Samsung is reportedly bringing three excellent display upgrades to the Galaxy S27 Ultra next year. The phone already sounds pretty appealing on paper, not to mention the redesign that will probably drive more sales, but these upgrades for its screen are tangible changes that users will appreciate a lot.
Galaxy S27 Ultra is getting DC dimming
No Samsung flagship prior has used DC dimming. | Image by PhoneArena
According to a new report (translated source) from one of the industry’s most reliable Samsung insiders, the Galaxy S27 Ultra’s display will be picking up DC dimming technology. In case you were unaware, Samsung has previously only been using PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation) dimming for its flagship phones.
The one time DC dimming did appear on a Galaxy phone was with the Galaxy S24 FE, but that only happened because of the panels that Samsung was using. That phone alternated between PWM dimming and DC dimming depending on the brightness level, but such a setup has not made its way to either the Galaxy S25 FE or the Galaxy S26 FE.
PWM dimming is when the display very rapidly switches on and off to appear to have a certain level of brightness, usually dictated by the brightness slider that you’ve set. DC dimming, on the other hand, controls the voltage to the display, actually producing a constant low or high brightness level.
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One problem with Samsung’s flagship phones (and Apple’s as well) is that they use a very low frequency for their PWM dimming, usually going up to a maximum of only 480 Hz. In comparison, many Chinese flagships use frequencies of 1,920 Hz or higher, sometimes as high as 3,840 Hz.
A display with a higher frequency for its PWM dimming leads to fewer instances of eye strain. Some people are actually sensitive to low-frequency PWM dimming as well, which means headaches, nausea, and a lot more than “just” strained eyes.
Are you sensitive to low-frequency PWM dimming?
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A few flagship phones now use a combination of PWM and DC dimming, PWM dimming for low brightness and DC dimming for higher brightness levels, just like the aforementioned Galaxy S24 FE did. This is because low voltage on OLED and AMOLED displays distorts the color frequencies being output, leading to muddy results or weird tints.
This is all to say that Samsung introducing DC dimming to the Galaxy S27 Ultra is a big deal. The company will likely use the hybrid dimming model mentioned above and will most definitely use “DC-like” dimming, where the pixels are never fully turned off but oscillate between high and low brightness levels to reduce strain on users’ eyes.
We know this because of the panel that Samsung is going to use for the Galaxy S27 Ultra.
Samsung will use the M16 panel
According to another report, where prices for the Galaxy S27 series were also leaked, the Galaxy S27 Ultra and the new Galaxy S27 Pro will be using Samsung’s M16 panel. This panel is also used in the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the iPhone Duo. The base Galaxy S27 and the Galaxy S27+ will stick to the M14+ panel.
Aside from being a lot more power-efficient and a lot brighter, the M16 panel uses the aforementioned DC-like dimming technology. Lastly, the M16 panels will output richer, better-looking colors.
Fixes for the Privacy Display
The Privacy Display did not sit well with many users' eyes. | Image by PhoneArena
Finally, Samsung is also working on fixes for the novel Privacy Display that it introduced with the Galaxy S26 Ultra this year. Currently, compromises to accommodate the Privacy Display have led to many users complaining about eye strain, headaches, and nausea even with the feature turned off.
People reported headaches, nausea, and eye strain stemming from Samsung's Privacy Display. | Image by Reddit
Samsung is not only addressing that but is also reportedly working on improving the hit that resolution takes on the S26 Ultra’s screen when the Privacy Display is turned on. Alongside that, improvements to the washed-out colors resulting from Privacy Display being in use are also being worked on.
Upstaging the iPhone on its 20th anniversary
The iPhone 18 Pro models picked up the M16 panel before Samsung's own phones. | Image by PhoneArena
Better displays, a fresh new redesign, and a bigger battery at last. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the Galaxy S27 Ultra is all set to upstage the iPhone 20 Pro next year, which is going to be the 20th anniversary of the iPhone.
The Galaxy S27 Ultra isn’t going to be a perfect phone by any stretch of the imagination but with how much Apple has to scale back on its ambitions for 2027, I won’t be surprised if Samsung steals the spotlight next year.
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Abdullah loves smartphones, Virtual Reality, and audio gear. Though he covers a wide range of news his favorite is always when he gets to talk about the newest VR venture or when Apple sets the industry ablaze with another phenomenal release.
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