There’s a lot to look forward to with the release of the Samsung Galaxy S26 phones, which are expected at the start of next year.
The latest feature to be confirmed via a leak concerns the premium Galaxy S26 Ultra model. According to a discovery by Android Authority, a rumoured privacy feature is now all but assured.
The publication spotted lines of code in early versions of Samsung’s upcoming One UI 8.5 operating system – to be launched alongside the Galaxy S26 handsets – which reveal that the company is working on a new “Privacy Display” or “Private Display” function.
Android Authority
It will prevent anyone from spying on your phone by limiting the visibility of the screen from side angles. It looks as though there may be two settings or levels: maximum and a manual setting that could allow you to adjust brightness as you see fit.
The feature is said to be available only on the Galaxy S26 Ultra, as previous rumours (again, spotted by Android Authority) have indicated that only the top-of-the-line Galaxy S26 model will have a display with the new Flex Magic Pixel technology, which uses AI to adjust the pixels on the screen.
This will make it much safer to check your bank balance when you’re out and about, or enter a password, or view sensitive information. You can, of course, buy a stick-on privacy screen protector from the likes of Amazon, but the advantage of Samsung’s technology will be that you can instantly switch it on and off as needed, so you can share your screen when you want to.
There are plenty of other hints as to what to expect from the S26 Ultra – although not all have received the same confirmation as the Flex Magic Pixel tech. The handset is expected to be slimmer than its predecessor, potentially down to under 8mm from the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s 8.2mm. It’s also rumoured to weigh slightly less than the current model’s 218g.
Luke Baker
Its expected to retain the S25 Ultra’s a 5000mAh battery but may finally get faster charging options than that model’s 45W wired charging and 15W wireless.
The camera array in the Galaxy S26 Ultra is expected to be very similar to that of the Galaxy S25 Ultra. It’s projected to feature a 50Mp telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom but a larger aperture than the S25 Ultra, while the separate 3x telephoto could be upgraded from 10Mp to 12Mp.
But it’s another AI feature that could make a big difference to users, and that’s a potential choice in the virtual assistant you use. Galaxy S25 users are limited to Google Gemini or Bixby, but word has it that Samsung is talking to “multiple vendors” about expanding the number of options.
Back on the subject of diet phones, the Ultra isn’t the only Galaxy S26 model that’s expected to be slimmed down – the Galaxy S26 Edge is rumoured to be even thinner than its just-launched Apple rival, the iPhone Air.
This article originally appeared on our sister publication M3 and was translated and adapted from Swedish.
