- Matching (Score) |
- Our verdict |
- Competing TVs |
- TV appearance |
- Where to buy |
- Contrast and black detail |
- HDR effect quality |
- Factory color reproduction |
- Color reproduction after calibration |
- Smoothness of tonal transitions |
- Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions |
- Blur and motion smoothness |
- Console compatibility and gaming features |
- Input lag |
- Compatibility with PC |
- Viewing angles |
- Daytime performance |
- TV features |
- Apps |
- Playing files from USB |
- Sound |
- Panel details
XIAOMI S Mini 2026 (85"-98") 144Hz Review
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Panel type: LCD VA Refresh rate: 144Hz Brand: XIAOMI Resolution: 3840x2160 System: Google TV Model year: 2026
The 85- and 98-inch versions are not just larger variants of the Xiaomi S Mini 2026. Unlike the 55-, 65-, and 75-inch models, they feature a 144 Hz panel, giving them significantly greater capabilities, especially for gaming and sports. For that reason we prepared a separate review for them. In it we check whether the larger variant really deserves a higher spot in the lineup and how it compares to the smaller 60 Hz version.
XIAOMI S Mini 2026 144Hz - Our verdict
7.1
Overall rating
Advantages
120/144 Hz panel
Very good contrast: Mini LED + VA
High brightness around 1,000 nits
Dolby Vision support
Advanced features for gamers
Low input lag
Google TV with a wide selection of apps
Disadvantages
Poor image processing
Average glare reduction
Typical viewing angles for a VA panel
Flat sound, little bass
Movies and series in UHD quality7.1
Classic TV, YouTube6.6
Sports broadcasts (TV and apps)6.4
Gaming on console8.3
TV as a computer monitor7.0
Watching in bright light7.5
Utility functions7.0
Apps9.6
Sound quality5.0
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XIAOMI S Mini 2026 144Hz - Competing TVs in this price range
XIAOMI S Mini 2026 144Hz - TV appearance
HDMI inputs: 1 x HDMI 2.0, 2 x HDMI 2.1 (48Gbps) Outputs: Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI), Mini-Jack (Headphones) Network Interfaces: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps
Build quality: Average
Stand type: Legs
Bezel color: Graphite
Stand: Base adjustment
Flat design: No
Accessories: Stand
The larger versions of the Xiaomi S Mini 2026 retain the same overall styling as the smaller models. From the front the TV looks modern thanks to slim bezels, although a wider silver strip along the bottom is clearly visible. The cabinet itself is fairly thick, so it’s not the best choice for people who want the flattest possible wall mount. The back is metal and feels solid, but its design is rather plain. It’s still a mid-range TV and the build quality reflects that. A plus are the adjustable feet. You can position them closer to the center or wider apart, making it easier to fit the TV to your existing furniture.
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XIAOMI S Mini 2026 144Hz - Contrast and black detail
8/10
Local dimming function: Yes, number of zones: 640 (20 x 32)
Result
427,700:1
Result
49,650:1
Result
29,350:1
Result
13,500:1
Result
8,400:1
Larger screen sizes of the Xiaomi S Mini 2026 also use a VA panel and Mini LED backlight, but the manufacturer has applied many more local dimming zones here. In the 85-inch model we tested, we counted 640 of them, more than twice as many as in the 55-inch version. Even so, the differences in measurements proved surprisingly small. Contrast remains very high, and in many scenes awash with black the TV can achieve blacks that feel very close to OLED. The additional zones mainly help better control the backlight in more demanding shots, though they do not completely eliminate the typical limitations of this technology. In scenes with a large number of bright objects on a dark background you can still see a halo effect, but its level remains typical for Mini LED TVs. As with the smaller variants, Xiaomi has also improved the local dimming algorithm. The zones operate stably and do not cause visible flicker or the brightness "pumping" that could be encountered in last year’s model.
Halo effect and black detail visibility:
XIAOMI S Mini 2026 144Hz - HDR effect quality
5.7/10
Supported formats: HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, HLG
Luminance measurements in HDR:
Result
1079 nit
Result
224 nit
Result
710 nit
Result
244 nit
Result
900 nit
The larger versions of the Xiaomi S Mini 2026 offer very similar HDR capabilities. Peak brightness reaches around 1,000 nits, which is a very solid result for a TV at this price point. This is most apparent in bright scenes, where large, heavily lit areas of the image can look really striking. The TV has enough brightness headroom that HDR isn't reduced to just a slightly brighter image. However, very small pinpoint highlights on an almost completely black background perform worse. In those situations the local dimming system significantly reduces their brightness to avoid illuminating adjacent image areas and to preserve deep blacks. As a result, small specular highlights or single lamps don't have the same intensity as in much more expensive designs. This is, however, typical behavior for Mini LED TVs and is hard to treat as something unique to Xiaomi.
