Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Review: The Privacy Screen

Privacy Display is precise useful. Horizon Lock captures ace dependable video footage. Excellent performance, large artillery life, and a reliable quad-camera system. Long bundle support.

Rocks awfully connected a table. No Qi2 magnets. Some AI features are useless. Samsung Keyboard inactive sucks.

Did you privately inquire ChatGPT however to bring up nonmonogamy with your husband? It's each implicit socials! Your commuting neighbour connected the bid snuck a glimpse astatine your phone, guffawed internally, and blasted it connected X with a satisfied smirk. At slightest you're inactive anonymous.

This is simply a script that Samsung's caller smartphone avoids. It's uncommon for a caller smartphone hardware innovation to impact truthful overmuch of our day-to-day experience, but that's precisely what the Privacy Display connected the Galaxy S26 Ultra does. Over the past 2 weeks, I person enjoyed an other level of comfortableness knowing that my nosy nationalist transit neighbors and chap java store lovers person a hard clip seeing thing connected my screen.

Barring the display, this isn't a revolutionary upgrade implicit the Galaxy S25 Ultra, which wasn't a revolutionary upgrade implicit the Galaxy S24 Ultra. If you're coming from a flagship Galaxy smartphone from a twelvemonth oregon 2 ago, possibly adjacent three, you bash not request to walk $1,300 to upgrade unless thing is earnestly incorrect with your smartphone. But if you person an older phone, the Ultra hits immoderate beardown 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 diagnostic built into the screen. It mimics privateness surface protectors without manually applying 1 to your phone, and it doesn't dramatically trim surface brightness oregon representation quality.

Even better, due to the fact that it's integrated, you tin customize erstwhile the Privacy Display turns connected done the software. Mine activates automatically with prime messaging apps, banking apps, and for notifications, and there's nary ocular denotation erstwhile looking astatine the telephone consecutive connected that the Privacy Display is enabled oregon not (unless you tilt the surface slightly).

You tin inactive see the surface from the sides with Privacy Display enabled, it's conscionable overmuch dimmer and harder to marque retired the content. For maximum effect, you tin crook connected Max Privacy Protection via the speedy settings menu, which makes it adjacent intolerable to work the surface from the sides. You don't privation to usage that mode each the clip due to the fact that the surface looks washed out, but it's bully for erstwhile you privation to beryllium other private. Oddly, Samsung doesn't fto you configure this other furniture to automatically crook connected with circumstantial apps—it's a manual toggle each time.

I've seen immoderate complaints online astir the Privacy Display affecting the surface quality, but I person to disagree. Then again, the archetypal happening I did erstwhile mounting up the telephone was max retired the surface solution to Quad HD+ and besides acceptable the colors to Vivid. I haven't seen immoderate fuzzy text, and brightness hasn't been a occupation for maine either.

Yes, you tin bargain a inexpensive privateness surface protector and adhd it to immoderate phone, but sometimes you do privation the idiosyncratic adjacent to you—be it a person oregon household member—to beryllium capable to work the surface alongside you. Or possibly the telephone is connected a table, and you privation to lazily scroll TikTok portion trying to support an oculus connected work. That's wherever a modular privateness surface protector won't help, arsenic it blocks you from seeing your ain screen, but Samsung's solution gets astir that. Now, I privation each smartphone had a privateness screen.

You don't request to beryllium doing thing illicit oregon highly delicate to warrant having this feature. Maybe you privation your speech with a loved 1 to beryllium private. Maybe you're authenticating a login and don't privation anyone other to spot the code. Or you're opening your banking app, and don't privation anyone snooping astatine your checking account. It's conscionable bully to person privacy.

The Phone

Samsung has made its Ultra smartphone much similar the modular Galaxy S26 and S26+, with rounded corners alternatively of the boxy look of its predecessors. (It's inactive the lone 1 of the batch with the integrated S Pen stylus.) The wide plan connection is inactive rather dull, and the phone's muted colors aren't breathtaking (you tin bargain an iPhone 17 Pro successful orangish for crying retired loud!).

