Recently, Samsung revealed that it will launch the Galaxy S25 series on January 22. Qualcomm also confirmed that Snapdragon chips will power the devices. While some display upgrades are expected in the lineup, leaks point to it not being anything revolutionary. However, a new leak claims that Samsung is saving a major screen upgrade for next year’s Galaxy S26 Ultra.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra tipped to get CoE screen tech
As reported by The Elec, Samsung will implement Color Filter on Encapsulation (CoE) technology on the S26 Ultra. CoE essentially enables thinner, brighter, and more energy-efficient displays. The company has been implementing CoE on the screens of its foldables since the Galaxy Z Fold 3. However, the company has yet to use it on a traditional smartphone.
The leak specifically mentions the Galaxy S26 Ultra, so the potential vanilla, Plus, and Slim models will likely not have such display technology. This is normal for the Galaxy S series, as the company reserves some exclusive technologies for its Ultra models. For example, while it is not a Samsung proprietary technology, the Galaxy S24 Ultra uses Gorilla Glass Armor with impressive anti-reflective capabilities.
How does CoE tech work?
The benefits of CoE technology come from replacing traditional polarizers with color filters. In regular OLEDs, polarizers prevent outside light from leaking into the electrodes between the pixels. This helps improve visibility, but it also reduces the brightness of the display by up to 50%. So, the device has to increase the brightness of the panel, consuming more power.
CoE technology eliminates this problem by increasing light transmission while reducing the thickness of the OLED panel. Better image visibility at lower brightness levels means lower power consumption. The current Galaxy S24 Ultra hits 2600 nits of peak brightness. So, you can expect significantly higher numbers on the next-gen model. The tech has also been used by Xiaomi, Vivo, and Google in their foldable phones.
Samsung needs to step up its game to make its flagship mobile devices more competitive. Other brands have been integrating impressive technologies into their phones lately, but the South Korean giant has been resting on its laurels. Reports say that the Galaxy S25 Ultra will not have the newer M14 display technology found on the iPhone 16 and Pixel 9 series, but rather the older M13 technology. Hopefully, the Galaxy S26 Ultra will be the turning point the company needs in the industry.
