From giant TVs to 'James Bond glasses': TCL's vision for the future

At IFA 2026, TCL is presenting its latest display and connected home technologies under the theme "AI Inspired Life," with artificial intelligence playing a central role across many of the products on show. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The company's exhibition ranges from large-format Mini-LED televisions and smartphones to AR glasses and connected home appliances. Under the name NXTHOME, the company is bringing together displays, household appliances and other connected technologies in an attempt to show how different devices could work together in people's everyday lives. Euronews spoke to Stefan Streit, chief marketing officer at TCL Europe, to find out what role AI plays in that vision and how the company aims to balance increasingly immersive entertainment with technology designed to reduce unnecessary digital distractions. AI for 'purposeful solutions' AI is increasingly becoming part of the infrastructure behind connected devices. But for TCL, Streit says, simply adding AI to a product is not enough. "Our philosophy is, when we talk about consumer products and implement AI, AI needs to solve a problem or needs to have a concrete purpose. We don't want to just put in AI for the sake of AI. So [we] really try with AI [to] solve something which we couldn't solve before." What TCL is aiming for are what Streit calls "purposeful" AI solutions. One example is air conditioning, where the company uses AI to adjust how the system operates depending on conditions in the room. "We save energy for up to 37% thanks to AI. Because AI can also monitor the room. For example, when you're sleeping and you're sleeping deep and not moving, it starts to increase a little bit the temperature. If you would move around, it starts lower, et cetera. So there are really purposeful AI solutions." Better screens, fewer distractions Many of these technologies are also finding their way into the product category TCL is still best known for televisions. The company has been expanding its presence in the European TV market, with larger screens and Mini-LED technology forming an important part of its strategy. For Streit, TCL's position in the market is closely linked to its focus on manufacturing and developing much of its technology in-house. "Our products are super competitive, so we can drive that, and therefore you see the market is also growing more in the big size TV and mini LED [sector], and that's where we are the experts. So we have a very strong product, and people see that, of course we try to make it with a good value for the consumers." But with screens extending across an increasing number of devices, TCL is also looking at ways to make them less distracting. One example is its NXTPAPER technology, which allows users to switch their smartphone into a simplified e-reader mode. Streit says the technology is designed to filter out much of the blue light emitted by conventional displays and reduce eye strain. The e-reader mode also switches off some functions, reducing notifications and other interruptions while potentially extending battery life. "When you want to read on a weekend, you don't want to have the disturbance of every app that gives you a notification," Streit told Euronews. Displays are everywhere Even though entertainment plays a prominent role in TCL's presence at IFA 2026, the company's broader vision ultimately goes beyond televisions and screens, with the connected home at its centre. That raises a question: for a company still widely associated with televisions and display technology, why should consumers turn to TCL for other parts of their home? For Streit, expanding beyond entertainment and into the wider connected home is a natural next step. "Today, almost everything has a display, right?" That includes not only televisions, smartphones and tablets, but increasingly other devices around the home. Streit argues that TCL's experience in developing and manufacturing displays gives the company a foundation for bringing screens and connected technology into a wider range of products. "But you know all the other categories... this is just at the beginning," he continued. "For all of these displays, they come from TCL CSOT, which is the leading display manufacturer in the world. So, get directly at the source of technology, supply chain, innovation. So we really can bring this visual experience in all of these products." James Bond glasses How varied those applications can be is a central part of TCL's exhibition at this year's IFA. One example are the company's AR glasses, which Streit jokingly refers to as "James Bond glasses". "It actually projects the pictures in my natural field of view and you don't see it, but I will get some information. I can use this for translation or navigation." For Streit, the glasses are another example of how TCL is looking beyond conventional screens and exploring different ways of integrating displays into everyday products. "So we look at these visual experiences or how we can use displays in all kind of shapes and formats or use cases, how we bring this in different products."