Hisense’s 2025 lineup got me interested in TVs again

I haven’t talked about it much, if at all, on MobileSyrup, but my two main jobs before starting at the site were at Future Shop (RIP) and Best Buy. For five years, I alternated between customer service and multi-channel sales (the guys responsible for reserve and pick-up/online orders), and generally quite liked it. In particular, I think it helped give me a lot of perspective on what the average person knows about technology, which has proven quite useful in my writing.

In this time, I also had quite a bit of exposure to TVs based on how often people would reserve them for pick-up. I confess that I also would head over to the TV department on quieter days and watch the demos they had while chatting with my buddies in that department. I have many fond memories of watching footage from Mad Max: Fury Road, Final Fantasy XV and Blade Runner 2049 in crisp picture quality.

I say all of this to explain that I’ve always had a big appreciation — if not casual interest — in TVs, especially as a movie buff. I haven’t kept up with TVs in a while, though, which is why I was really intrigued by the invite to a Hisense Product Showcase in New York City. There, the Chinese TV and appliance manufacturer showed off a variety of 2025 products, and as I toured them all, that old interest was rekindled.

Of course, you don’t need to be a savant to appreciate good picture quality, and on that front, I was impressed by the sharpness of the displays. This is the sort of thing you take in with your eyes — no need for fancy tech jargon about pixel counts, refresh rates or any other specs or features.

Above all else, the 2025 Hisense model that stood out to me was Hisense’s U7 Series, which it calls ‘The Game Changer.’ This series is intended for gamers and sports fans alike, and I am very much one of the former. Featuring what Hisense calls “Mini-LED Pro” technology, the U78QG sports a 165Hz native refresh rate — perfect for fluid and input lag-free visuals during fast-paced gaming and sports action.

Specifically, it has support for Game Mode Ultra, Game Booster 288Hz, VRR, ALLM, Dolby Vision Gaming, and FreeSync Premium Pro, all of which will bolster your gaming performance. There’s also an AGLR-Antiglare low reflection panel for good measure.

Meanwhile, these sets feature Dolby Atmos audio with 60W 2.1.2 multi-channel for spatial sound, which would be especially useful for bombastic games like Call of Duty or loud sporting events. In general, Hisense’s 2025 lineup uses AI-enhanced audio processing to optimize Dolby Atmos soundscapes. (That’s to say nothing of some of their soundbars, like the HT Saturn, which was featured at CES in January.) Truthfully, I’ve never been an audiophile by any stretch (for instance, $30~ headphones do me just fine), so these options don’t really mean anything to me, but they certainly would for someone else.

For context, I’ve been using Sony’s 55-inch XBR-55X900H since 2020 because it was specially marked as a PS5-optimized display. At the time, I paid $1,300, so I’d definitely consider going for the Hisense U7 Game Changer, as I was told by a Hisense Canada rep that it would be in the $1,000 range. (Exact pricing for the whole 2025 lineup has yet to be revealed.) You can get this model in up to 100 inches, too, so there are a lot of options.

And on that note, I was surprised by the breadth of models across the board. On top of some other TV-related products I can’t mention yet, Hisense had a welcome variety of displays with all kinds of price tags. While some of them would certainly be out of my personal price range, it’s undeniably important to have so many options. To that point, there are even a few models that are less expensive than the mid-range U7 Series.

Enter the U6 Series, which Hisense calls “entry-premium.” It offers a still-great Mini-LED QLED experience and 144Hz native refresh rate powered by Amazon’s Fire TV, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos with a 2.1 built-in subwoofer, and HDR10+ Adaptive. Naturally, this is positioned as the most affordable option, which could be especially beneficial as a gamer. Like the other 2025 sets, the U6 Series will be available in sizes ranging from 55 to 100 inches.

And finally, there’s the higher-end U8 Series. This beefier set has a 165Hz native refresh rate, Dolby Vision, Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+, and even ‘Imax Enhanced.’ On top of that, it’s got Wi-Fi 6E (the standard adopted in 2021 behind only last year’s 7) for optimal streaming quality. Hisense is also touting its Hi-View AI Engine Pro, which automatically adjusts brightness, contrast, and colour in real-time, while Quantum Dot technology bolsters colour accuracy for more vibrant visuals. Finally, there’s an 82W Dolby Atmos 4.1.2 multi-channel sound system.

There were also other products on display, including refrigerators and air conditioners and, most notably, the “World’s First RGB Mini-LED” TV, the 116UX. This behemoth of a display was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. I’m curious to eventually know how much this bad boy costs, but for now, I’m marvelling at its grandeur.

Above all else, though, I was surprised to discover that, according to the firm Circana, Hisense has actually been the number two best-selling TV brand in Canada for three consecutive years (2022 to 2024). For context, only Samsung is ahead of it here. Clearly, then, it’s especially popular in Canada, and so it was pretty enlightening to attend this event and learn a bit more about why that is.

Again, I’m by no means an expert, especially after just one showcase, and so a lot of the terms that were thrown around are still a bit foreign to me. And again, I won’t pretend to care much for any audio features — call me a layman. But I do have really good eyes (#LASIK), making it easier for me to point out the little details in picture quality, like the smooth tactility of a horse’s hair on the U7 Series. I’m not in the market just yet for a new TV, but when that time comes around, I’d definitely consider a Hisense set.

The Hisense 2025 Mini-LED QLED lineup will be available at retailers across Canada starting in May. I’ll update this story with exact pricing once it’s confirmed.