The Galaxy S26 Ultra is a nightmare if you care about PWM dimming

With the launch of Galaxy S26 seriesSamsung has grabbed the headlines thanks to its new Privacy screen Technology in the S26 Ultra. While this is an interesting innovation, it also highlights areas where the company continues to lag.

Samsung’s integrated hardware in the S26 Ultra’s display adjusts pixel viewing angles for added privacy. However, it has not yet adopted basic display and software changes that could improve the experience for users sensitive to screen flicker. Considering the impact on usability, this is a big disappointment.

PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) dimming is a method of controlling display brightness by quickly turning LEDs on and off. This differs from DC dimming, which controls brightness by controlling the current delivered to each LED.

While the rapid on-off cycling of PWM dimming is not consciously noticeable, lower frequencies have been associated with discomforts such as eye strain, headaches, and nausea. This is due to the flickering it causes, especially at lower brightness levels, which can affect people with PWM Sensitivity. While you may not consciously notice this flickering, your eyes and nerves can still detect it.

This discomfort is more evident at lower PWM frequencies, which is why high-frequency PWM attenuation is important to many people. When high-frequency PWM dimming is not available, users can switch to DC-like dimming or use accessibility features to reduce flicker.

Samsung could have taken some approaches to improve the usability of its devices for those sensitive to flicker. The best way to address this would have been to increase your PWM frequency above 1000 Hz, as this is associated with fewer negative effects. This would not even be costly or unprecedented.

Smartphone manufacturers such as HONOR and OPPO have established high-frequency PWM dimming in many devices. Even the HONOR X9d, a budget Android smartphonefeatures a PWM dimming speed of 3840 Hz. last year OnePlus 13R It has a higher PWM dimming rate (2160 Hz) despite being significantly cheaper than the Galaxy S26.

However, the S26 series remains in a 480Hz low speed PWMas confirmed by company representatives. It could be worse; The standard Pixel 10 runs at 240Hz. Samsung’s dimming frequency is also in line with devices like the iPhone 17 and Pixel 10 Pro. But just because it’s not the worst out there doesn’t mean the company shouldn’t improve it.

Samsung could also have chosen to use DC-like dimming (also known as hybrid DC dimming) or at least introduced a software feature to reduce flickering. For example, the Xiaomi 15 uses DC dimming over low frequency PWM dimming. Meanwhile, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra uses a combination of DC dimming and 1920 Hz PWM dimming. newest Xiaomi 17 Ultra includes DC dimming and is also TÜV Rheinland Flicker Free certified.

But many brands also include software features to reduce flicker. He Realme GT 7 Pro allows you to enable an anti-flicker mode to reduce eye strain. The OnePlus 13 also allows you to activate DC dimming if you are sensitive to flicker. Meanwhile, the Pixel 10 Pro allows you increase phone PWM dimming ratealthough only from 240Hz to 480Hz.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of smartphones that offer high-frequency PWM dimming, DC-like dimming, or software features to combat flicker. However, it shows that Samsung could (and should have) taken any of these approaches and still didn’t.

It could be argued that PWM sensitivity affects only a minority of people and therefore flicker reduction is a specific concern. But offering people options that increase accessibility is a goal worth pursuing.

Something that makes flicker reduction options essential is how it exacerbates problems faced by people who are also sensitive to bright screens. Flickering becomes more apparent at lower brightness levels with PWM dimming because the duty cycle (the percentage of time the LED is on) is reduced.

As someone who lives with chronic migraines, this means that most of my devices are lower than 50% brightness most of the time due to photophobia (light sensitivity). This makes high-frequency PWM dimming (or DC-like dimming) essential, as flickering worsens migraine pain and can trigger attacks.

There are already so many steps I take to prevent my smartphone from giving me migraines. But there’s a lot you can do when your hardware and software don’t give you the features you need. Your smartphone is usually the screen you spend the most time on. Having a screen that can exacerbate existing sensitivity is a big disappointment.

I would also say that PWM sensitivity affects more people than we think. Although I was diagnosed with chronic migraines in 2021, I didn’t realize the effect blinking could have on me until much later. However, I noticed that when I used my HONOR 400 Pro during migraine attacks, I experienced less nausea and sensitivity than with devices with lower PWM speeds. But I only made the PWM connection much later.

There are also many people who may attribute their eye strain and headaches to screen time or blue light, rather than blinking specifically.

Photophobia affects the vast majority of people with migraines. Meanwhile, migraines affect more than one billion people worldwide. But this is not the only condition that causes photophobia and blink sensitivity. I would argue that something that affects a significant proportion of the world’s population is not a niche concern.

The least companies could do is make it easier to find information about the dimming rates and eye-care features of their smartphones. This would help consumers make more informed decisions when purchasing the latest. android smartphone. However, there isn’t much consistency at the moment and the appearance of these features and screen specifications depends on what the company shares.

Accessibility benefits everyone. While Samsung isn’t the only brand guilty of low PWM dimming rates, as the world’s largest Android smartphone company, I want to hold it to a higher standard. The privacy screen is a nice feature, but it seems misleading when the screen on your newer devices lacks these accessibility features.