Samsung has always been an absolute leader when it comes to screen technology for smartphones—it definitely doesn’t hurt that the OEM is also into display manufacturing. With the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, the company moved to a flat display for the first time in a long time, and paired with Corning Gorilla Armor, it is the best Samsung screen ever.
The OEM tried to make sure that the screen ticked all the boxes you expect of a killer display, and part of those measures included an oleophobic coating to keep fingerprints away. That’s not an unusual thing, but the problem is that less than a year after release, that coating seems to be wearing away, leaving stubborn smudges behind.
The S24 Ultra’s Oleophobic Coating Seems To Be Degrading A Lot Faster Than Is Usual
First off, you need to understand that in 2024, an oleophobic coating applied to the screen of a smartphone is hardly a killer feature. It’s something that most manufacturers do, at least for their flagship smartphones, keeping your pesky finger oils from sticking to the screen. That means a better-looking display and fewer instances where you need to wipe off your screen.
The second thing that you need to understand is that oleophobic coatings don’t last forever. Like all types of coating, each time you wipe down your screen or swipe your finger across it, you’re taking a little bit more of that coating off. That’s normal. However, what’s not normal is the coating noticeably degrading in less than a year of use.
Multiple S24 Ultra users, such as YouTuber XeeTechCare, have reported the oleophobic coating on their devices wearing down, especially in the spots that they swipe the most. And this isn’t due to abnormal behavior, as one user states that this is his first time experiencing such with a Samsung phone.
The Resulting Smudges Are Hard To Get Rid Of
Of course, the degradation of this coating is merely a cosmetic thing and shouldn’t affect the way that you use your smartphone. However, for a phone that costs as much as the Galaxy S24 Ultra, this is not something that you paid to deal with. The worst part is that it seems like the smudges and marks left by the coating wearing away are incredibly hard to get rid of, and one user says it is a “permanent” polish on the screen.
This Problem Sullies A Pretty Much Spectacular Smartphone Display
The worst thing is that the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has what many may argue is the best screen on a smartphone in the market, and that’s no surprise as Samsung has cracked the code for good displays. Moving to a flat screen this year only worked in Samsung’s favor.
We’re talking about a 6.8-inch AMOLED with 2,600 nits of peak brightness and HDR10+ certification. It has a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz with LTPO technology to help with that. The maximum resolution is 1440 x 3120, giving you a 505 PPI pixel density. All of that is topped with Gorilla Armor, which reduces glare very noticeably and was the first of its kind on any Android device.
