Screen brightness seems to be one of the big new battlegrounds in the smartphone world, with the likes of Samsung, Google and Apple all pushing up the maximum number of nits their flagship phones will emit. Google Pixel 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL have the brightest displays, thanks to a 3,300 nit Super Actua display. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra may try to give them a run for their money.
ETNews reports that the 26 Ultra could come with a brand new display that’s thinner and lighter than the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Industry sources told the site that this could be due to the Ultra model incorporating Samsung Display’s new M14 material and “CoE” technology — the latter of which “internalizes” reflection reduction and eliminates the need for a polarizer layer.
The result is improved “luminous efficiency,” which leads to a brighter display that has a longer lifespan. Not to mention a slightly thinner design than was available previously.
Ultra only
Sadly, this upgrade may only be coming to the Ultra model, with the report claiming the Galaxy S26 and S26 Edge will stick with the same M13 materials as its predecessors. If that’s true, it would put the non-Ultra phones at a disadvantage compared to the likes of iPhone 17 and Pixel 10.
For reference, the iPhone 17 series and Google Pixel 10 are all rated for 3,000 nits, while the Pixel 10 Pro XL and Pixel 10 Pro increase that number to 3,300. The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra only hits 2,600 nits.
Rumor has it that both Apple and Google’s lineups have been using the M14 material, which is why their displays are so much brighter. That gives them an advantage by making the screen more visible in bright conditions — even if you’re forced to wear sunglasses.
That said, the Ultra model’s adoption of CoE technology could be a game-changer. Without the internal polarizer, we should see better light transmittance, which should, in turn, help reduce the screen’s power consumption. CoE also uses a color filter, which improves color reproduction and should make your phone screen seem more vibrant in the process.
If all this plays out, the Galaxy S26 Ultra could be the Samsung phone to buy next year. Let’s just hope that it doesn’t follow the Galaxy Z Fold 7’s example by removing the digitizer layer and killing S Pen support in the process. Not without some kind of alternative stylus to go with it. Be sure to check out our Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra hub for all the latest news and rumors for the upcoming phone.
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