It's been some time since the Galaxy S26 series became available globally. While the base S26 and S26 Plus received almost negligible upgrades from their predecessors, the Ultra model comes with a completely new privacy display feature. At first, some users considered it a gimmick, but recent data published by Samsung clearly reveals how important this new upgrade actually is.
What is the privacy display feature?
We have already covered a lot about the privacy display feature of the Galaxy S26 Ultra. However, if you were living under a rock, or for some reason you weren't up to date on what's happening in the tech industry, then here's a brief explanation of it.
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Privacy display is a built-in feature that is exclusive to the Galaxy S26 Ultra variant. It's a direct replacement for third-party privacy glasses and has been introduced to protect your privacy from prying eyes in public areas.
Once you enable this feature, the content on your screen will appear clearly only to you when viewing it straight on. However, it will appear dim to people who try to look at your screen from the side.
The best part is that you can configure how dim you want your screen to appear when viewed from the side, by choosing between a simple privacy display or the maximum privacy protection toggle. Furthermore, you also have the option to make a particular part of the screen invisible from side angles instead of the entire display. For instance, you can configure your phone to apply the privacy display only to notification pop-ups.
The survey reveals the importance of privacy display
Samsung recently conducted a survey of 11,000 Europeans, in collaboration with Censuswide, to discover how people typically behave with smartphones in public spaces. Around 56% of participants admit that they accidentally look at someone else's smartphone display in public spaces like public transport. Interestingly, 24% even admit to doing this intentionally.
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While nearly 27% of respondents said that they immediately look away after intentionally or unintentionally glancing at what someone else is viewing on their phone, 7% admitted to continuing to glance at others' phones out of curiosity.
The data further reveals exactly what users like to look at on someone else's phone. Almost 38% of participants admitted to glancing at personal photos, while 32% said they mainly watch the other person's face during video calls on phones in public places. These figures alone are scary, but the next numbers might scare you even more.
The published report states that around 29% of participants have spotted private messages, 27% have sneaked peeks at notifications, and nearly 11% have glanced at a stranger's bank-related details. These shocking statistics make it crystal clear that a privacy display feature is more important than ever these days.
Why is it exclusive to the Galaxy S26 Ultra?
Privacy display related options in S26 Ultra settings. | Image by PhoneArena
Since the survey data clearly shows that the privacy display feature is really important, you might wonder why it is exclusive to the Galaxy S26 Ultra. The short answer is that it is a hardware-level feature, not a software upgrade that could be rolled out to other Galaxy phones through a One UI update.
It relies on the Flex Magic Pixel OLED panel, which is used only in the Ultra variant. Other models in the S26 family don't feature this display, which is why the capability isn't present in the base S26 or the S26 Plus.
Do you want a privacy display to come on more phones?
It could land on more devices soon
It was recently reported that next year we could see a new S27 Pro variant in the S27 lineup. It will reportedly feature all the S26 Ultra's features but won't include an S Pen. That essentially means it could also come equipped with the privacy display upgrade.
Interestingly, reports suggest that many other brands could launch their own privacy display technology in upcoming phones. For instance, reliable tipster Digital Chat Station recently claimed that a Chinese OEM is working on similar technology, which could launch sometime in September this year.
Unfortunately, DCS didn't mention any name in the post, leaving open the possibility that it could be any Chinese brand. But the September release window does give a hint that it could be either Xiaomi, Oppo, or Vivo.
Aman Kumar is a tech news writer with a long-standing passion for smartphones. Aman specializes in everything smartphones, from AI features like Pixel’s Camera Coach to understanding ideal hardware combinations. He loves breaking down complex features in a simple, clear way and hopes manufacturers bring back bold designs like the Nokia N-Gage. When he’s not writing, he’s either gaming on PUBG or talking fitness as a dedicated gym enthusiast.
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