A smartphone’s display is one of its power-hungry components, so heads were turning when the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra was launched and is the first in the line to feature the new power-efficient OLED panels. Samsung, in a press conference, states that the new display consumes 16 percent less power due to a “just-developed organic material” that means “electrons flow faster and more easily across the display’s organic layer.”
“In other words,” Samsung explains, the technology means its “OLED panels can create brighter light while consuming less power, which improves the battery lifetime.”
Samsung confirmed that that S21 Ultra utilizes an LTPO (Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Oxide) display, however, the latest flagship was not the first to do so. Last year, it was reported that Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra also used LTPO display panels, which Samsung advertised as HOP (Hybrid Oxide and Polycrystalline silicon). Samsung said in this week’s announcement that the S21 Ultra is the first to use the “more” efficient panels. This statement suggests that Samsung Display has fine-tuned the technology compared to the Note 20 Ultra.
Before making its mark in smartphones, LTPO displays were seen being utilized in smartwatches. The Elec observes that the Apple Watch Series 4 has an LTPO display produced by LG, while Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Active 2 also uses an LTPO display by Samsung Display.
If reports appear to be true, even Apple’s next flagship iPhone could benefit from Samsung’s Display’s power-efficient panel technology.