20th Anniversary iPhone Tipped to Use Brighter, Thinner OLED Panel
Apple for its 20th anniversary iPhone will adopt a Samsung-made OLED technology called COE (Color Filter on Encapsulation) to make the display brighter and thinner than previous panels, reports ETNews.
In a traditional OLED panel, a polarizing film sits above the display to cut reflections and improve contrast. The drawback is that this film also absorbs some of the OLED's own light, reducing brightness and efficiency. With COE, Apple would remove the polarizer entirely and instead apply the color filter directly onto the OLED's protective encapsulation layer.
The result would be a thinner display stack that lets more light through, delivering higher brightness without requiring more power. Removing layers would also mean less thickness overall, potentially contributing to a slimmer iPhone design.
However, Apple's challenge is that without a polarizer, reflections and glare control become trickier, so Apple will likely have to rely on advanced coatings and pixel-level materials to maintain outdoor readability.
If Apple brings COE to its 2027 iPhone – the 10th anniversary of the iPhone X – it would be the first use of the technology in a non-foldable device from the company. Meanwhile, Samsung is expected to expand COE to its Galaxy S26 Ultra in 2026. Samsung first rolled out COE in the Galaxy Z Fold 3 back in 2021 to contribute to the device's thinness.
Apple is reportedly considering a radical redesign for the 20th anniversary iPhone that could feature a completely bezel-less display that curves around all four edges of the device. The model is expected to be preceded in 2026 by Apple's first foldable iPhone.
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