Samsung says the Galaxy S26 Ultra is the first phone with a built-in privacy screen. Turn it on, and someone sitting beside you on the train sees a dimmed display while you see the screen normally.
The company announced the Galaxy S26 series on February 25, 2026. It has three models: the Galaxy S26, S26+ and S26 Ultra. Pre-orders for all three start February 26, with general availability from March 11.
Privacy Display
The feature works by controlling how pixels disperse light. Content stays clear and bright for the person holding the phone, while visibility from the side is limited. Samsung presents it as an alternative to stick-on privacy films, which often make the screen harder for the owner to read. When the feature is off, the company says, viewing quality stays full from every direction. It also works in portrait and landscape.
Owners choose when it activates. Options include entering PINs, patterns and passwords, or opening selected apps. A Partial Screen Privacy setting limits what shows in notification pop-ups, and Maximum Privacy Protection obscures side views further.
Hardware
The Ultra runs on a customized Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip. Samsung claims CPU performance up by as much as 19 percent, NPU performance up 39 percent and GPU performance up 24 percent. A redesigned vapor chamber, with thermal material along the sides of the processor, is meant to keep heat down during gaming and video capture. The phone reaches up to a 75 percent charge in 30 minutes with Super-Fast Charging 3.0, according to Samsung, and has a 5,000mAh battery.
Display specs listed for the Ultra include a 6.9-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen with a refresh rate up to 120Hz and IP68 water resistance. The phones run Android 16 with One UI 8.5, and connectivity covers 5G, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0.
The Ultra’s cameras are a 200MP wide, a 50MP ultra-wide and two telephotos. Wider apertures are meant to improve low-light shots, even when zoomed in. It is also the first Galaxy device to support APV, a professional-grade video codec.
AI features
Samsung calls these its third generation of AI phones. TM Roh, head of the company’s Device eXperience division, said: “We believe AI should be something people can depend on every day, it should be designed to work consistently for everyone, without the need for expertise.”
Photo Assist lets users describe an edit in plain words, such as turning a day scene into night or restoring a missing bite of cake. Edits can be reviewed step by step and undone. Creative Studio turns a sketch, photo or prompt into stickers, invitations or wallpapers. Now Nudge suggests Gallery photos when a friend asks for pictures from a trip. Now Brief surfaces reminders for events such as reservations.
Bixby is now a conversational agent that takes natural-language commands. The phones also carry Gemini and Perplexity, and with Gemini, Samsung says, booking a taxi means asking, reviewing and tapping confirm.
Security
AI-powered Call Screening identifies unknown callers and summarizes why they called. Privacy Alerts warns users when apps with device admin privileges try to reach precise location, call logs or contacts. Private Album, built into Gallery, hides photos and videos without a separate folder or Samsung Account sign-in. Samsung said the series will receive seven years of security updates.
The Galaxy Buds4 range was announced as a companion. With the Buds4 Pro paired to an S26, users can start AI agents by voice and handle calls with head gestures. Colors are Cobalt Violet, White, Black and Sky Blue, with Pink Gold and Silver Shadow sold only through Samsung’s website.
Sources
- Samsung Unveils Galaxy S26 Series: The Most Intuitive Galaxy AI Phone Yet
- Samsung unveils Galaxy S26 phones with AI & Privacy Display
Sources
- Samsung Unveils Galaxy S26 Series: The Most Intuitive Galaxy AI…
- Samsung unveils Galaxy S26 phones with AI & Privacy Display
