TCL recently previewed the TCL QM9K, its new flagship mini-LED TV, at an event in NYC, and there were plenty of firsts for the company to talk about.
The big one was that the QM9K is the first Google TV device to feature Gemini, an AI assistant that lets you not just ask basic questions to search for streaming content, but engage in full conversations on any topic, with follow-up questions based on the context of your original query.
Another first featured in TCL’s flagship TV is Dolby FlexConnect. This new tech provides an alternative to the best soundbars by letting you place wireless speakers around the room, with no restrictions on speaker placement. The setup of FlexConnect speakers is automated and fully carried out by the TV, and it provides a powerful Dolby Atmos sound experience without any of the headaches typically associated with home theater audio systems.
Last on our list of firsts for the QM8K is its record-breaking brightness. The new flagship mini-LED TV is the brightest in the company’s current lineup, with a specified 6,500 nits peak light output. And with up to 6,000 local dimming zones, that brightness is balanced with solid blacks that are given an OLED-like level of refinement by the TV’s Halo Control System.
Ultrawide and ZeroBorder
Similar to the TCL QM8K, one of the best TVs we’ve tested in 2025, the new QM9K features a CrystGlow WHVA display panel that provides an ultrawide viewing angle, with no visible color shift at off-center seats. It also has the QM8K’s ZeroBorder “edge-to-edge” design, which minimizes the TV’s bezel for an all-picture look.
Along with Dolby FlexConnect, the QM9K features a potent Audio by Bang & Olufsen Dolby Atmos speaker array with upfiring drivers located on the TV’s top surface. Gaming features include 144Hz VRR on the TV’s two HDMI 2.1 ports, and there’s support for both the Dolby Vision and HDR10+ high dynamic range formats and ATSC 3.0 Nextgen digital TV broadcasts.
Hey Google…Gemini
The QM9K’s picture looked fantastic in a side-by-side comparison with a TCL QM8K mini-LED and the LG C5 OLED TV, showing superior HDR highlight detail and deep, blooming-free blacks. But as good as the QM9K’s picture looked, the Google Gemini feature was in some ways the star of the show, as it takes smart TV interaction to an exciting new level.
The QM9K uses a presence sensor that can be set up to ‘wake’ the TV when someone walks in the room, lighting up the screen with artwork, photos (including from your Google Photos library), and also AI-generated images that are easy to create with Gemini.
For example, in my demo, a Google TV rep used the TV’s far-field mic to ask Gemini to create a Hayao Miyazaki-style image of Manhattan’s Soho neighborhood. I’m pretty sure the Japanese animation master wouldn’t have been amused by the resulting screensaver that was generated, but it did look pretty cool, and Gemini’s contextual intelligence allowed for even further tweaking of the image using voice commands.
Other parts of Google TV’s demo showed how you could make conversational deep dives with Gemini for content searching, asking not just for a list of Mission Impossible films, but an ordered ranking of those films by critic ratings. Gemini can make your TV a study buddy as well, with the ability to, for instance, create summaries of science topics for kids, and then answer questions related to that overview. Bye-bye, idiot box.
While the QM9K will feature Google Gemini on release, the QM8K’s Google TV platform will also get a Gemini upgrade at a later date. The QM9K is the only TV in TCL’s lineup to feature a presence sensor, however.
Dolby FlexConnect
TechRadar has previously reported on TCL’s Dolby FlexConnect speakers, but it was great to finally have the opportunity to experience this new audio tech for myself.
The system that TCL had set up used three of the company’s Z100 wireless FlexConnect speakers plus a Z100-SW wireless subwoofer (up to four total speakers are currently supported), with the Z100 speakers positioned at the front, center left, and rear right of the room.
After demonstrating the FlexConnect setup, a calibration process that simply involved having the TV play a short audio track over the speakers, with the set’s far-field mic recording it. TCL then fired up a clip from the Brad Pitt vehicle F1, a movie destined to become the new go-to Dolby Atmos audio demo. For a $1,700 (MSRP) system, the sound was impressively powerful and immersive, and I could easily see QM9K buyers opting for it over a soundbar.
TCL QM9K screen sizes range from 65 to 98 inches. No pricing was announced, but the TVs will be available later this month from Best Buy and select regional retail stores in the US.
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al.griffin@futurenet.com (Al Griffin)