HDR colors
Color performance is similarly comparable. Although the manufacturer uses the term QLED, the expanded color gamut here is achieved by a PFS phosphor. In our measurements the TV covered about 94% of the DCI-P3 color space and about 74% of the much more demanding BT.2020. In practice this yields well-saturated colors in most HDR material and it's hard to point to obvious shortcomings. Limitations appear mainly with the most saturated shades of green, which the TV can no longer reproduce in full.
BT.2020 color gamut coverage and primary color luminance
| Data set | BT.2020 | P3 | R | G | B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Synthetic patterns | 73.2% | 93.9% | 71% | 77% | 73% |
| Film measurements | 73.3% | 94.0% | 70% | 76% | 76% |
BT.2020
BT.2020 and P3 – average color gamut coverage (percent of the target gamut).
R, G, B – average primary color luminance relative to target (percent).
Scene from the movie “Pan” (about 2800 nits)
Scene from the movie “Billy Lynn” (about 1100 nits)
A TV's capabilities are not determined solely by its peak brightness. Equally important is how the manufacturer has used the available potential when displaying real HDR content. The Xiaomi S Mini 2026 performs best with movies mastered for around 1000 nits. With such productions the TV rarely needs to limit brightness or apply heavy processing to the picture, which allows it to retain a lot of detail and deliver a natural HDR effect. Occasionally there is some loss of detail in the darkest parts of the image.
More problems appear with content mastered for significantly higher brightness. In HDR10 mode the TV maps tones fairly aggressively, causing the brightest elements of the image to lose detail. In the sun scene from the film Pan, it was clear that the bright areas merged with the clouds instead of retaining visible structure.
HDR luminance chart:
The weak tone mapping improves when playing content that supports Dolby Vision, which is available in 85- and 98-inch models. Dynamic metadata lets the TV adjust the display of each scene individually, making the limitations from peak brightness much less noticeable. This results in better-preserved detail in the brightest parts of the image. It's still not at the level of the best premium TVs, but the difference compared with the same content shown in HDR10 is clear. Dolby Vision support on the Xiaomi S Mini 2026 simply makes watching demanding HDR content more enjoyable.
Static HDR10
Dynamic: Dolby Vision
Factory color reproduction
5.2/10
In the larger versions of the Xiaomi S Mini 2026, Film mode performs best, although the factory settings here are not without flaws. In SDR the white balance was noticeably warm due to an excess of red. In HDR the situation was the opposite: there was too much blue and too little red, which made the image cooler. Additionally, both the gamma curve in SDR and the EOTF curve in HDR were slightly above the reference values. In practice this resulted in a slightly brighter image, especially in the midtones. It wasn't a major fault, but with more demanding content you could tell the image wasn't reproduced exactly as the creators intended.
Color reproduction after calibration
7.7/10
After calibration, we were mainly able to even out the white balance, so colors in both SDR and HDR look much more natural. We also improved the gamma curve, so SDR content is no longer unnecessarily bright and stays closer to reference values. The only significant remaining issue is in HDR. Xiaomi still controls brightness a bit too aggressively and renders some scenes brighter than it should. That is less noticeable on larger screen sizes than on the 55–75 inch models, but the EOTF curve still runs slightly above the reference. In practice, HDR is therefore slightly brightened, even though color reproduction after calibration already looks very good.
XIAOMI S Mini 2026 144Hz - Smoothness of tonal transitions
9/10
The smoothness of tonal transitions in the larger Xiaomi S Mini 2026 variants is very good. In both bright and darker scenes the colors blend much more smoothly than in the smaller sizes. It's not perfect, and in the most challenging shots you can still see slight traces of posterization, but they occur far less often and are much less noticeable. That's a clear plus, especially since in the 55-75-inch models dark scenes could look noticeably worse in this regard.
Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions
3/10
Smooth transition function
Image without overscan on the SD signal
Larger variants of the Xiaomi S Mini 2026 also use the MT5896 processor and perform similarly in terms of digital image processing. Upscaling is not a strong suit of this model. Low-resolution content is upscaled to 4K in a fairly basic way and it does not recover fine detail as well as more refined TVs. The 85- and 98-inch versions do include a feature intended to reduce posterization, but its effectiveness is very limited. With it turned on it's hard to notice any real improvement, so in scenes with visible color banding the TV still does little to address it.
