The Galaxy S26 Ultra had just one killer feature to brag about. Not anymore
The privacy display feature is no longer a one-phone wonder.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. | Image by PhoneArena
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is arguably one of the most popular Android phones of 2026. It comes with many useful upgrades over the Galaxy S25 Ultra, like faster charging, a faster processor, and more. However, one particular upgrade that makes this year's Ultra unique among all other smartphones is its all-new privacy display feature.
As you can guess from the name, it's a privacy-related capability that makes sure the content you are watching on your smartphone remains invisible to shoulder surfers. I regularly use this feature and find it really helpful when traveling via metro, where it's very easy for others to take a peek at what I'm watching on my phone. That said, the privacy feature is exclusive to the S26 Ultra; not even the recently released $2,100 Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra has it.
Interestingly, a new phone is confirmed to come with a similar capability. No, it's not a smartphone from Samsung but from the Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi.
Xiaomi has officially confirmed that its upcoming 18 lineup phones will feature Galaxy S26 Ultra-like privacy display technology. The company has also shared details on how the new technology will work. According to the shared details, the privacy screen in the upcoming Xiaomi phones is divided into two layouts: standard pixels and privacy pixels.
The privacy pixels reportedly have special microstructures on the left and right sides, and these are the only pixels that light up when the privacy screen feature is activated. The standard pixels are turned off instantly in this case. When the privacy feature is disabled, both standard and privacy pixels work.
Once the privacy feature is enabled, the screen content can easily be viewed when looked at straight on. However, at angles beyond 60 degrees, the feature ensures that the brightness level drops to roughly 1% of the front-facing output. This ultimately ensures that the screen content can't be viewed at all from off angles.
Xiaomi also claims that no compromise has been made to the display output when viewing from a normal distance with the privacy feature disabled. The screen of the upcoming Xiaomi 18 Pro lineup is built on the new M11 luminescent material, which ensures that the device offers a peak brightness of 4,000 nits. The display is also claimed to be more efficient than 2K-resolution panels.
The privacy screen capability can be activated by enabling its toggle via the Quick Settings menu. It can also be controlled via the physical AI key remap or Xiao AI voice controls. Furthermore, you will get the option to make the capability work only on certain apps, such as a banking app.
Xiaomi claims that the feature works with the phone's front camera sensor. Whenever the front camera detects that someone is trying to peek at your smartphone, you will get an automatic warning to be careful and turn on the privacy feature. In addition to all this, you can also configure this capability to turn on automatically at particular locations, such as inside a metro.
When Samsung first announced the privacy display feature, I saw many online posts calling it nothing more than a gimmick. But from my personal experience, I am telling you it's a really useful capability to have on a smartphone. Many users who prioritize privacy also apparently believe the same.
I was able to spot plenty of comments on community forums like Reddit, with users basically saying that they really love the privacy display feature of the Galaxy S26 Ultra. A user commented that initially they thought that it was a capability they would not think much about, but it has slowly become a feature that they use daily.
Plenty of details regarding the Xiaomi 18 Pro lineup have surfaced to date, and all suggest that the upcoming devices are going to be great powerhouses. The series is expected to be powered by a 2nm-based Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro processor. The Xiaomi 18 Pro will reportedly have a 7,000 mAh battery, whereas the Pro Max variant will pack an 8,500 mAh cell.
The rear display is also reported to be bigger and more interactive than those on the previous models. There are also rumors that the company might launch some of the Xiaomi 18 lineup in the global market instead of keeping them exclusive to China. That said, the Xiaomi 18 Pro family will go live in China on 23 September.
As you can guess from the name, it's a privacy-related capability that makes sure the content you are watching on your smartphone remains invisible to shoulder surfers. I regularly use this feature and find it really helpful when traveling via metro, where it's very easy for others to take a peek at what I'm watching on my phone. That said, the privacy feature is exclusive to the S26 Ultra; not even the recently released $2,100 Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra has it.
Xiaomi 18 Pro series to come with privacy display
Xiaomi has officially confirmed that its upcoming 18 lineup phones will feature Galaxy S26 Ultra-like privacy display technology. The company has also shared details on how the new technology will work. According to the shared details, the privacy screen in the upcoming Xiaomi phones is divided into two layouts: standard pixels and privacy pixels.
Privacy screen feature in Xiaomi 18 Pro. | Images by Image by Weibo
Once the privacy feature is enabled, the screen content can easily be viewed when looked at straight on. However, at angles beyond 60 degrees, the feature ensures that the brightness level drops to roughly 1% of the front-facing output. This ultimately ensures that the screen content can't be viewed at all from off angles.
Do you think a privacy-display-like feature should come on all smartphones?
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How the privacy feature will actually work
The privacy screen capability can be activated by enabling its toggle via the Quick Settings menu. It can also be controlled via the physical AI key remap or Xiao AI voice controls. Furthermore, you will get the option to make the capability work only on certain apps, such as a banking app.
Everyone loves privacy
When Samsung first announced the privacy display feature, I saw many online posts calling it nothing more than a gimmick. But from my personal experience, I am telling you it's a really useful capability to have on a smartphone. Many users who prioritize privacy also apparently believe the same.
I was able to spot plenty of comments on community forums like Reddit, with users basically saying that they really love the privacy display feature of the Galaxy S26 Ultra. A user commented that initially they thought that it was a capability they would not think much about, but it has slowly become a feature that they use daily.
The Xiaomi 18 Pro lineup looks great on paper
Plenty of details regarding the Xiaomi 18 Pro lineup have surfaced to date, and all suggest that the upcoming devices are going to be great powerhouses. The series is expected to be powered by a 2nm-based Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro processor. The Xiaomi 18 Pro will reportedly have a 7,000 mAh battery, whereas the Pro Max variant will pack an 8,500 mAh cell.
These three Xiaomi-related stories are worth reading:
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