciate.
Above both sits the LG M5 OLED, which Desjardin described as being "in its own class." The M5's wireless Zero Connect technology eliminates cable clutter entirely, a flagship feature that LG is gradually trickling down to more accessible models as the technology matures.
The LED Alternative
For buyers seeking LG's smart platform and build quality without OLED pricing, the QNED85T occupies the lower mid-range segment. RTINGS classifies it as a competent lower mid-range 4K TV from the 2024 lineup (succeeded by the QNED85A in 2025), though it falls short of LG's newest OLED TVs in overall performance and cannot match the contrast and viewing angles of OLED technology.
The Competitive Squeeze
LG's OLED dominance faces intensifying pressure. Samsung's QD-OLED panels offer competing brightness and color volume, while Sony's image processing remains a benchmark for motion handling and upscaling. The transition from 2025 to 2026 marks a critical period where LG must optimize more than panel performance.
Desjardin's analysis suggests LG's value proposition depends on refining the user experience and pricing strategy. Tom's Guide notes that LG OLED discounts are "relatively consistent" throughout the calendar year, recommending that bargain hunters wait for these predictable price drops rather than purchasing at launch.
What is clear: LG cannot rely on picture quality alone as competitors close the gap.
What Needs to Change
As the industry moves toward 2026, LG's ability to maintain OLED dominance requires democratizing high-end features while preventing consumer migration to competitors offering better value or more innovative smart platforms. The technology is ready. The question is whether LG's 2026 strategy will be.