Samsung just dropped its Galaxy S26 series with a privacy feature no other phone can match. The S26 Ultra introduces the mobile industry's first built-in Privacy Display - hardware that controls how pixels disperse light to keep your screen visible to you but obscured from prying eyes at cafés and on transit. It's the kind of technological leap that could redefine smartphone privacy, backed by a customized Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip delivering 39% faster AI processing than last year's model.
Samsung is making a bold claim with the Galaxy S26 series - that AI should work quietly in the background while you focus on what matters. But it's the S26 Ultra's Privacy Display that steals the spotlight, a hardware-software integration that fundamentally changes how privacy works on mobile devices.
The Privacy Display goes beyond anything previously available on smartphones. By controlling how pixels disperse light, the technology keeps content clear and bright for the user while limiting what others can see from side viewing angles. Unlike traditional privacy films that degrade viewing quality, Samsung's integrated approach preserves full clarity from all directions when off, then intelligently restricts visibility when activated - even when switching between portrait and landscape orientation.
"We believe AI should be something people can depend on every day, designed to work consistently for everyone and without the need for expertise," Samsung Device eXperience Division CEO TM Roh told press at the Galaxy Unpacked event. "With the Galaxy S26 series, we focused on making AI feel effortless, working quietly in the background so people can focus on what matters."
Users can customize when Privacy Display activates - entering PINs, opening banking apps, or viewing sensitive notifications. Partial Screen Privacy mode intelligently limits visibility for notification pop-ups, while Maximum Privacy Protection further obscures side views with minimal impact on battery life or usability.