Annoyingly, the telephone rocks connected a array worse than ever. The S26 Ultra whitethorn beryllium slimmer, but the camera module is thicker, truthful you'll person a alternatively inelegant acquisition erstwhile tapping the surface with the telephone connected a surface. A lawsuit solves this problem, but I similar a caseless experience.

Also unfortunate is the deficiency of Qi2 magnets. Like its predecessor, Samsung's S26 bid is Qi2 Ready—you tin lone entree faster wireless charging speeds and the unsocial magnetic mounting capabilities of Qi2 with a first- oregon third-party magnetic case. Google's Pixel 10 phones stay the lone flagship Android phones with this autochthonal functionality. Heck, Apple adjacent brought MagSafe/Qi2 to its “budget” $599 iPhone 17e. What is taking Samsung truthful long?

Performance has been precise good, with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 proving its worth. My benchmark scores are the highest I've seen connected a smartphone, particularly multi-core scores—closely matching the OnePlus 15, which has the aforesaid chip. For real-world testing, I spent a chunk of clip playing Genshin Impact astatine the max graphical settings without issues. I bash deliberation gameplay is somewhat smoother connected the iPhone 17 Pro, but there's truly not overmuch to kick about. The Ultra manages thermals well, too, dispersing vigor passim the telephone alternatively than creating blistery spots.

It's precise disappointing that Samsung has yet to research silicon-carbon batteries, dissimilar its Chinese peers, but I've been blessed with artillery life. The 5,000-mAh compartment easy lasts a afloat time adjacent with dense usage. On 1 engaged day, I deed 7 hours of screen-on clip and inactive didn't request to plug successful until bedtime. With mean oregon airy use, I don't consciousness the request to complaint it each night.

For the camera experience, versatility is the sanction of the game. It features somewhat wider apertures connected the main 200-MP and 50-MP 5X optical zoom cameras, and that means brighter, sharper images successful low-light scenes. It's conscionable a truly fun, enjoyable strategy to use, swapping betwixt the ultrawide, the 3X optical zoom, the 5X optical zoom, and the main sensor. I adjacent often opt for the 10X “optical-like” zoom and americium blessed with the results.

Is it my favourite camera strategy connected a smartphone? No. I compared immoderate images with the Pixel 10 Pro, and I similar the colour tones, exposure, and opposition that Google provides connected its smartphone. In debased light, you whitethorn extremity up with somewhat blurry images if you're not inactive enough. But having entree to each these cameras elevates the experience, and I'm precise blessed to person this strategy successful my pocket. I find myself snapping much pictures, and that's a large motion for immoderate camera system.

Samsung has ever delivered immoderate of the champion smartphone video prime successful the Android world, and it goes a measurement further this twelvemonth with Horizon Lock. You request to manually alteration this successful the camera app erstwhile you're successful video mode (turn connected Super Steady), but you'll beryllium amazed astatine however good your footage is stabilized, nary substance however overmuch you tilt, twist, and shingle the phone. You tin beryllium rather carefree astir however you clasp the telephone portion recording, adjacent portion shooting successful 4K astatine 60 frames per 2nd with HDR+. It needs a bully magnitude of light, though, truthful it's not for acheronian indoor settings oregon aft sunset.

The AI

It's a communicative of 2 AIs with Samsung's Galaxy smartphones. Well, technically, more—Bixby inactive exists, and Perplexity is present preinstalled—but you're mostly dealing with Samsung's suite of Galaxy AI features alongside Gemini and Google's ain AI tools successful its preinstalled apps. The conversational editing diagnostic successful Samsung's Gallery app, for example, already exists successful Google Photos (also preinstalled). It's bully to person much diagnostic parity, successful lawsuit you similar utilizing 1 app implicit the other.

Some of these caller AI capabilities are successful your look or, frankly, useless (or both). Samsung's Now Brief widget, which is expected to beryllium a regular accusation hub, has yet to supply immoderate invaluable information. Now Nudge is expected to beryllium baked into Samsung's keyboard and connection contextual assistance, truthful if idiosyncratic texts astir gathering up for java adjacent week, it whitethorn proactively inquire if you privation to make a calendar event. I've hardly seen it look connected the phone, adjacent aft a person texted astir grabbing coffee!

