Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra to Feature a Brighter, More Efficient OLED Screen

A recent report has shed light on major upgrades coming to next year’s Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. According to sources, Samsung is developing a new display technology called Color Filter on Encapsulation (CoE), which could significantly enhance screen quality.

A Korean report from TheElec claims that this new technology will debut in about a year. While CoE isn’t entirely new, it has previously been used in Samsung’s foldable devices since the Galaxy Z Fold 3. However, Samsung now plans to introduce it to traditional bar-style smartphones for the first time, starting with the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Interestingly, the report only mentions CoE for the S26 Ultra, with no confirmation about its presence in the Galaxy S26 or S26+. However, since these models weren’t ruled out, there’s still a chance they could adopt this technology as well.

How does CoE work? Unlike traditional displays that use polarizers on the upper layer, CoE replaces them with color filters for light transmission. This results in a thinner OLED panel. Additionally, Samsung is swapping the Pixel Define Layer (PDL) with a black PDL, which helps prevent light reflection inside the OLED.

The black PDL is crucial for reducing reflections, a job previously handled by polarizers. While polarizers cut screen brightness by 50%, CoE uses a black PDL and color filter layer to enhance brightness and efficiency. As a result, the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s OLED display is expected to be more advanced and energy-efficient.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra already reaches 2600 nits of brightness, so it will be exciting to see how much further Samsung pushes display technology with the CoE upgrade in the S26 Ultra.