Samsung may give the Galaxy S27 Ultra a major eye comfort upgrade

Samsung’s Galaxy S27 Pro and Galaxy S27 Ultra are shaping up to look quite different from the current generation, but the changes underneath may not be nearly as dramatic. Camera processing is reportedly being tweaked for warmer, more natural-looking photos, while certification filings point to a much-needed battery bump.

A fresh leak, however, points to an upgrade that could matter a lot more to people with sensitive eyes. Tipster WalleGalaxy claims Samsung will introduce DC dimming support on the Galaxy S27 Pro and Ultra, potentially moving away from the PWM-only approach it has relied on for years. The current Galaxy S26 series still uses PWM at around 480Hz and offers no DC-like flicker reduction option.

Why has Samsung stuck with PWM for so long?

PWM, or Pulse Width Modulation, controls brightness by rapidly switching OLED pixels on and off. Lower brightness simply means the pixels spend more time switched off during each cycle. Most people never consciously see the flicker, but some users can experience headaches, eye strain, or nausea, particularly at lower brightness levels.

There is a reason Samsung and plenty of other manufacturers have stuck with it, though. PWM allows OLED pixels to operate at a more stable current, which helps maintain accurate colors, consistent grayscale, and panel uniformity as brightness drops.

DC dimming solves one problem but brings another

DC dimming, on the other hand, controls brightness by lowering the current flowing through the pixels instead of rapidly cycling them on and off. Flicker is dramatically reduced, which can make the display easier on the eyes for people sensitive to PWM.

The downside is that DC dimming can affect image quality at very low brightness. Previous implementations have shown changes in grayscale and darker colors, while full DC dimming can also make panel uniformity harder to control. Samsung, however, does not necessarily have to choose one approach over the other. It could fall back on PWM at extremely low brightness and use a hybrid system instead. The company has already taken a similar approach with the Galaxy S24 FE, so it would not be surprising if the Galaxy S27 Pro and Ultra follow the same route rather than relying on DC dimming alone.