Speaking of, I privation to instrumentality a infinitesimal to speech astir the keyboard. It remains 1 of the astir frustrating parts of the Samsung smartphone experience, and wherefore I instantly power to Google's Gboard astir of the time. Voice typing is conscionable awful—it doesn't recognize punctuation, and consistently mishears what I say—and swipe typing successful wide is lackluster. I'm shocked Samsung hasn't figured retired a mode to amended the acquisition aft each the AI it's shoving into these phones.

The caller call-screening relation is great, though I inactive brushwood much suspected scam calls connected the S26 Ultra than erstwhile I'm utilizing my Pixel 10 Pro. Also, the upgraded papers scanner baked into the camera app is neat—removing creases, erasing fingers, cutting distant the background, and minimizing distortion. These are the mundane things AI should assistance america with.

I amazingly similar the caller Audio Eraser function. I was endlessly scrolling done Instagram Reels erstwhile I came upon a video of idiosyncratic walking done a engaged market. Their audio was OK, but I turned connected Audio Eraser successful the speedy settings menu; Samsung's AI chopped retired the inheritance chatter, making it easier to perceive what the creator was saying. I tin ideate this could beryllium adjacent much adjuvant for folks who request proceeding assistance.

I person to prevention the champion for last: Google's Task Automation successful Gemini. This isn't an exclusive diagnostic with the Galaxy S26 Ultra—it'll beryllium coming to the Pixel 10 bid soon enough—but it's debuting here. Power connected Gemini and inquire it to "book an Uber" to the airport, restaurant, oregon wherever you request to go. It besides works with DoorDash, GrubHub, and Uber Eats (more apps to come).

This is fundamentally Gemini taking power of your app to implicit a task. You tin visualize this full process if you want, oregon fto it bash its happening arsenic you bash much absorbing things connected your phone. Gemini volition caput backmost to you if it has further questions, and it stops abbreviated of really booking oregon placing an order. It takes you to the past step, truthful you tin verify your Uber options oregon checkout cart and deed bid if everything looks good.

The Uber diagnostic has been the smoothest for me, adjacent if it takes longer than manually utilizing the Uber app yourself. But hey, if you're inactive putting connected your shoes and getting ready, Gemini tin springiness you a caput start. I ran into much issues erstwhile ordering food, but it was inactive impressive.

I asked Gemini to bid Singapore Mei Fun from my go-to Chinese takeout spot, Weng's Garden. Even though it spelled Weng incorrectly successful the query, it recovered the close spot by looking astatine my anterior orders. I asked it to bid chickenhearted with ail condiment for my wife, and it managed this, adjacent though the existent point was called “Chicken With Vegetables successful Garlic Sauce." I watched it benignant “garlic” into the restaurant's hunt function, and it inferred that this point is apt what I meant, past came backmost to maine to inquire if I wanted a pint oregon a quart.

Again, it's not perfect. Initially, for immoderate reason, erstwhile I asked it to bid my accustomed from Weng's, it tried to adhd wings to my cart from the aforesaid edifice adjacent though I ne'er bargain wings from there. But it's a glimpse of however Gemini tin grip these menial tasks, truthful you tin look astatine the checkout page, marque definite everything looks correct, and deed Order alternatively than spending respective minutes digging done menus. You bash inactive person to beryllium conscious that you're granting Gemini implicit power implicit the app, which whitethorn unfastened you up to privateness and information risks.

The bully happening is that if you don't privation immoderate of these AI capabilities, you tin walk a fewer minutes disabling and getting escaped of astir of them. Samsung's top-tier flagship is an fantabulous smartphone, and the Privacy Display is simply a uncommon caller diagnostic that I present privation connected each handset. I'd inactive similar to spot Samsung bash much to upgrade artillery capacity, and yet bring autochthonal Qi2 for greater cross-compatibility with iPhone accessories, but alas, possibly adjacent year.