Apple appears to be lining up a major leap in display technology for 2027. A new supply chain report suggests the company will use advanced “color filter on encapsulation” (CoE) displays in both the upcoming Vision Air headset and at least one iPhone model tied to the device’s 20th anniversary.
Thinner and brighter displays
For years, smartphone and headset makers have looked for ways to cut display thickness without sacrificing brightness. Traditional panels rely on stacked layers. One for display output, one for touch sensing, one for reflection filtering, and another for scratch protection. Each layer adds bulk and reduces the amount of light that reaches your eyes.
Samsung’s CoE method addresses this by combining the light-emitting and color filter functions into a single glass layer. The result is a display that is slimmer and brighter compared to conventional OLED panels. Industry watchers believe Apple will adopt this approach for the Vision Air and a 2027 iPhone.
Marking 20 years of iPhone
According to ETNews, Apple plans to showcase CoE technology in a “bar-type” iPhone in 2027. The timing is not coincidental. That year marks the 20th anniversary of the original iPhone, and Apple is expected to highlight the milestone with a redesigned Pro model.
Former design chief Jony Ive often spoke about an iPhone that looked like a single sheet of glass. The iPhone X pushed Apple closer to that vision, and reports suggest the anniversary edition could finally deliver a near bezel-free design. Some expect the device to carry a new name, though Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports it will likely launch as the iPhone 19 Pro.
Industry positioning
An industry official told ETNews that “Apple plans to apply CoE to bar-type smartphones in 2027 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the iPhone launch.” The source added that Samsung is eager to highlight its own adoption of CoE before Apple introduces the technology.
Samsung, for its part, is preparing the Galaxy S26 Ultra with both CoE and a new OLED material set, M14, expected to bring improved brightness and longer lifespan. The S26 Ultra will become Samsung’s first non-folding phone to ship with CoE, a move seen as a direct play to outpace Apple in display innovation.
The future
If Apple delivers as planned, the Vision Air and the anniversary iPhone will mark a new phase in display technology. For users, that translates into slimmer devices with brighter screens. For the industry, it sets the stage for a competitive race where Samsung and Apple both aim to define what the next generation of mobile displays should look like.
