AI and large screens fuelling TV sales growth: Hisense

Artificial Intelligence and large screen features will continue fueling growth in the Chinese TV market, according to market leader Hisense.

Hisense has invested heavily in AI technology to upgrade its U8 TV as its latest AI flagship model — making it “much more powerful and smarter than (Apple's) Siri ”, said Hisense in Shanghai. 

Compared with smartphones and other devices, TVs have more space to explore AI for image quality, sound, interactive features and content, said Wang Wei, Hisense’s vice general manager.

And demand for super-large screens — 60-inch or more — is booming, says market researcher IHS Markit.

Annual sales of 60-inch and larger TVs, both LCD and LED, are forecast to exceed 20 million units in 2018 and reach 54 million in 2025, accounting for 19 percent of total sales, said IHS Markit. 

For Hisense, sales of large-screen TVs — 65-inch or above — jumped 61 percent year-on-year as of September 24 as consumers increasingly turn from 55-inch to 65-inch or bigger, Wang said.

In Shanghai, consumers are willing to spend more for new-technology TVs with features such as AI and large screens.