Apple is reportedly preparing to adopt an advanced Samsung Display technology that could significantly shape the design and performance of its first foldable iPhone. According to Korean publication The Elec, the upcoming iPhone Fold will use Colour Filter on Encapsulation (CoE) display technology, a move that could deliver a slimmer chassis, a brighter screen and improved power efficiency. The same display innovation is also expected to feature in the iPhone 18 range and Samsung’s own Galaxy S26 series, underlining how influential this shift could be across the wider smartphone market.
Foldable phones have always faced a delicate balancing act between screen quality, battery life and physical thickness. If Apple follows through with CoE, it may finally resolve some of the compromises that have defined the category so far, while allowing Apple to enter the foldable market with a device that meets its typically exacting design standards.
Why Apple Is Turning to CoE Display Technology
CoE technology, which Samsung Display markets as On-Cell Film, rethinks how OLED displays are constructed. In conventional OLED panels, a plastic polariser sits between the cover glass and the display layer. This component plays an important role in reducing reflections and maintaining contrast, but it comes at a cost: it blocks roughly half of the light emitted by the OLED pixels.
To compensate for that lost brightness, manufacturers must drive the display harder, which increases power consumption and places additional strain on the battery. CoE removes this polariser entirely and instead integrates the colour filter directly onto the encapsulation layer that protects the OLED. The result is a panel that can achieve the same or greater brightness levels while using significantly less power.
Samsung first introduced this approach in 2021 with the Galaxy Z Fold 3, then branded as Eco² OLED. Since then, it has been a core feature of every Galaxy Z foldable. The fact that Samsung’s foldables have historically managed acceptable battery life despite smaller battery capacities than flagship slab phones is largely down to this efficiency gain.
For Apple, which is expected to source foldable displays from Samsung Display, adopting CoE is both a logical and strategic move. It allows Apple to deliver a premium visual experience while keeping thickness and power draw under tight control, two factors that are especially critical in a foldable form factor.
A Slimmer iPhone Fold Without Battery Sacrifices
One of the most interesting implications of CoE adoption is what it means for battery design. Samsung Display claims that CoE can reduce display power consumption by up to 37 per cent. While real-world gains will vary depending on usage, even a modest improvement could give Apple greater freedom in how it designs the iPhone Fold.
Rather than using efficiency gains to dramatically extend battery life, Apple may choose to reinvest them elsewhere. A thinner profile is the most obvious candidate. Foldable phones are often criticised for feeling bulky when folded, and Apple is unlikely to launch a device that feels noticeably thicker than its existing iPhones.
This approach would align with Apple’s recent battery engineering choices. Last year’s iPhone Air introduced a so-called metal can battery design, using a rigid metal casing that allows the battery to take unconventional shapes and sit closer to the phone’s edges. By shifting the logic board and centralising battery volume, Apple effectively turned much of the handset’s interior into usable battery space.
Samsung has followed a similar philosophy with its latest foldables, redesigning camera sensors and mounting systems to free up internal space and push components closer to the frame. If Apple combines CoE displays with these internal layout efficiencies, the iPhone Fold could end up being far slimmer than many expect, without obvious compromises to endurance.
Impact Beyond the iPhone Fold
The Elec also reports that CoE technology is set to appear in the wider iPhone 18 lineup, specifically in the iPhone Air 2, as well as in Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra. Notably, this would mark the first time Samsung uses CoE in a non-foldable Galaxy S phone.
That move suggests the benefits of CoE are no longer confined to solving foldable-specific problems. As smartphone makers continue to chase thinner designs and brighter displays without resorting to ever-larger batteries, efficiency gains at the display level become increasingly valuable.
There is also a potential knock-on effect for battery technology. In recent years, much attention has been paid to high-density silicon-carbon batteries as a way to boost capacity within limited space. If CoE and similar display innovations significantly reduce power draw, manufacturers may be able to delay or even avoid adopting more complex battery chemistries, at least in the short term.
For Apple, this could simplify supply chains and reduce risk, while still delivering tangible improvements in day-to-day use. A brighter display that consumes less power is a benefit users will notice immediately, even if battery life figures on paper remain largely unchanged.
What This Says About Apple’s Foldable Strategy
Apple’s decision to lean on Samsung Display’s most advanced OLED technology also offers insight into how seriously it is taking the foldable market. Rather than rushing a device to compete on novelty alone, Apple appears intent on entering the space only once it can deliver a product that feels refined and distinctly Apple-like.
The comparison with rival foldables is instructive. Devices such as Google’s Pixel Fold line have been praised for their software but criticised for their thickness and weight. Samsung, by contrast, has steadily refined its hardware over multiple generations, culminating in noticeably slimmer designs. Apple seems poised to follow the latter path, even if it means launching later.
If the iPhone Fold does arrive with a CoE display, a carefully engineered internal layout and Apple’s usual emphasis on visual quality, it could set a new benchmark for foldable phones. Rather than chasing maximum battery capacity or headline-grabbing specifications, Apple may once again prioritise balance, efficiency and industrial design.
In that context, CoE technology is not just a component choice, but a foundational element of Apple’s broader strategy. It enables the company to push the boundaries of form factor design while maintaining the brightness, battery life and polish that iPhone users expect. Whether consumers are ready to embrace a foldable iPhone remains to be seen, but if Apple gets the execution right, the hardware itself may be difficult to fault.
One of the Editors for Tech on the Go, I love covering mobile tech and social media. I also manage the reviews we cover so all the writers stay on my good side!
