The Galaxy S25 Ultra is still at least two weeks away from its debut and hitting store shelves. But that hasn’t stopped the rumor mill from churning out details about next year’s Galaxy S26 Ultra. According to a report from South Korea, the Galaxy S26 Ultra might feature an even brighter, more power-efficient screen, courtesy of CoE technology.
Samsung will use the CoE display technology on 2026’s Galaxy S26 Ultra
Samsung isn’t exactly a newcomer to using Color Filter on Encapsulation (CoE) technology. In fact, the company has been incorporating it since the launch of the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s OLED screen. However, it has kept this technology exclusive to its foldable lineup. Now, according to a report by the Korean outlet The Elec, the Galaxy S26 Ultra could be the first candybar phone to feature CoE. This, if comes true, could mark a significant milestone for Samsung.
When Samsung applies CoE to the Galaxy S26 Ultra, it’s expected to result in a brighter, slimmer display with improved power efficiency. In simpler terms, this means the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s screen will boast higher brightness levels (nits). At the same time, it will offer better battery life. A win-win for users (?)
For what it’s worth, CoE replaces traditional polarizing plates with color filters and substitutes the standard orange Pixel Define Layer (PDL) with a black one, significantly reducing internal light reflection. On top of that, the color filter is applied to a thin film encapsulation (TFE) layer at low temperatures, which enhances light transmittance. This clever tweak allows the display to achieve the same brightness while consuming less power.
Additionally, Samsung Display might supply CoE-equipped OLED panels to Samsung MX (its mobile division) for the Galaxy S26 Ultra. However, it’s still up in the air whether the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26+ will also receive the upgrade. The report doesn’t explicitly mention any such possibility for these two models, leaving their fate uncertain for now.
