Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra hands-on: Privacy Display is the coolest innovation by far
Source: Mashable Tech
Overview
Samsung unveiled its new Galaxy S26 Ultra smartphone at Samsung Unpacked on Wednesday — or, as the tech giant puts it, its new “AI phone.” Coming in at 0.3 mm thinner and four grams lighter than last year’s S25 Ultra, the 2026 flagship leans heavily into AI, aiming to make machine learning an integral part of its infrastructure.
Privacy Display: What It Is
The standout feature of the S26 Ultra is Samsung’s Privacy Display, advertised as a world‑first. It reduces the screen’s viewing angle so that curious bystanders have a harder time seeing what’s on the screen.
The technology uses a combination of wide and narrow pixels separated by partition walls. Activating Privacy Display turns the wide pixels off, making the screen visible only from a more acute angle. A Maximum Privacy Protection mode narrows the angle even further, effectively rendering the screen almost invisible from side views.
Hands‑On Experience
During a Samsung briefing I tested both modes:
- Privacy Display – The screen appears noticeably darker when viewed from wide angles, making it difficult to read unless you’re looking straight at it.
- Maximum Privacy Protection – The screen looks almost shut down from side angles, providing a much stronger privacy barrier.
Both modes slightly wash out colours, with the effect more pronounced in Maximum mode. In everyday use the colour shift isn’t particularly bothersome, and most users quickly adapt.
Customising the Feature
The S26 Ultra lets you set Privacy Display to activate automatically for:
- Specific apps
- Password and PIN entry screens
- Incoming notifications (applies only to the notification area, leaving the rest of the screen visible)
This flexibility lets you enjoy the phone’s bright display while keeping sensitive content private.
If you prefer constant protection, you can keep Maximum Privacy Protection enabled at all times. A Samsung spokesperson did not confirm any impact on battery life, but because the feature turns pixels off, it may even provide a modest efficiency gain.
How to Activate
- Swipe down from the top‑right corner to open the Quick Settings panel.
- Tap the Privacy display button.
- In the menu, toggle Privacy display on, and optionally set the conditions under which it should activate.
- Enable Maximum privacy protection if you want the strongest angle restriction.
Both the basic and maximum modes require the feature to be turned on; the conditions you set determine when they engage.
Availability
Samsung’s Privacy Display is exclusive to the Galaxy S26 Ultra. The device is currently available for pre‑order, starting at $1,299, with shipments slated for March 11.