Cheapest 40-Inch QLED TV Per Inch 2026: Hisense QD4 Review

The Only 40-Inch QLED on the Market

On May 5, 2026, our in-stock tracking shows a lone 40-inch QLED: the Hisense 40-Inch Class QD4 Series Hi-QLED FHD Smart Fire TV at $170—$4.25 per inch. No Samsung, TCL, Vizio, LG, or Sony offers a 40-inch QLED in these listings.

This isn’t a ranking; it’s a one-model category. The nearest QLED sizes are 32 inches ($4.37–$4.44/inch) and 50 inches (starting at $3.88/inch). But if your space demands exactly 40 inches, the Hisense QD4 is the sole QLED that fits.

Below is the full QLED value landscape. The table shows all five cheapest QLED TVs by $/inch in our database. Notice the 40-inch model sits near the top of the list, not because it’s a bargain per inch, but because every other QLED is either much larger or much smaller.

If additional 40-inch QLEDs appear in our data later in 2026, we’ll update this comparison. For now, the Hisense QD4 remains the only—and therefore cheapest—option per inch at this exact size.

Hisense 40-inch QD4: Specs and Price Per Inch

The Hisense QD4 is an FHD (1080p) panel labeled “Hi-QLED.” No HDR10, Dolby Vision, or HDMI 2.1 are mentioned in the title. It runs Amazon’s Fire TV smart platform.

At $170, the math is simple: $170 ÷ 40 = $4.25/inch. That figure looks less flattering when measured against the cheapest QLED overall. The VIZIO VQD50M 50-inch Class Quantum 4K QLED UHD HDR Smart TV is priced at $194, yielding $3.88/inch ($194 ÷ 50). That makes the 40-inch QD4 9.5% more expensive per inch than the cheapest QLED in our inventory: (($4.25 ÷ $3.88) − 1) × 100 = 9.5%.

If you were hoping for a 40-inch QLED that undercuts the per-inch cost of larger models, the data says no. The QD4’s small size and FHD resolution don’t deliver a price advantage; they just fill a specific gap.

QLED vs. LED at 40-ish Inches: Value Showdown

At $4.25/inch, how does a 43-inch LED compare? Buyers who can accommodate a slightly larger screen will find significantly cheaper per-inch prices and often superior specs.

The cheapest tracked 43-inch LED is the VIZIO 43-inch 4K UHD LED Smart TV w/Dolby Vision HDR, WiFi 6 at $150 ($3.49/inch). That’s 17.9% cheaper per inch than the Hisense QD4: ($4.25 − $3.49) ÷ $4.25 = 17.9%. You aren’t sacrificing picture features to get that lower cost—the Vizio listing confirms Dolby Vision HDR and WiFi 6, both absent from the QD4’s title. The TCL 43S551G 43 inch S5 S-Class LED 4K UHD HDR Smart Google TV comes in at $189 ($4.40/inch). That’s higher per inch than the QD4, but still delivers 4K resolution and HDR support at a similar price point.

The broader LED floor—driven by the Westinghouse 58" Class Smart 4K UHD Xumo TV, HDR10 at $190 ($3.28/inch)—reinforces the trend: LED stretches your dollar further per inch, even in smaller screen classes. The cheapest LED per inch is 15.6% cheaper than the cheapest QLED per inch: ($3.88 − $3.2757) ÷ $3.88 = 15.6%.

FHD vs. 4K: What You Sacrifice

The Hisense 40-inch QD4 is a 1080p Full HD set. A 1080p screen has roughly 2 million pixels; a 4K screen has 8.3 million—four times the detail. Whether that matters at 40 inches depends on your viewing distance and content. But if you regularly stream 4K from Netflix, Prime Video, or a 4K Blu-ray player, a 43-inch 4K TV will show that content at native resolution without downscaling. The QD4 will display it at 1080p.

There’s no inherent flaw in a 1080p TV for smaller spaces, but the value equation shifts when a larger 4K LED with Dolby Vision costs less per inch and offers higher resolution. The 40-inch QLED’s main advantage is its quantum-dot color, which can deliver a wider color gamut than a basic LED. However, with no HDR format listed on the QD4 and no 4K, that color benefit sits inside an SDR 1080p container. The Vizio 43-inch LED, for instance, pairs 4K with Dolby Vision—a high dynamic range format that can capitalize on the TV’s color and brightness.

Should You Buy the Hisense 40" QD4?

The Hisense QD4 makes the most sense if these three conditions all apply:

1. Your space physically cannot accommodate a screen larger than 40 inches.
2. You specifically want QLED color technology (quantum dots).
3. You aren’t concerned about 4K resolution or HDR—1080p is sufficient.

If any of those doesn’t hold, a 43-inch 4K LED is likely a cheaper per inch and higher-spec alternative. The Vizio 43-inch 4K LED at $3.49 per inch undercuts the QD4 by nearly 18% and adds Dolby Vision and WiFi 6. Even the TCL 43S551G, though more expensive per inch, gives you 4K and HDR for only $19 more.

The 50-inch VIZIO VQD50M QLED at $3.88 per inch offers both quantum dots and 4K with HDR—at a lower per-inch price than the 40-inch FHD QLED. If size is flexible, going larger actually saves you money per inch and upgrades you to 4K.

For buyers who absolutely need 40 inches and want QLED, there is no choice: the QD4 is it, at $4.25 per inch. But “only” doesn’t always mean “best.” Our data shows 40 inches is a lonely island in the QLED market, and the value isn’t there compared to the many 43- and 50-inch options on either side.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cheapest 40-inch QLED TV per inch in 2026?

Based on BuyPerUnit’s live tracking on May 5, 2026, the only in-stock 40-inch QLED TV is the Hisense 40-Inch Class QD4 Series Hi-QLED FHD Smart Fire TV at $170. That works out to $4.25 per inch. No cheaper 40-inch QLED was available in our data on that date.

Is the Hisense 40-inch QD4 a 4K TV?

No. The Hisense 40-inch QD4 is an FHD (1080p) TV. The model listing does not mention 4K or UHD. For 4K resolution in a similar screen size, consider a 43-inch LED TV.

How does $4.25 per inch compare to other QLED sizes?

The 50-inch VIZIO VQD50M 4K QLED is $3.88 per inch, making the 40-inch QD4 about 9.5% more expensive per inch than the cheapest QLED overall. The 32-inch TCL Q3K QLED models range from $4.37 to $4.44 per inch, so the 40-inch falls between the small and large ends of the QLED spectrum in per-inch cost.

Should I consider a 43-inch LED instead of the 40-inch QLED?

If you can fit a 43-inch screen, yes. The cheapest 43-inch LED in our tracking—the VIZIO 43-inch 4K UHD LED with Dolby Vision and WiFi 6—is $150, or $3.49 per inch. That’s 17.9% cheaper per inch than the Hisense QD4 and includes 4K and HDR. Even the TCL 43S551G 4K HDR LED at $189 ($4.40/inch) gives you 4K resolution for a similar overall price.

Are there any other 40-inch QLED models available in 2026?

In our cheapest-in-stock listings for May 5, 2026, the Hisense 40-inch QD4 was the sole 40-inch QLED. No Samsung, TCL, Vizio, or other brand had a competing 40-inch QLED at that time. If additional models appear later in the year, we will update our coverage.