Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra's display may not be as good as the iPhone 16 Pro

Samsung has always used the best and brightest OLED screens on its flagship Galaxy phones. The Galaxy S24 series, released in early 2024, uses an M13 OLED panel, delivering a major leap in efficiency and brightness. Google’s Pixel 9 Pro and the Apple iPhone 16 Pro use Samsung’s newer M14 OLED panel, which delivers even better power efficiency and higher peak brightness. Given that Samsung makes these displays, you’d expect the Galaxy S25 Ultra also to use the new M14 panel. But this seemingly won’t be the case.

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A report from Korea’s ET News claims Samsung will continue using OLED displays based on the M13 organic material on the Galaxy S25 series, including the Ultra model. The report states Apple and Samsung are now upgrading OLED panels on their flagship devices every two years instead of switching to a newer generation annually. This is apparently due to the excellent performance of current-gen OLED panels and the saturation of the smartphone market.

Ross Young, the CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants, also confirmed that the Galaxy S25 Ultra will use the M13 OLED panel for cost reasons. As for the differences between the M13 and M14 panels, Ross says the newer panel offers 20-30% higher efficiency, has a longer lifespan, and uses a Red deuterium host.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra’s display will have one big advantage

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra‘s display is still among the best and can hit a peak brightness of 2,600 nits. Google’s Pixel 9 Pro, with its newer generation OLED panel, can reach a higher peak brightness of 3,000 nits. But in daily use, this is not something that you will immediately notice. Plus, the Galaxy’s display stands out for using Corning’s new Gorilla Armor cover glass, which can cut down on reflections by a claimed 75%. This is a lot more useful in regular use.

It is also more scratch-resistant and durable, with tests showing a massive improvement from previous Gorilla Glass variants.

Samsung seems to have exclusive access to this cover glass for now, as other manufacturers have yet to use it. So, even though the Galaxy S25 Ultra might not ship with Samsung’s newest OLED panel, it should offer a display experience unlike others.