Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra Lands With a Privacy Display That Takes Center Stage

Samsung just revealed the Galaxy S26 Ultra during their Unpacked event, which includes the Privacy Display, a feature so interesting that it’s difficult not to highlight. This system took its developers five years to build, making it a significant game changer in how consumers protect their personal information amid crowds. It works by merging two sorts of pixels side by side: super-narrow ones that blast light straight out, and wider ones that disperse it for that pleasant wide-angle view everyone else has. When you turn on the Privacy Display, the wider pixels simply turn off.

This means that the person holding the phone retains a sharp, bright image, however anyone looking to the left or right sees mostly darkness or some fairly unattractive distortion. Users have some freedom in how they use this function, as they can conceal the entire screen, select programs, or even incoming notifications. When you need it, they have a choice to increase the protection; simply flip on partial mode to cover a portion of the screen or go for maximum protection to truly tighten up the viewing angle. There is no need for an unsightly film or a bulky cover because the protection is incorporated directly into the screen.

They did not sacrifice size, as the S26 Ultra remains extremely slim and light. It measures 78.1 x 163.6 x 7.9 mm and weighs 214 grams, which is 0.3 mm slimmer and somewhat lighter than its predecessor. Rounded edges and the strong Armor Aluminum frame provide a comfortable grip without feeling bulky. Its 6.9-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel performs all the work with ease, with variable refresh ranging from 1 to 120Hz and Vision Booster for better outdoor visibility. They even have an anti-reflective coating to reduce glare, and the mobile Digital Natural Image engine has been improved to provide extremely precise color.


The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Mobile Platform, which has been optimized specifically for Galaxy handsets, handles the performance side of things. Samsung claims that it is 19% quicker on CPU, 24% better on GPU, and 39% more powerful on NPU for AI tasks than the previous version. They’ve also done a terrific job with heat; a redesigned vapor chamber with new thermal materials keeps everything cool even in the most extreme conditions. The 5,000 mAh battery supports Super Fast Charging, which can charge to 75% in half an hour with the appropriate 60W adapter, as well as wireless charging and PowerShare.


Cameras are where this phone really shines, and the rear camera setup is a real powerhouse, boasting a 200 megapixel wide lens with an F1.4 aperture that lets in a whopping 47% more light, a 50 megapixel ultra-wide, a 10 megapixel 3x telephoto, and a 50 megapixel 5x telephoto that can achieve a respectable 10x optical zoom. Wider apertures on important lenses make a significant difference in low-light pictures and video, and night photography has truly matured, producing detailed shots even in the darkest settings. Meanwhile, Super Steady has introduced horizontal lock for even smoother footage. The 12 megapixel front camera now employs AI to provide skin tones a more natural appearance and capture even finer details such as individual hairs.


Galaxy AI has gotten more intuitive in the background, taking on far more duties than previously. For starters, Nudge now makes timely suggestions, such as informing you when you have a conflict on your calendar or recommending which photographs are worth sharing. Brief is another new tool that provides a personalized daily overview. With Circle to Search, you can now select multiple objects at once. Bixby is now even more conversational, assisting with settings and troubleshooting, and collaborating smoothly with agents such as Gemini to handle multi-step requests. Photo Assist allows you to specify what you want to change, flip daytime and nighttime, restore missing things, or even change what you’re wearing, and Creative Studio will generate stickers, wallpapers, or invitations based on your easy instruction.


Pre-orders begin today, February 25th, 2026, and the Ultra will hit shelves on March 11th. To give you a sense of how fairly priced it is, the Ultra starts at $1,299, which is certainly competitive given all the enhancements.