XIAOMI S Mini 2026 144Hz - Blur and motion smoothness
7.7/10
Maximum refresh rate of the panel: 144Hz
Film motion smoothing option: Yes
Blur reduction option: Yes
BFI function 60Hz: No
BFI function 120Hz: No
The biggest difference between the various sizes of the Xiaomi S Mini 2026 is the panel's refresh rate. The 55–75-inch models use a 60 Hz panel, which in practice means noticeably less motion smoothness than the larger versions. It's easiest to notice this when watching sports, fast-moving scenes, or playing games, where the picture isn't as smooth or clear in motion.
Blur (native resolution, maximum refresh rate):
Blur (4K@288Hz):
In terms of motion smearing, the TV performs similarly to the larger variants. The VA panel used shows the typical behavior for this class of panels. Most smearing is visible behind objects moving against dark backgrounds. In brighter scenes the effect is much less noticeable.
XIAOMI S Mini 2026 144Hz - Console compatibility and gaming features
8.5/10
- ALLM:
Yes
- VRR:
Yes
- VRR range:
48 - 288Hz
- Dolby Vision Game Mode:
Yes
- Correct implementation of HGIG:
No
- 1080p@120Hz:
Yes
- 1440p@120Hz:
Yes
- 4K@120Hz:
Yes
- Game bar:
Yes
Unfortunately, the smaller versions of the Xiaomi S Mini 2026 have a significant limitation for gamers: a 60 Hz panel. In 4K we're therefore limited to 60 fps and can't fully take advantage of the PS5 or Xbox Series X. You can run 120 Hz, but only after dropping the resolution to 1080p or 1440p. Otherwise it's fairly reasonable. The TV supports ALLM and automatically switches to Game Mode when it detects a console. There's also a Game Bar that lets you quickly view the most important gaming settings. Our biggest issue is with HGiG. The HDR calibration screens on the PS5 and Xbox don't match the TV's actual capabilities. If you set HDR exactly according to them, some of the brightest highlights may simply be clipped.
XIAOMI S Mini 2026 144Hz - Input lag
9.8/10
Input lag is low. At 120 Hz we measured about 10 ms, and at 60 Hz about 15 ms. In practice the TV responds quickly and you don't notice any significant delay while gaming.
| SDR | HDR | Dolby Vision |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p60: 17 ms | 2160p60: 16 ms | 2160p60 DV: 16 ms |
| 1080p120: 9 ms | 2160p120: 8 ms | 2160p120 DV: 8 ms |
| 2160p60: 17 ms | ||
| 2160p120: 9 ms |
XIAOMI S Mini 2026 144Hz - Compatibility with PC
7/10
Chroma 444 (max. resolution and refresh rate): No
Font clarity: Poor
Readability of dark text and shapes: Good
Input lag in PC mode (4K, max. refresh rate): 9ms
Matrix subpixel arrangement: BGR
Max refresh rate: 144Hz
G-Sync: Yes
The larger versions of the Xiaomi S Mini 2026 are also not an ideal choice for use with a computer. The problem is the lack of proper 4:4:4 chroma reproduction. This is most noticeable with small, colorful text, icons, and other interface elements. Standard fonts remain mostly legible, but the image lacks the sharpness you'd expect from a TV meant to serve as a large monitor. The refresh-rate side looks much better: in 4K you can even use 144 Hz, and by lowering the resolution the TV allows you to go even higher. That makes the larger variants far more appealing for PC gaming than for plain text work.
XIAOMI S Mini 2026 144Hz - Viewing angles
3.4/10
Brightness drop at an angle of 45 degrees: 62%
The larger S Mini 2026 variants also use a VA panel, but their viewing angles are noticeably better. As you move away from the center of the screen the colors still lose some saturation, but this happens more slowly than with the smaller versions. It's still not at the level of IPS/ADS panels, and certainly not OLEDs, but in everyday viewing it's no longer as bad as in the smaller variants.
XIAOMI S Mini 2026 144Hz - Daytime performance
7.5/10
Panel finish: Satin
Reflection suppression: Decent
Black levels during daytime: Good
The larger versions of the Xiaomi S Mini 2026 perform even better in a bright room. Average SDR brightness reaches around 800 nits, which allows the TV to easily cut through the light entering the living room and maintain good image clarity during the day.
The weaker point remains the screen coating. The satin finish doesn't cope well with direct reflections, so near a window or a lamp placed opposite the screen reflections will still be visible. High brightness helps a lot here, but the effectiveness of reflection suppression itself is rather average.
