Generation one Privacy Display has issues no one anticipated. Samsung is not only a smartphone company but also a display maker. It’s no wonder they are the ones to pioneer AMOLEDs with pre-baked privacy features that work both on the hardware and software levels. But Galaxy S26 Ultra’s Privacy Display has a long way to go before it’s perfect.
The way this feature works is fascinating to say the least. Galaxy S26 Ultra has an AMOLED that brings two types of pixels. There are regular pixels that emit light in a wide cone, so it’s visible on all sides. And then we have pixels that focus the light straight up.
When the pixels are propagated forward, only the person looking at the screen directly can see them, not the ones peeking over the shoulder. You can activate this feature in specific conditions, for specific apps, and on specific parts of the screen. And the toggle’s right there on the quick settings.
It’s all well and good, but no one thought about the ramifications of using two kinds of pixels on an AMOLED. Initial reports from users suggest the S26 Ultra may have some eye strain issues. A short period of use will cause eye fatigue, even when the privacy display is turned off. To visit the latest Samsung mobile prices, visit our website to explore and compare.
The screen on the S26 Ultra is a lot less refined than on the S25 Ultra. Again, it’s a first-gen product, so we already saw some imperfections coming. But the eye fatigue issue is concerning and may require immediate attention from Samsung. That screen’s especially damaging if you look at the text long enough.
There’s another big issue. Privacy Display On actually makes the image quality much worse. Because half the pixels are turned off, the resolution is also reduced by half. This will bring down the clarity, and reports suggest you lose brightness and image contrast.
Even the colors look muted with Privacy Display active. And this feature isn’t proving to be as useful either to justify the tradeoffs. The off-axis viewing angles are still wide enough that it’s partially visible from the sides.
They had to make the Anti-reflective coating worse on the Galaxy S26 Ultra to accommodate Privacy Display. So you are losing more than you gain with this technology. We thought Samsung’s innovation department was slacking, but we are glad they proved us wrong this year. The company still needs to address these issues fast before the Galaxy S26 Ultra hits retail. Keep watching the news for updates.