Editorials · Insider Reaction
Take all my money, Samsung, just fix my biggest S26 Ultra complaint with the Galaxy S27 Ultra
A pricier Galaxy S27 Ultra will not bother me, as long as Samsung fixes this.
This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra kept on a wooden table. | Image by PhoneArena
The Galaxy S26 Ultra comes with mostly incremental upgrades over the Galaxy S25 Ultra; however, it does offer an entirely new privacy display feature. Once it is enabled, your display can't be viewed from off angles, ensuring that a stranger can't check out what you are looking at on your phone. While the feature sounds really promising, it has a big drawback that Samsung is reportedly fixing in the upcoming Galaxy S27 Ultra.
Similar to the Galaxy S25 Ultra, the Galaxy S26 Ultra features a 6.9-inch screen, 1440p resolution, and 2,600 nits of peak HDR brightness. However, in the side-by-side comparison of the display, many users have found the latest Ultra phone to be slightly dimmer than its predecessor, especially when the brightness level is set to maximum. Some really popular and trusted names, like Tarun Vats, shared images on X, which basically suggests that the S26 Ultra display is apparently a downgrade over last year's model.
It reportedly makes the screen dimmer
Hey Galaxy Fam
— Tarun Vats (@tarunvats33) March 2, 2026
I noticed a huge difference between the Galaxy S26 Ultra and S25 Ultra displays. After using the S26 Ultra for a while, my eyes felt tired and slightly uncomfortable.
Note: Both phones were set to 2K resolution, and Privacy Mode was turned OFF on the S26 Ultra.
You can see the issue in the pictures below. I think Samsung needs to fix this issue ASAP.
A Reddit user went even further to compare the display quality of the S23 Ultra with that of the S26 Ultra and concluded that the image quality on the latter is slightly fuzzier than on the former. Another user who claims to have switched from the S23 Ultra to Samsung's latest premium phone made a post sharing that the screen looks "processed rather than natural." Some even took the extreme step of returning the device.
Addressing all the complaints, Samsung released a statement admitting that the S26 Ultra's display is slightly dimmer, but only when the privacy display is enabled and the screen brightness is set to maximum.
However, most users who reported the display issue mentioned that they noticed the difference even when the privacy display feature was disabled. In our in-house testing, we also found that the viewing angles of the Galaxy S25 Ultra are slightly better than those of the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
Are all the S27 Ultra leaks shaping it up to be a great flagship for 2027?
2 Votes
That's why I didn't get the S26 Ultra
All these growing complaints regarding the display quality of the S26 Ultra stopped me from getting it, despite me really liking the concept of a privacy display. I went to get the S26 Plus, which has a larger display and battery than the base Galaxy S26. I also got it for $200 less than the Ultra, although the pricing of the entire S26 lineup has now increased significantly.
The good news is that Samsung is apparently working on improving the display and addressing the problems that have stemmed from the privacy display. An industry insider confirmed this on X.
The S26 Ultra's biggest complaint is finally getting addressed
@kartg0007406 yes
— kro (@kro_roe) October 5, 2026
Many other smartphone manufacturers are reportedly working on their own versions of a privacy display. In fact, the recently released Xiaomi 18 Pro series comes with a smart privacy display, and it is believed not to bring any compromises to the phone's display quality. With other manufacturers also working on similar technology, Samsung must surely be facing pressure to improve the technology so that it remains better than what everyone else is offering. The best way to do that is to fix the complaints users have about its current form.
I won't mind paying more for the Galaxy S27 Ultra
The entire Galaxy S27 lineup is reported to be costlier than its respective predecessors. The Galaxy S27 Ultra, in particular, is believed to start at a price of $1,399, which is an increase of $100 over last year's model. However, if the tech giant does indeed fix the privacy display, then I would happily pay the extra money.
Interestingly, a better privacy display isn't the only thing you will likely get in return for paying more than last year. The upcoming Ultra phone from Samsung is reported to get a new design, a bigger battery, faster storage and RAM, and some really important camera upgrades.
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