Samsung’s next Ultra might take great strides with screen quality but the rest of the line-up could be left watching on from the sidelines. Per industry rumours from South Korea, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is poised to utilize Samsung Display’s M14 OLED material set with a polarizer-free stack – dubbed CoE (Color filter on thin-film encapsulation) in-house. The glossy combo is said to offer brighter and more efficient panels in a thinner form factor – the Galaxy S26 Pro and S26 Edge, meanwhile, are tipped to stay with M13.
What M14 materials and CoE stacks really change in use
M14 is a condensed way to refer to Samsung Display’s new organic materials recipe for OLED emitters. Each generation of “M” usually pursues a longer life and a higher luminous efficiency. Progress from M13 to M14 should bring stepwise but significant improvement — in the range of double-digit efficiency enhancements at equivalent luminance levels, if we compare based on previous generations’ advances as recorded by firms like DSCC and Omdia.
CoE is the larger architectural shift. Conventional OLED panels use a polarizer film to minimize reflection, but that layer absorbs light, makes the panel thicker and forces the display to drive harder in order to reach peak brightness. CoE ditches the polarizer and puts a color filter directly on to the thin-film encapsulation that coats the OLED, along with a black pixel define layer that subdues internal reflections. The upshot: increased light transmission, reduced glare and a panel that’s several tens of microns thinner — advantages that can add up to brighter visuals or lower power draw for the same brightness.
Samsung has already demonstrated the approach with foldables, debuting an identical “Eco” OLED stack with the Galaxy Z Fold 3, and iterating through its recent models. If it comes to a legacy flagship for the first time, the S26 Ultra might feature real-world peak brightness that comfortably exceeds today’s norms while sipping less battery during outdoor use and HDR playback.
Bad news for the non-Ultra models in the lineup
The catch is scope. Several supply chain reports are now claiming that only the Galaxy S26 Ultra is destined for M14+CoE – with the S26 Pro and S26 Edge venturing no further than M13 without the polarizer-less stack. That effectively widens the gap in capability in their family of displays — a striking move at a time when competitors are narrowing feature differentials.
It also leads to some awkward comparisons. Apple’s next iPhone generation has been heavily rumored in Korean trade publications to include M14 ubiquitously across the range. If true, Samsung could see its non-Ultra models fall behind one step on panel efficiency even as the Ultra wins back bragging rights at the top.
How far-reaching could the upgrade feel?
Specific numbers will depend on the calibration decisions, but there are useful guideposts. Taking out a polarizer can be enough to improve light transmission that you get a visible bump in peak luminance, or drop in power at the same APL (average picture level). The reduction in power consumption of polarizer-free OLEDs has been previously estimated at a double-digit level in typical use cases by industry analysts. On a phone, that might translate to brighter use outdoors without spiking thermals, or an extra buffer of battery in mixed content.
It may also improve color stability and contrast.
With reduced internal reflections and use of a black pixel define layer, it is this reduction in compensating for perceived blacks in brighter environments where CoE can make its perceived lead over OLED tend to extend.
For HDR video, however, you can expect to have more headroom to retain specular highlights without crushing the shadows as long as Samsung tunes the tone-mapping properly.
Why Samsung may keep it exclusive to Ultra
It probably has more to do with capacity and cost. New OLED material sets and stack designs are usually expensive and volume constrained at the outset, and it’s the Ultra where Samsung farms its highest margins. And by positioning the display leap solely at the top of the lineup, it also makes for an easier upsell: especially if other rumored Ultra-only features — such as improved “private display” controls that reduce what others can see from an angle — are in tow.
There’s also competitive timing. Korean sources tell us that Samsung is looking to use CoE on a “latest slab” wallet phone before Apple’s managed its aikido, which they say is researching similar polarizer-free designs for at least the next go-round. Being first there on Ultra preserves a tech leadership story, even if the rest of the S26 family shimmies in place for now.
Risks, realities and what to watch in early testing
CoE isn’t magic. Taking out the polarizer changes how the optical stack behaves; handling reflections over such a wide variety of angles and lighting conditions is tricky, color filters can affect subpixel performance. Samsung’s foldables demonstrate that the company can engineer around those trade-offs, but execution on a flat flagship still counts. You will need to hear from display labs on off-axis reflectance and color at high-brightness accuracy and PWM performance before jumping to firm conclusions.
If rumors are to be believed, that sits the Galaxy S26 Ultra as the poster child for Samsung Display’s newest OLED breakthroughs: M14 materials and a polarizer-free CoE stack. For those eyeing up the S26 Pro or S26 Edge, the message is a bit more straightforward — with solid panels promised but not cutting-edge tech. And in a year when rivals may well bring similar material upgrades across their ranges, that division can ultimately prove decisive for screen enthusiasts.
