Sony's last TV

Sony's Bravia brand is known for its high-quality TVs. Photo: Bloomberg .

On May 28th, Sony launched two new high-end TV models along with a surround sound speaker system. These are likely the last products entirely developed by Sony before the company transfers its home entertainment division to a joint venture with TCL.

The Bravia 9 II starts at 660,000 yen ( US$4,400 ) for the 65-inch version and goes up to 6,600,000 yen ( US$41,400 ) for the 115-inch version. Meanwhile, the Bravia 7 II starts at 363,000 yen ( US$2,280 ) for the 50-inch screen. All products are available for pre-order and will ship in June.

Earlier this year, TCL agreed to pay 75.4 billion yen ( US$473 million ) to acquire a 51% stake in a joint venture to take over Sony's Bravia TV business. The joint venture, expected to launch officially in April 2027, will produce TVs under the Sony and Bravia brands, while integrating TCL's display technology.

The big question users are asking is whether Sony's signature image quality will be maintained after the merger. Sony stated that "high-quality image and sound technologies, along with Sony's design philosophy, will continue to be a key foundation" for future products.

Both the Bravia 9 II and Bravia 7 II utilize True RGB technology, an LCD panel that uses small, individually controlled red, green, and blue LEDs. This approach allows for clearer colors and better brightness compared to the company's previous TVs. Viewing angles are also significantly improved, allowing people sitting on either side to still see a vivid image.

The Bravia 9 II (left) and Bravia 7 II (right) stand out with their True RGB display technology. Photo: The Verge .

RGB TVs are a prominent trend this year, with TCL, Samsung, LG, and Hisense all offering similar products. However, Sony positions this line of TVs for home theater enthusiasts, not the average consumer. For most consumers, regular Mini LED or lower-priced OLED models remain a more sensible choice.

The Bravia 9 II adds an anti-glare coating, ensuring clear images even in brightly lit living rooms. An aesthetic highlight is the "Mirage Stand," with its transparent section, giving the TV the appearance of floating. The Bravia 7 II uses the same True RGB technology but lacks the anti-glare coating and this unique stand. Both models run Google TV and support the Gemini AI voice assistant.

Alongside the TV, Sony introduced the Bravia Theater Trio, a surround sound system combining a central soundbar with two separate front-facing speakers. This configuration differs from most soundbars on the market, which currently only use rear-facing surround speakers. According to Sony, this arrangement creates a wider soundstage and reduces reliance on sound virtualization technology, while also making dialogue easier to hear compared to competitors like Sonos or Samsung.