DEV-TOOLSMarch 15, 20261 min read22 views

Review: Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

The Galaxy S26 Ultra introduces a game-changing Privacy Display that protects your screen from prying eyes. While it's a solid flagship, it remains an incremental update for those already owning recent Galaxy models.

Did you privately ask ChatGPT how to bring up nonmonogamy with your husband? It's all over socials! Your commuting neighbor on the train snuck a glance at your phone, guffawed internally, and blasted it on X with a satisfied smirk. At least you're still anonymous.

This is a scenario that Samsung's new smartphone avoids. It's rare for a new smartphone hardware innovation to affect so much of our day-to-day experience, but that's exactly what the Privacy Display on the Galaxy S26 Ultra does. Over the last two weeks, I have enjoyed an extra level of comfort knowing that my nosy public transit neighbors and fellow coffee shop lovers have a hard time seeing anything on my screen.

Barring the display, this isn't a revolutionary upgrade over the Galaxy S25 Ultra, which wasn't a revolutionary upgrade over the Galaxy S24 Ultra. If you're coming from a flagship Galaxy smartphone from a year or two ago, maybe even three, you do not need to spend $1,300 to upgrade unless something is seriously wrong with your smartphone. But if you have an older phone, the Ultra hits some strong highs and offers a well-rounded experience.

The Screen

Samsung's Privacy Display is exclusive to the Galaxy S26 Ultra, and it's a hardware feature built into the screen. It mimics privacy screen protectors without manually applying one to your phone, and it doesn't dramatically reduce screen brightness or image quality.

Source: Hacker News

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