The Galaxy S26’s peak brightness numbers might leave you disappointed

It might be the same two-year-old peak brightness

The Samsung Galaxy S26 series is rumored to feature the M14 OLED panel, which is expected to improve the smartphone’s efficiency, longevity, and peak brightness. However, PhoneArt claims that Samsung will cap the peak brightness of its upcoming flagship at 2,600 nits, even with the new M14 material.

While PhoneArt seems quite certain about Samsung adopting the M14 material in its upcoming series, they still can’t confirm the inclusion of 10-bit color depth technology, which ensures more vibrant and true-to-life colors, or high-frequency PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) dimming, which manages how quickly pixels turn on and off. The M14 panel typically ships with 2160Hz PWM, so if Samsung doesn’t decide to nerf it, the M14-equipped S26 series should offer the same 2160Hz rate. Still, that’s just my assumption, so take it with a pinch of salt.

2600 nits isn’t actually that bad

“A man holding an S25 in his hand. | Image by PhoneArena

The 2600-nit peak brightness isn’t bad at all. In fact, we haven’t heard many complaints from users struggling to use their Samsung S25 outdoors due to low brightness. We also didn’t experience any such issues during our testing of the current Samsung flagship series, which features a 2600-nit display.

One of the main reasons for this is the use of Corning Gorilla Glass Armor in the S25 series, which has anti-reflective properties. The S26 series will most likely feature the same glass or an updated version, which will significantly reduce reflections and make it easier to use your device outdoors without experiencing any viewing issues.

The base S26 and S26+ models are also expected to get faster wireless charging. All these features definitely make the Samsung S26 series worth waiting for.