The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra will be unveiled later this month, and the hot new feature on the phone is the Privacy Screen. The latter is designed to prevent people standing near you from looking at sensitive information on your screen. You can be in an elevator, a bus, sitting at a restaurant or standing at a party, and one of these so-called "shoulder surfers" could be trying to get a two-factor authentication code, your PIN, or the credentials you use to log into important apps and websites.
The Privacy Screen will cover up these sensitive notifications when the screen is viewed at an angle. This way, the device owner can view a notification while those surrounding him will see a black bar covering up the sensitive information. Believe it or not, such spying at close length has helped some smartphone owners become victims. Some of these attacks, such as someone spying to get your PIN or passcode, will require the thief to physically grab your handset.
While the Privacy Screen is a cool feature, it is not the overwhelming reason consumers want the device
The Privacy Screen is the type of security feature that could help generate some additional sales for Sammy's top-of-the-line 2026 flagship phone. However, based on how 1,347 PhoneArena readers voted in a poll, we can't say that the Privacy Screen will definitely lead to a surge in Galaxy S26 Ultra sales. 33.11% of those voting in the poll that accompanied the article headlined, "Samsung releases first three Galaxy S26 Ultra trailers promoting its big new feature," voted for the response stating that the Privacy Screen is the reason why they are buying the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
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Mockup shows how the Privacy Display might look to the phone owner on the left, and a nosy bystander on the right. | Image credit-IceUniverse
While that topped the 29.62% who said that they like other Galaxy S26 Ultra features better, that 3.49% percentage point difference doesn't seem to be a big enough spread to make the Privacy Screen the overwhelming reason that consumers are going after the phone this year. One of those unsaid reasons could be a departure from the usual for Samsung. Typically, the Galaxy S Ultra model is powered by the latest and greatest Qualcomm Snapdragon application processor (AP) in all regions.
Gamers might prefer the Exynos 2600 AP to power the Galaxy S26 Ultra over having the Privacy Screen
But we could see something different this year that just might keep the price of the Galaxy S26 Ultra steady while improving gaming performance for the phone. And consumers might prefer this possible change for the Galaxy S26 Ultra as opposed to the device sporting a Privacy Screen. Check this out.
Is the Privacy Screen your main reason for buying the Galaxy S26 Ultra this year?
Samsung has designed and manufactured the Exynos 2600 AP and while Samsung's Exynos chips have had a bad rap over the years, especially for overheating, Samsung has added a heat sink that sits on top of the processor. This draws the heat away from the chipset allowing the Exynos 2600 to run at a temperature 30% cooler than past Exynos APs. This alone might not be enough to get consumers clamoring for the Exynos 2600 AP instead of the powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 "for Galaxy" AP.
However, a sharply lower price for the Exynos 2600 compared to Qualcomm's latest flagship Snapdragon SoC might be enough to get Samsung on board, especially considering that early benchmark tests showed the Exynos 2600 being "competitive" with the new Snapdragon AP. Another thing to consider is that the Exynos 2600 AP will be built by Samsung Foundry using its 2nm/GAA process node compared to TSMC's 3nm process for the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.
Why the Exynos 2600 AP might be a better choice for Sammy's top-of-the-line 2026 foagship phone
In theory, this should allow Samsung to pack more transistors into the Exynos 2600, raise the transistor density, and make the Exynos 2600 AP a powerful and energy efficient component. While TSMC is still using FinFET transistors for its APs this year, the Exynos 2600 will be using Gate-All-Around (GAA) transistors which have the gate covering the channel on all four sides to prevent current leaks and to hike the drive current. The higher drive current allows more electricity to flow to a transistor to turn it on.
If the Galaxy S26 Ultra does have the Exynos 2600 AP under the hood, users should notice apps opening faster and gamers will see improved performance. That's due to the GAA transistors on the Exynos 2600 AP being able to drive more current using less heat than the FinFET transistors found inside the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 AP. Maybe I'm wrong, but I'd bet that more consumers would purchase the Galaxy S26 Ultra if the pricing of the phone remained stable and it delivered better gaming performance compared to those who would buy it for the Privacy Screen,
The problem with the last five paragraphs is that it still is unlikely that Samsung will power the Galaxy S26 Ultra with the Exynos 2600 AP. Still, you never know until the phone id unveiled, which could take place on February 25th.
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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.
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