Samsung is set to launch the Galaxy S26 series on February 25. The lineup is expected to have three models and one of these models, likely the top-end Galaxy S26 Ultra, will come with a never-seen-before feature. It will come with what Samsung is calling “privacy display.” The company has been teasing the feature for a while now. The feature is so exciting apparently that Samsung’s Chinese rivals – think Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo and the likes – are reportedly exploring to adopt it in their own upcoming flagship devices.
What is Samsung’s privacy display feature?
The privacy display is an upcoming Samsung feature that would allow smartphones users to keep their phones from prying eyes. People usually apply third-party screen protectors – tempered glass – on their phones for this purpose but Samsung is said to be putting the technology at the hardware level. The technology is called “Flex Magic Pixel” and it will reportedly be exclusive to the Galaxy S26 Ultra. The standard S26 and S26 Plus will likely not get it, but we can’t say for sure yet.
The feature which has also been widely leaked on the internet will have its settings toggle letting users turn it on and off per their need and convenience. Moreover, it is said that Samsung would allow for granular control so users can turn it on for specific tasks and apps, like for instance when using UPI. Anybody viewing, or trying to peek, from an angle which is not direct, will see a dark screen and they won’t be able to see what the user is doing.
Chinese flagships may adopt similar technology
A recent post by tipster Digital Chat Station on Weibo claims that upcoming Chinese flagship smartphones launching around September could feature similar privacy display capabilities. According to the leak, manufacturers in China may also rely on display-level hardware solutions, a lot like Samsung, to reduce off-angle visibility.
No brands have officially confirmed plans to adopt such technology yet. Several major Chinese companies are expected to unveil their flagship products around September. If the rumour turns out to be true, then we may see the upcoming devices like Xiaomi 18 or the Vivo X500 series with a similar display feature. Companies like OnePlus, Honor and Oppo could also add a similar feature into their devices’ hardware.
If that wasn’t enough, Apple is also rumoured to bring this type of technology to future MacBooks.
