This year, Samsung introduced a novel, highly innovative feature for the Galaxy S26 Ultra: the Privacy Display. The display seems to have shown demand because other phone manufacturers are reportedly looking to purchase Privacy Display panels from Samsung for their flagship smartphones.
Privacy Display for other smartphones
The Galaxy S26 Ultra makes it harder for people to snoop. | Image by PhoneArena
According to a new report (translated source), external manufacturers are looking to source the Privacy Display from Samsung. This can include phone manufacturers as well as other companies that sell laptops, tablets, and other tech products with screens.
Samsung is apparently expected to start supplying its privacy-focused panels to other manufacturers by the end of 2028, so there’s some time remaining before these panels make it to other products.
Has Privacy Display been the gamechanger you expected?
Yes, I use it all the time in public now
49.5%
No, I've never found a use case for it
16.83%
The visual sacrifice is too much for me to use it
21.29%
No, but I would love it on other devices
12.38%
202 Votes
A novel feature for the Galaxy S26 Ultra
The Galaxy S26 Ultra is the first-ever smartphone with a display that can hide the contents of its screen from people standing around the user. There are two intensity settings, with the second one making the phone’s screen appear completely dark for passersby. Having custom settings — like only hiding incoming notifications — is also a gamechanger for some users.
Samsung's Privacy Display is very popular with some users. | Image by Reddit
Previously, you would need to apply custom screen protectors to hide your phone’s screen, and that meant that everything would always be hidden unless you were looking at the phone straight on. Samsung’s solution is excellent because it works at a hardware level, can be customized to only activate at certain times across certain portions of the screen and, crucially, can be deactivated.
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Is the sacrifice worth it?
The highest Privacy Display setting hides everything but reduces color and image clarity. | Image by PhoneArena
One major problem with Samsung’s current Privacy Display is the fact that the implementation isn’t exactly flawless. When activated, especially at the highest privacy setting, the Galaxy S26 Ultra loses a lot of color and image clarity across its screen.
The feature has also led to some users getting headaches. Though the S26 Ultra’s display seems to do that even when Privacy Display is off.
Other manufacturers might be waiting for Samsung to improve on this technology before they source it for their own devices. If that happens, then you won’t have to get a Galaxy phone specifically to enjoy such a display.
It’s welcome, if it works
Privacy Display's hardware-level implementation is fantastic. | Image by PhoneArena
Personally, I’d love to see the Privacy Display make its way to other products across the tech industry. However, I don’t see myself using it at all if it means that I’m sacrificing color, sharpness, and overall detail.
I’m sure that Samsung will improve it considerably within the next few years, though. So I’m pretty happy that it’s something that seems to be catching on.
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Abdullah loves smartphones, Virtual Reality, and audio gear. Though he covers a wide range of news his favorite is always when he gets to talk about the newest VR venture or when Apple sets the industry ablaze with another phenomenal release.
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