While Samsung battles the likes of Google and Apple when it comes to consumer electronics, mainly phones, the South Korean tech giant’s display subsidiary is what makes it all tick.
When it comes to displays, both Apple and Google rely on Samsung for manufacturing their display tech, and if early leaks are correct, this will continue to be the case this year.
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Samsung is working on its top-of-the-line M16 OLED panels, which both the Pixel 11 series and the iPhone 18 Pro models will use, as reported by South Korean publication ETNews (via Android Authority).
The new tech will make its way to competitors’ flagships before it even debuts on Samsung’s own devices. If we go by the release order, M16 OLED panels will first come to the Pixel 11 series in August, then on the iPhone 18 Pro models in September, and potentially on the Galaxy S27 series next January or February.
According to the report, M16 OLED panels are believed to deliver the best performance when it comes to brightness, color, lifespan, and power efficiency.
For reference, the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max, and all models of the iPhone 17 series last year used Samsung’s M14 panels. The same goes for the Pixel 10 series.
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It’s worth noting that for the normal user, the jump to M16 will only feel like an incremental upgrade rather than a full-blown screen quality change. That’s because older tech, like the M14 panel, already features top-of-the-line specs when it comes to color accuracy and brightness.
Where it might actually shine, no pun intended, is in the power efficiency department. Drawing less power could allow the upcoming Pixel 11 series to divert more energy towards other features, including demanding Tensor-powered AI tech.
The Google Pixel 11 series is expected to be unveiled in August. We’ll have more to share as we get closer to the release date.
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