Panel brightness
XIAOMI S Mini 2026 (85"-98") 144Hz : 805 cd/m2
XIAOMI S Mini 2026 144Hz - TV features
7/10
System: Google TV
System performance: Average
- HDMI inputs: 1 x HDMI 2.0, 2 x HDMI 2.1 48Gbps
- Outputs: Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI), Mini-Jack (Headphones)
- Network Interfaces: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps
- TV reception: DVB-T, DVB-T2, DVB-S, DVB-S2, DVB-C
Classic features:
- Recording to USB (terrestrial TV): No
- Recording programming: No
- Picture in Picture (PiP): No
- RF remote control (no need to aim): RF
- Backlit remote control: No
- Teletext: Yes
- Audio only mode: Yes
- Bluetooth headphones support: Yes
- Simultaneous Bluetooth headphones & TV audio: No
Smart features:
- AirPlay: Yes
- Screen mirroring (Windows Miracast): Yes
- Voice search: Yes
- Voice search in native language: Yes
- Ability to connect a keyboard and mouse: Yes
Google TV
In the larger variants of the Xiaomi S Mini 2026, the Google TV system runs quite smoothly. This TV has a bit more RAM than the smaller versions, and you can actually feel it during everyday use. Menus respond faster, apps launch more smoothly, and it's much less common to have to wait for the system to react. Google TV itself provides access to essentially everything you would expect from a Smart TV. You can easily find the most popular streaming apps, and you can also install additional apps from the Google Play store. It has Chromecast, voice control, and convenient content search across different services in one place. Function-wise, there's little to criticize about Xiaomi here.
Practical features
If you use traditional broadcast TV, the Xiaomi S Mini 2026 offers a rather basic set of features. There's an electronic program guide, teletext, and a classic remote with a numeric keypad. That last item is seen less and less these days, but for regular channel switching it can still be simply convenient. A slightly more unusual feature is the mini-jack headphone output. Newer TVs are increasingly dropping it, so its presence here may come in handy if someone still uses wired headphones or older audio equipment.
Sound connection options
HDMI audio:
Other audio outputs:
- Toslink: Yes
- Stereo (Mini-Jack): Yes
Wireless audio:
- Bluetooth: Yes
Supported audio formats (external HDMI eARC audio):
- Dolby Digital Plus 7.1: Yes
- Dolby True HD 7.1: Yes
- Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (JOC): Yes
- Dolby Atmos in Dolby True HD: Yes
- DTS:X in DTS-HD MA: Yes
- DTS-HD Master Audio: Yes
Senior accessibility
- Numeric keyboard on TV: Yes
- Font size adjustment: Yes
- Audio description: Yes
XIAOMI S Mini 2026 144Hz - Apps
9.6/10
XIAOMI S Mini 2026 144Hz - Playing files from USB
6.8/10
| Maximum photo resolution: | Supported photo formats: |
|---|---|
| 4 Mpix | JPEG |
| 6 Mpix | HEIC |
| 8 Mpix | PNG |
| 10 Mpix | GIF |
| 12 Mpix | WebP |
| 16 Mpix | TIFF |
| 20 Mpix | BMP |
| 24 Mpix | SVG |
| 28 Mpix | |
| 32 Mpix |
The built-in USB media player works pretty well and opens most common formats without any problems. However, if you encounter a file it doesn't support, Google TV makes it easy to install another player, e.g., VLC. Our biggest gripe is with subtitles. The stock app doesn't handle some characters outside the basic alphabet correctly, which can cause issues with, for example, Polish letters. If you often watch movies from USB, it's better to use a third-party app.
XIAOMI S Mini 2026 144Hz - Sound
5/10
89dB
Maximum volume
Supported codecs (TV speakers)
Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
Dolby True HD 7.1
Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (JOC)
Dolby Atmos in Dolby True HD
DTS:X in DTS-HD MA
DTS-HD Master Audio
The built-in speakers sound adequate, but you can't expect much more from them. They're more than enough for everyday viewing of news, TV series, or other programs. However, they lack bass, so the sound is fairly flat and doesn't deliver much impact when watching movies.
Sound Quality Test:
Acoustic Measurements
No acoustic data
XIAOMI S Mini 2026 144Hz - Panel details
Software version during testing: UKN1.240806.017.V816.0.25.11.26.02.ULBMIXM
Image processor: mt5896 2,5gb ram
Panel uniformity and thermal imaging:
Backlight Type: Mini-LED PFS LED
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