This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
The new Privacy display of the Galaxy S26 Ultra in action
The Galaxy S26 Ultra has one cool new feature that's also a really bad idea. And has everything to do with the phone’s display.
People are quite divided on the new Samsung flagship. Some think it's a lazy rehash of the old model, with nothing to write home about in terms of upgrades, while others think it's the best smartphone Samsung ever made.
And while those two aren't mutually exclusive necessarily, it's true that there aren't many new things on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Except for the hero of today’s story - Privacy display.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra and the Privacy Display
No meaningful upgrades apart from the new chipset | Image by PhoneArena
I’ve had the pleasure to test this phone first hand and tinker with the Privacy display feature; it's a way to keep your screen content away from prying eyes. When the feature is on, the display appears dark from steep viewing angles, hiding its content from people standing nearby.
The technology is similar to that of the privacy screen protectors that have been on the market for many years. Here's what Samsung says about the Privacy display:
"Privacy display is a feature based on the advanced display technology of the Galaxy S26 Ultra that intelligently controls the screen to restrict the visibility of on-screen content from side viewing angles.
In sensitive situations such as certain password entry, upon setting, the screen can be automatically shielded to reduce exposure of personal information. Individual settings can be configured by app, allowing selective application only to certain supported financial apps or personal apps, for example."
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The actual tech behind this feature is two separate types of pixels inside the Galaxy S26 Ultra. One type is the so-called narrow pixels, the other one wide. As the names suggest, when the Privacy screen feature is turned off, both types are active, showing the image on the screen in all directions.
When you turn on the privacy screen, the wide pixels dim, leaving the narrow pixels projecting the image straight on.
These two types of pixels can be managed separately, creating different levels of "privacy" depending on how many "wide" pixels are active in tandem with the "narrow" pixels. It sounds like a cool feature, right? Why is it a bad idea then?
It doesn't work all that well
You can still see pretty much everything even from a steep angle | Image by PhoneArena
The Privacy display feature works but to an extent. Even at the most aggressive setting, you can still see what's on the screen except from a very steep angle. If there's someone behind you on the sub, or if someone is sitting next to you on the plane, they will absolutely be able to see what's on your screen.
The angle at which this feature really hides the contents of your screen is so steep that even on a normal display the image is so distorted that it's hard to discern what's going on. Which kind of defeats the purpose.
And there's one consequence that's even worse, following from the not-so-effective nature of that feature.
Privacy display makes you overconfident
People can get overconfident and lose private data | Image by vecteezy
I don't think many people will do extensive testing on the Privacy display feature and the exact angles it's most effective at. Most people will probably set it and forget it. Which can be dangerous.
For example, I tend to not make mobile payments or bank transfers in public, on the sub, or at crowded places. But with the somewhat illusionary protection of the Privacy screen, I would be tempted to use these sensible features anywhere at any time.
I think the Privacy display may lower people's guard and trick them into thinking it's the ultimate privacy feature and protection they need.
This feature makes the display kind of weird
Even dead center the display looks a bit weird | Image by PhoneArena
Even at its lowest setting, the Privacy display changes the way the screen looks. It is very similar to physical screen protector sheets with this privacy feature. They use polarizers inside the glass to direct the light from the screen, rather than switch pixels, but the result is the same.
You have to be dead center for the image to stay unchanged, or it will lose brightness and look unnatural.
When you set up the feature to turn on for specific apps or actions, it becomes a little annoying. Your phone display starts to act inconsistently. I know it's a feature, not a bug, but you hold the Galaxy S26 Ultra very differently with Privacy display off than when the option is active.
And while you can remove a privacy display protector if you get fed up with it, this is not the case with the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
You can't "remove" Privacy display
You can just buy a privacy screen protector and remove it if you don't like it | Image by ZAGG
Technically, you can switch the feature off, but what I mean is that this two-type pixel technology is baked inside your screen. This probably means the repair cost of this screen could be much higher than a normal one with normal pixels.
And if we take a look at it from a choice perspective, you really don't have a choice to get a Galaxy S26 Ultra without this feature. It might sound a bit optimistic to hope that Samsung would offer two distinct versions of the S26 Ultra, one with and one without the Privacy display, but the end result is that people have no choice other than to get it.
The silver lining
This technology could improve and push other manufacturers forward as well | Image by PhoneArena
It might seem that I'm firmly against this feature from all my arguments above, but that's not completely true.
I think this feature has a lot of potential, and could be improved in its second or third generation. There's a real possibility for Samsung to abandon this tech, as well. Especially if the feedback is mostly negative, or if horror stories about leaked sensitive info start to pop up.
But the other positive thing is that Samsung has brought up a real innovation to the smartphone table, and that's admirable. It might prompt other smartphone brands (looking at you, Apple) to follow suit, to wake from their slumber and innovate.
So, is the Privacy display a bad idea as it is right now, or is it a game changer? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
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Mariyan, a tech enthusiast with a background in Nuclear Physics and Journalism, brings a unique perspective to PhoneArena. His childhood curiosity for gadgets evolved into a professional passion for technology, leading him to the role of Editor-in-Chief at PCWorld Bulgaria before joining PhoneArena. Mariyan's interests range from mainstream Android and iPhone debates to fringe technologies like graphene batteries and nanotechnology. Off-duty, he enjoys playing his electric guitar, practicing Japanese, and revisiting his love for video games and Haruki Murakami's works.
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