Samsung Galaxy S11 will have new screen tech, but will it make a viewable difference?
What is SAMOLED?
The Samsung Galaxy S smartphones typically have best-in-class screens, great for everything from watching movies to editing your Instagram posts, and it looks like the upcoming Galaxy S11 could have an even better screen – or, at least, a new name for its display tech.
This news comes from LetsGoDigital, a Dutch tech site, which uncovered a document filed by Samsung in early November 2019, one that trademarks the name 'SAMOLED'.
The trademark is for the name, not the tech, so we don't know for certain what features and perks SAMOLED brings, but we can guess a lot judging by the name and previous Samsung phones.
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Phones from Samsung use AMOLED displays, with the Galaxy S10 boasting Dynamic AMOLED tech, and the Galaxy Note 9 before that packed with a WQHD Super AMOLED screen. For the most part these names are as much marketing techniques as they are actual tech improvements, but these new names often correspond with better screens too.
It's likely, then, that SAMOLED is just a marketing term used to refer to the tech in the Galaxy S11 – it's curious that Samsung is shortening the AMOLED prefix to a single letter, instead of a whole word, but this letter likely stands for something.
So for now, we don't know what resolution or quality the Samsung Galaxy S11 display will be, but since Samsung isn't calling it Dymanic AMOLED again, we can expect some changes and improvements will be made for the new phone.
Beyond the Samsung Galaxy S11
It's also worth noting that the company filing the trademark is Samsung Display Co, the arm of Samsung that makes screens for phones, TVs, tablets and more, and the Display Co also sells its screens to other companies, including Huawei, Motorola, Google and OnePlus.
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We could, therefore, see SAMOLED screens in more phones from other companies, besides the Galaxy S11, but it's likely it will debut in Samsung's anticipated new phone.
We're expecting the Samsung Galaxy S11 to launch in February 2020, but news is already coming thick and fast, so stay tuned to TechRadar to stay on top of all the leaks and rumors.
Tom Bedford was deputy phones editor on TechRadar until late 2022, having worked his way up from staff writer. Though he specialized in phones and tablets, he also took on other tech like electric scooters, smartwatches, fitness, mobile gaming and more. He is based in London, UK and now works for the entertainment site What To Watch.
He graduated in American Literature and Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. Prior to working on TechRadar, he freelanced in tech, gaming and entertainment, and also spent many years working as a mixologist.