Apple iPhone 18, iPhone Fold Tipped To Get Slimmer, Brighter Displays: Report

Apple is reportedly preparing to integrate a new display technology developed by Samsung that could result in a thinner and brighter screen for its upcoming foldable iPhone. The same innovation is expected to feature in Apple’s iPhone 18 lineup as well as Samsung’s Galaxy S26 series, with gains in energy efficiency potentially reducing the reliance on high-density silicon–carbon batteries.

According to South Korean outlet The Elec, Apple is expected to adopt Samsung Display’s Colour Filter on Encapsulation (CoE) technology for its upcoming foldable iPhone.The move is likely to deliver a brighter screen, improved power efficiency and a thinner design.

Known commercially as On-Cell Film, Samsung Display’s CoE approach eliminates the plastic polariser sheet found in conventional OLED stacks. The polariser plays a crucial role in suppressing reflections and enhancing contrast, meaning its absence would leave the screen highly reflective.

Conventional polarisers significantly limit display efficiency, blocking nearly 50% of the light generated by OLED screens. As a result, additional power is required to maintain brightness, accelerating battery drain. CoE offers an alternative by placing the colour filter within the OLED’s thin encapsulation layer instead, as per Forbes.

According to The Elec, Apple’s adoption of CoE will start with its long-rumoured foldable iPhone, which could debut towards the end of 2026. The technology is then set to reach the iPhone Air 2 in 2027, following a delay linked to disappointing sales of the first-generation iPhone Air.

The report quoted a source saying, “The decision on whether to apply CoE technology and release the model will be made within the third quarter of this year.”

Samsung is also preparing to extend its CoE display technology beyond foldables, with plans to use it on the Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip ranges as well as the Galaxy S26 Ultra, which is expected to launch in the first quarter of the year. The S26 Ultra would become the company’s first conventional smartphone to feature the technology, known internally as OCF (On-Cell Film), as per The Elec.

For now, the picture remains uncertain. The claims are based on information from within the supply chain, where plans are often fluid until manufacturing is locked in.  Changes to designs, timelines and component choices are a routine part of product development, PhoneArena reported.