Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is the first phone to get new, low-power OLED display

Typically, we learn most of the details on Samsung’s phones prior to launch (thanks to rumors and leaks), and then Samsung tells us the rest on launch day. But the company didn’t widely share one interesting tidbit about its new Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra phone — until now.

Samsung’s latest flagship was the first phone (via Engadget) to feature Samsung Display’s new, low-power OLED display for smartphones, which reduces power consumption up to 16 percent. 

It might not seem like much, but displays are one of the biggest battery drains in smartphones, so every little bit helps. Samsung says the new OLED smartphone display uses a new organic material with “dramatically improved” luminous efficiency compared to the company’s previous smartphone panels.

“Samsung Display’s novel organic material achieved its sharp increase in luminous efficiency by having electrons flow faster and more easily across the display’s organic layers,” the company said. 

For the consumer, it boils down to having a brighter display which consumes less power. Together with the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s adaptive refresh rate, this resulted in excellent battery life. But Samsung is producing OLED smartphone displays for other manufacturers, meaning we’ll soon see other smartphones featuring this new display. 

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra can be pre-ordered now, with units shipping on January 29.